On the 18th of November, a humanitarian aid brigade was attacked by members of a paramilitary group in the community of Tabak, Aldama, Chiapas, Mexico. As a result of this attack, María Isabel Hernández Rea, a nun, was shot in her right leg and needed to be treated in the hospital for her injuries. The …
This comment was written by Thomas de Bruin, an intern with OLIRE. On October 12th, 2020, the interim report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed Shaheed, was released. In his report he focused on multiple aspects of the right to religious freedom and belief. The Special Rapporteur stated that, based …
As part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Public Policy on Religious Freedom and Cults in Manizales – Colombia, the Quality Unit of the Ministry of Education, with the support of the office implementing the policy and the Secretariat of Municipal Government, invited OLIRE to train more than 300 teachers in the municipality on issues …
In several provinces of Argentina, theft, vandalism and desecration of churches were reported. In the face of the economic crisis, that is exacerbated by the current pandemic, such incidents are more frequent and affect temples of Christian worship. Alms, images– among other goods – become valuable for various criminal groups. Many times, in addition to …
On July 4, Colombia celebrated the National Day of Religious Freedom and Worship for the fifth consecutive year. Colombia is one of the few countries in the region that seeks to implement a cross-sectoral strategy for the promotion of the right to religious freedom and the recognition of religious groups as strategic social actors. One …
OLIRE had the opportunity to participate in online events organized by the Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS) and the Latin American University of Science and Technology (ULACIT). During these events, Dennis P. Petri discussed the multiple dimensions of the right to religious freedom, its interrelationship with other fundamental rights, and …
Dennis P. Petri spoke with members of the Multimedia Catholic Center (CCM) about the challenges and difficulties faced by the Catholic clergy in Mexico. The CCM is one of the few organizations in Mexico that documents and analyzes incidents of violence against priests in the country. Here you can find the interview with Father Omar …
While facing the severity of the economic crisis on the island, a situation that has gotten worse due to COVID-19, civil society organizations and Christian denominations have tried to provide spiritual and material help. However, the authorities have taken advantage of the restrictions imposed in the context of the pandemic to intensify the harassment against …
The Archdiocese of Xalapa denounced the vandalism carried out against the Church of San José, Santiaguito, San Isidro and the convent of the Mothers of the Sacred Heart, located in Veracruz to the Attorney General’s Office (FGE). The phrases that were painted on the walls of the temples were: “fire to the rapist church”, “No …
In El Salvador, isolation measures are not only imposed by the government. In areas with little or no state presence, the control exercised by criminal groups has been adapted and strengthened in the COVID-19 context. Although gangs, such as the MS-13, often imposed curfews in the country; this and other measures have been intensified to …
