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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 2 February 2021
Death threat against 11-year-old activist outrages Colombia

By MANUEL RUEDA decades of guerrilla con-
Associated Press flict and clashes involving
VILLETA, Colombia (AP) — A drug gangs and paramili-
social media death threat tary groups.
aimed at an 11-year-old Twitter suspended the
environmental activist has threatening account and
roused outrage in Colom- the boy received hundreds
bia, a nation where attacks of messages of support,
on social leaders are com- including a letter that was
mon and threats are taken hand-delivered by United
seriously. Nations officials. Signed by
Colombian officials said the U.N. high commissioner
they are investigating the for human rights, Michelle
death threat against Fran- Bachelet, it congratulated
cisco Vera and President Francisco for his work on
Ivan Duque recently prom- behalf of the environment.
ised in a television appear- At home in Villeta, a small
ance that his government town surrounded by moun-
would find “the bandits” tains, Francisco said he
behind the Twitter mes- welcomes “constructive
sage. criticism” and is trying to
For his part, the boy says he ignore the threat as well
will continue to lead envi- Francisco Vera, 11, who is well-known in Colombia for his environmental campaigns and defense as messages in which crit-
of children’s rights, gives an interview in Villeta, Colombia, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021.
ronmental campaigns and Associated Press ics accuse him of being an
urged other young people instrument of leftist politi-
to use social media to “sup- board signs and chant- He spoke before the coun- ic. cians.
port causes they believe ing slogans about climate try’s congress last year. Such threats have weight He said his group of young
in.” change, under the supervi- On Jan. 15, the boy re- in Colombia. The United activists will campaign
Vera, who has drawn com- sion of his grandmother. ceived a gruesome, pro- Nations says that at least 53 against the introduction
parisons to teenage Swed- His Guardians for Life group fanely worded death community leaders were of oil fracking technol-
ish environmental activist now has at least 11 chap- threat from a Twitter ac- murdered in the South ogy in Colombia and will
Greta Thunberg, got to- ters and more than 200 count using a false name American country last year also keep up pressure on
gether with six friends from members across Colombia. in response to a video he and it is examining reports politicians to ban single-
school about two years It planted hundreds of trees posted urging Duque to of an additional 80 such use plastics. Last year, the
ago and marched to the last year and petitioned improve internet access slayings. group collected 24,000 sig-
main park in his hometown Colombia’s government to for children studying from The nation is struggling to natures in an online petition
of Villeta carrying card- ban single-use plastics. home during the pandem- achieve peace following for such a ban.q

South Africa’s virus lockdown helps

reduce rhino poaching

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press
JOHANNESBURG (AP) —
The number of rhinos killed
in South Africa’s national
parks dropped by 33% last
year, with COVID-19 re-
strictions helping by reduc-
ing movements around
the country, the country’s
environmental ministry an-
nounced Monday.
According to authorities,
394 rhinoceroses were
poached for their horns
compared to 594 that
were killed in 2019. In this Wednesday, March 8, 2017 file photo, three rhinos line up
“During the COVID hard at the Welgevonden Game Reserve in the Limpopo province,
South Africa.
lockdown period we had Associated Press
a significant reduction in
poacher incursions into poaching in Kruger was activities overall during the
Kruger National Park,” Min- experienced toward the period, a 21.9% decrease
ister Barbara Creecy an- end of 2020, especially compared to 2019.
nounced in a statement. during December,” she This was the sixth consecu-
“However, that changed said. tive year that a decline in
later in the year as the The country’s largest na- poaching in the country
lockdown levels eased tional park, Kruger expe- had been recorded, ac-
and a significant spike in rienced 1,573 poaching cording to Creecy.q