nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across the Americas: bomb attacks in Peru, funding cuts in Canada for residential school survivor groups, and police lethality in Brazil. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Recent bomb attacks in Peru may be linked to illegal mining
Peru declared a state of emergency on 20 January 2025 after multiple bomb attacks rocked the city of Trujillo. On 20 January, someone pretending to be a delivery driver hit the city’s Public Ministry with an improvised explosive device disguised as a package. In response, the Superior Court of Justice of La Libertad Department reaffirmed it will “not succumb to any acts of violence” despite the apparent threat. The government declared a state of emergency, with armed forces and police given orders to “take control of the city.” This bomb attack follows an attack on a nightclub that left behind an extortion note demanding 100 million Peruvian soles (just over $27 million). Other recent bomb attacks include attacks on two houses. Explosives were also discovered on the Pan–American Highway, signaling further planned attacks.
These recent bomb attacks are drawing attention to an ongoing rise of organized criminal activity in the country. These criminal organizations are often linked to illegal mining, which strengthens many criminal organizations' financial capabilities. However, the Peruvian government has recently been criticized for enabling these operations to continue by extending temporary permits for non–legal miners. Although the government’s goal is to allow these miners to begin conducting legal mining operations, some evidence suggests this may simply allow illegal mining operations to continue and possibly even grow. Peru’s former Minister of the Interior has publicly rebuked Peru’s attempts at a state of emergency in not addressing the roots of the problem: illegal mining and drug trafficking. However, the recent series of bomb attacks, especially the one directed at the Public Ministry, suggest the criminal organizations do not want the government interfering in their operations.
Ottawa cuts funding for residential school survivor groups
The Survivor’s Secretariat—a non–profit organization for survivors of the Mohawk Institute—after the organization was denied additional funding by the Canadian government. The Survivor’s Secretariat is a non–profit organization for survivors of the Mohawk Institute, a residential school in Ontario. Residential schools were run from the late 1800s until 1996 which, often operated by Christian groups, forcibly took Canadian Indigenous children away from their families and cultures to assimilate them into Western culture. The children at this school were often subjected to sexual abuse and other forms of inhumane treatment. Children who died at the residential schools were buried in unmarked graves, with no records kept. Organizations like the Survivor’s Secretariat are devoted to searching for these unmarked graves and giving voice to the survivors of these atrocities.
However, now the Survivor’s Secretariat is close to being forced to shut down its operations after the Canadian government denied its request for more funding. In its denial, the government cited that the Survivor’s Secretariat has C$4.2 million in “unspent funds,” but the head of the group denies this. It may be that the government considers some of the group’s expenditures illegitimate, which would lead to the miscalculation in funds, but the head of the group maintains that in all the reports sent to the Canadian government, the group has not been made aware of any issues with their spending. Instead, she suggests the request was likely denied because of her previous criticism of Ottawa’s 2024 decision to cut funding for Indigenous communities.
Ottawa has also announced that the federal government will cut all funding for the national advisory committee to locate unmarked residential school graves by 31 March 2025.
Rio continues to debate police lethality policy
Police lethality in Rio is far “above the national average,” specifically in favelas (impoverished neighborhoods). Worse, 90% of police lethality cases in Rio are not investigated, and there is evidence correlating extreme police bias with racial discrimination. Brazil has debated the use of police force for years, but now the Federal Supreme Court has heard a case seeking stricter rules on police violence filed in 2019 by the Brazilian Socialist Party with backing from many organizations. Justice Edson Fachin, the Supreme Court’s rapporteur for the case, voted in support of gradual force, depending on the situation, rather than police acting with extreme force. The Federal Supreme Court has asked states and municipalities to send data about the victims of police violence to paint a clearer picture of the issue.
Rio has already adopted some measures outlined in the Brazilian Socialist Party’s 2019 lawsuit, including using police body cameras and notifying residents of community services. The Federal Supreme Court had also previously ruled that police should operate on a schedule. Thus far, these measures have proven semi–successful, with deaths from police violence dropping from 1,200 in 2020 to 871 in 2023.
This case coincides with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro’s new research project to establish a nationwide policy to support the relatives of victims of state violence who do not receive institutional support. They meet with university students to discuss mental health, human rights, and community support, with the ultimate goal of creating a nationwide policy.
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Recent bomb attacks in Peru may be linked to illegal mining
Photo by Viajero Cool via Pexels.
March 3, 2025
Diplomatic Courier staff writer Stephanie Gull brings you three under–the–radar stories from the Americas: bomb attacks in Peru, funding cuts in Canada for residential school survivor groups, and police lethality in Brazil.
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nder The Radar is a special series and newsletter offering from Diplomatic Courier bringing you compelling, under–the–radar stories from around the world over the past month. This month across the Americas: bomb attacks in Peru, funding cuts in Canada for residential school survivor groups, and police lethality in Brazil. You can sign up to receive the newsletter here.
Recent bomb attacks in Peru may be linked to illegal mining
Peru declared a state of emergency on 20 January 2025 after multiple bomb attacks rocked the city of Trujillo. On 20 January, someone pretending to be a delivery driver hit the city’s Public Ministry with an improvised explosive device disguised as a package. In response, the Superior Court of Justice of La Libertad Department reaffirmed it will “not succumb to any acts of violence” despite the apparent threat. The government declared a state of emergency, with armed forces and police given orders to “take control of the city.” This bomb attack follows an attack on a nightclub that left behind an extortion note demanding 100 million Peruvian soles (just over $27 million). Other recent bomb attacks include attacks on two houses. Explosives were also discovered on the Pan–American Highway, signaling further planned attacks.
These recent bomb attacks are drawing attention to an ongoing rise of organized criminal activity in the country. These criminal organizations are often linked to illegal mining, which strengthens many criminal organizations' financial capabilities. However, the Peruvian government has recently been criticized for enabling these operations to continue by extending temporary permits for non–legal miners. Although the government’s goal is to allow these miners to begin conducting legal mining operations, some evidence suggests this may simply allow illegal mining operations to continue and possibly even grow. Peru’s former Minister of the Interior has publicly rebuked Peru’s attempts at a state of emergency in not addressing the roots of the problem: illegal mining and drug trafficking. However, the recent series of bomb attacks, especially the one directed at the Public Ministry, suggest the criminal organizations do not want the government interfering in their operations.
Ottawa cuts funding for residential school survivor groups
The Survivor’s Secretariat—a non–profit organization for survivors of the Mohawk Institute—after the organization was denied additional funding by the Canadian government. The Survivor’s Secretariat is a non–profit organization for survivors of the Mohawk Institute, a residential school in Ontario. Residential schools were run from the late 1800s until 1996 which, often operated by Christian groups, forcibly took Canadian Indigenous children away from their families and cultures to assimilate them into Western culture. The children at this school were often subjected to sexual abuse and other forms of inhumane treatment. Children who died at the residential schools were buried in unmarked graves, with no records kept. Organizations like the Survivor’s Secretariat are devoted to searching for these unmarked graves and giving voice to the survivors of these atrocities.
However, now the Survivor’s Secretariat is close to being forced to shut down its operations after the Canadian government denied its request for more funding. In its denial, the government cited that the Survivor’s Secretariat has C$4.2 million in “unspent funds,” but the head of the group denies this. It may be that the government considers some of the group’s expenditures illegitimate, which would lead to the miscalculation in funds, but the head of the group maintains that in all the reports sent to the Canadian government, the group has not been made aware of any issues with their spending. Instead, she suggests the request was likely denied because of her previous criticism of Ottawa’s 2024 decision to cut funding for Indigenous communities.
Ottawa has also announced that the federal government will cut all funding for the national advisory committee to locate unmarked residential school graves by 31 March 2025.
Rio continues to debate police lethality policy
Police lethality in Rio is far “above the national average,” specifically in favelas (impoverished neighborhoods). Worse, 90% of police lethality cases in Rio are not investigated, and there is evidence correlating extreme police bias with racial discrimination. Brazil has debated the use of police force for years, but now the Federal Supreme Court has heard a case seeking stricter rules on police violence filed in 2019 by the Brazilian Socialist Party with backing from many organizations. Justice Edson Fachin, the Supreme Court’s rapporteur for the case, voted in support of gradual force, depending on the situation, rather than police acting with extreme force. The Federal Supreme Court has asked states and municipalities to send data about the victims of police violence to paint a clearer picture of the issue.
Rio has already adopted some measures outlined in the Brazilian Socialist Party’s 2019 lawsuit, including using police body cameras and notifying residents of community services. The Federal Supreme Court had also previously ruled that police should operate on a schedule. Thus far, these measures have proven semi–successful, with deaths from police violence dropping from 1,200 in 2020 to 871 in 2023.
This case coincides with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro’s new research project to establish a nationwide policy to support the relatives of victims of state violence who do not receive institutional support. They meet with university students to discuss mental health, human rights, and community support, with the ultimate goal of creating a nationwide policy.
