Dossier articles from the past 3 months
The political instability that affected the country following the 1954 coup d’état reached its peak in the 1980s, in which the terrible extermination of the Mayan community by the army led by the dictator Efrain Rios Montt took place, who did not spare even the women and children or the elderly. On that occasion, the…
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A past full of violence and abuse. Drug trafficking, corruption, weak or non-existent institutions. Meanwhile, next June, the country will go to the polls for the general elections. Guatemala constitutes the northern edge of the Central American area nestled between Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras with which it shares borders to the north and…
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Among the many problems afflicting Guatemala, there is certainly also the migratory phenomenon. In fact, Guatemala, in addition to being the country of origin of large numbers of migrants heading to the USA, is also, due to its geographical position, a transit route for those leaving from other states both in Central America and in…
Read moreToday, Guatemala continues to deal with a highly precarious social situation that places the country in the last rank in Latin America as regards human development, where the rates of violence and that relating to child malnutrition remain high. These conditions affect almost the majority of the population which has about 17 million inhabitants. Of…
Read moreDrought, floods, abnormal heat waves. Today we are faced with a climate crisis that is unprecedented in human history, the consequences of which are there for all to see. It is primarily the inhabitants of the poorest and most vulnerable countries and, more generally, those belonging to the most disadvantaged social groups, especially women, who…
Read moreThe waves break gently on the shore. The crystal-clear water glistens invitingly under the rays of the sun. Eleanor sits on the shore and looks out to sea. Her palms shade her face. Eleanor is twelve years old and she can’t wait to be grown up. Some distance from the sea stands her wooden house.…
Read moreDespite the extraordinary progress made in the last 25 years, there are still 129 million girls who do not have access to education (32 million in primary, 97 million in secondary). Globally, primary and secondary school enrolment rates are approaching parity (90% male and 89% female). However, the gender gap widens if school completion rates,…
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The terrible drought which – for the third year in a row – plagues the Horn of Africa region and the rise in food prices caused by the war in Ukraine, have led to an increase in child marriages in several countries of the region. The alarm was raised by UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s…
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São Tomé and Príncipe, a former Portuguese colony, is among the smallest independent states in the world. It is composed of an archipelago located off the Atlantic coast of the African continent, opposite the Gulf of Guinea and located just north of the equatorial line. In addition to the two main islands of São Tomé…
Read moreThe economy of São Tomè and Princìpe is poor. The main resources are linked to the tourism, fishing, and cocoa sectors, with most of the population working in public services and agricultural and subsistence activities. The succession of various governments over the years has not created the conditions to put a stop to rampant poverty,…
Read moreHaving obtained independence from the mother country, the country was led for 16 years by a socialist regime, headed by Manuel Pinto da Costa. Within a decade, a strong disaffection towards the establishment grew among the population; it was mainly caused by the economic decline, the impact of which on living conditions was considerable. This…
Read moreThe islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were deserted until their discovery by Portuguese navigators. Even today we do not know for certain the date of this event or the names of those who first discovered the islands. According to some scholars they were discovered by João de Santarém and Pedro de Escobar in 1451,…
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“We want to create a federation of international journalistic organisations that collaborate in this effort, starting from the global South,” says Filipino journalist and 2022…
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Once upon a time, there was a leopard. He had a huge walnut tree that was full of nuts. Stingy as he was, however, he forbade…
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Three young Comboni missionaries from three continents share their vocation stories and missionary experiences. Fr Victor Cunanan Parungao from the Philippines reflects on 15 years of…
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