UN-appointed investigators reported on Dec. 11 that Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) has over the past decade carried out a pattern of killings, arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual violence against protesters and political opponents of President Nicolás Maduro.

The Ecuadoran government's financial crimes agency froze the bank accounts of several indigenous and environmental groups, using secret intelligence information in an apparent effort to silence protests, Human Rights Watch said on Dec. 9. Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, commented that the measures in question constitute a misuse of anti-money laundering mechanisms, which "should be used to fight crime and not environmental groups."

A coalition of civil and human rights organizations is calling for the closure of a massive immigration detention facility at Fort Bliss, alleging guards have beaten detainees and threatened violence, criminal charges and imprisonment in attempts to coerce even non-Mexican migrants into crossing the border into Mexico.

President Donald Trump's new National Security Strategy, unveiled Dec. 4, puts the Western Hemisphere at the center of US foreign policy and revives the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, appending it with a "Trump Corollary." The document presents the Americas as the main line of defense for the US homeland and links that doctrine directly to ongoing military operations against suspected drug traffickers in Caribbean and Pacific waters.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned Nov. 28 that the Burma military junta's planned elections could only worsen repression and instability rather than restore democracy. OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence described the elections, scheduled for Dec. 28, as a military-controlled process conducted in an environment "rife with threats and violence." He stated: "Far from leading a political transition from crisis to stability or restoring democratic and civilian rule, this process will almost certainly deepen insecurity, fear, and polarization throughout the country."

Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen have detained dozens of political opponents since July, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Nov. 27. The rights group said that at least 70 people associated with the opposition party Yemeni Congregation for Reform, or Islah, were detained on Oct. 28 in Dhamar governorate. HRW noted that 21 of these individuals have been subject to an "unfair trial" on "dubious accusations of espionage," with 17 sentenced to death by firing squad, and two sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

The United Nations on Dec.1 urged all countries to respect international norms safeguarding civil aviation, following US President Donald Trump's announcement of his intention to "completely shut down" Venezuelan airspace.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the military coup in Guinea-Bissau that took place just days after national elections, saying that it gravely violates constitutional order and democratic principles. The African Union Commission similarly condemned the coup, while the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Guinea-Bissau from the organization's decision-making bodies until there is a full restoration of constitutional order.