Peru has been hit with a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (GLP) and compressed natural gas (GNV) following a March 1 "deflagration" on the Camisea pipeline in Megantoni district of Cuzco department. The explosion and fire caused major property damage in the rainforest settlement of Megantoni, according to Transportadora de Gas del Perú (TGP), the company responsible for the pipeline connecting the Camisea gasfields to a processing plant at Pisco on the coast. The incident resulted in an immediate rise of GNV and GLP prices, in turn leading to an internal energy crisis, with citizens nationwide standing in endless lines for a gas cylinder or a gallon of fuel. Taxi drivers and urban transport operators have raised fares and threatened a nationwide strike, demanding a government subsidy to continue working.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) confirmed March 10 that an al-Qaeda-linked armed group summarily executed 10 long-haul truck drivers and two teenage apprentices in late January in southwestern Mali as part of the group's attack on a fuel convoy and deemed the acts "apparent war crimes."

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Feb. 20 released a report warning that the rapid expansion of cyber-fraud compounds in Southeast Asia has resulted in widespread human rights abuses. The OHCHR described the phenomenon as a "wicked problem" requiring coordinated, human rights-based responses rather than enforcement-only crackdowns.

Police and prosecutors from Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname announced Jan. 22 the arrest of nearly 200 individuals in a transnational operation to combat illegal gold mining in the Amazon.

The rising wave of far-right populism has arrived in Chile with the run-off presidential election of Dec. 14. José Antonio Kast, a 59-year old ultra-conservative who campaigned on fighting crime and carrying out mass deportations, defeated left-wing candidate Jeanette Jara by about 16 points. His victory marks the country's furthest shift to the right since the restoration of democracy after the brutal dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet 30 years ago—an era and figure Kast has openly admired.

President Donald Trump praised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as "incredible in terms of human rights" during an Oval Office meeting Nov. 18, preemptively deflecting questions about the kingdom's extensive record of abuses as the crown prince pledged $1 trillion in US investments.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Oct. 13 called on Italy to revoke its migration cooperation agreement with Libya, saying the arrangement "has proven to be a framework for violence and suffering, and should be revoked, not renewed." The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the countries, first signed in February 2017, was part of Italy's broader strategy to tighten its national borders. Under the agreement, Italy has provided technical, logistical and financial support the Libyan Coast Guard, enabling the force to intercept tens of thousands of people at sea and return them to Libya. However, NGOs have consistently documented how intercepted refugees and asylum seekers are routinely detained in inhumane conditions, where they face torture and other degrading treatment.

Amnesty International called on Côte d'Ivoire authorities to end the repression of peaceful protests ahead of the upcoming presidential elections, following the dispersal of a demonstration by security forces in Abidjan on Oct. 11 and the subsequent arrest of 255 individuals. Amnesty's regional director for West and Central Africa, Marceau Sivieude, stated:

Any restriction on public protests must be lawful, necessary, proportionate, and non-discriminatory. Instead of banning them, authorities should respect and facilitate peaceful assemblies and ensure public order policing is aimed at enabling assemblies to take place as intended and grounded in de-escalation and the protection of participants

Amnesty further reported that security forces used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators in Abidjan, in addition to conducting mass arrests without bringing any official charges. Sivieude called for authorities to either release all the detainees or publish information on the charges against them.