By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News
UN Official Sounds Alarm Over Sexual Violence in Gang-Controlled Haiti
United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pamela Patten, has raised serious concern over a dramatic rise in sexual violence in Haiti, particularly in areas under gang control.
Patten reported a surge in rape, gang rape, and sexual slavery, especially targeting women and girls since the start of 2025. She noted that these crimes are being used deliberately and systematically by gangs to exert control and punish communities.
Haiti’s worsening security crisis—sparked by the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse—has displaced over 1 million people, including more than half who are children. UN officials say that many survivors of abuse are now housed in overcrowded shelters with limited access to essential services.
Patten called on the international community to increase financial and humanitarian aid and warned that without accountability, perpetrators will continue to act with impunity.
Trinidad & Tobago Monitors Venezuela’s Allegations of Armed Intrusion
The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Defense says it is “closely monitoring” claims made by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who alleged that Colombian paramilitary groups infiltrated eastern Venezuela via Trinidad and Tobago.
Maduro claimed that several Colombian hitmen were detained on Monday while carrying heavy weaponry. His government credits swift action for preventing what they describe as terrorist threats.
Trinidadian officials have not confirmed the allegations but have pledged to remain vigilant in the face of cross-border security concerns.
US Issues Fresh Warning Against ‘Birth Tourism’
The US Department of State has reissued a strong warning against the practice of “birth tourism”—where foreign nationals enter the country on tourist visas with the sole intent of giving birth to secure American citizenship for their child.
According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, visa applications will be denied if officials determine the applicant’s primary intent is childbirth in the U.S. for citizenship benefits. The State Department emphasized that this practice violates immigration laws, and violators may face bans from future travel or visa renewals.
Reports from 2015 revealed that over 10,000 foreign nationals traveled to the U.S. annually to give birth. In response, U.S. authorities have raided maternity hotels and birth-tourism operations across several states.
The policy reinforces the United States’ efforts to protect its immigration system from misuse.
