Colombian family files first known formal complaint over deadly US strike in Caribbean

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🗞️ Driving the news: The family of Colombian fisherman Alejandro Carranza has filed the first known formal complaint against recent U.S. boat strikes in the Caribbean, submitting a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)
• The filing alleges Carranza was unlawfully killed in a 15 September U.S. attack on what Washington described as a narcotics vessel. His family insists he was fishing when the strike occurred

🔭 The context: The U.S. has conducted at least 22 maritime strikes, killing 83 people, as part of an intensified anti-narcotics campaign off Venezuela and Colombia
• The Trump administration argues it is engaged in an armed conflict with cartel-linked groups, but Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro disputes this, calling the attack unlawful and requesting investigations
• Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers have also demanded clarity after reports that a follow-up strike in another incident may have targeted survivors, raising potential legal violations

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Heightened military activity in the Caribbean threatens marine ecosystems, already strained by overfishing, warming waters and habitat loss
• Strikes near fishing grounds risk damaging coral systems, disrupting migratory species and undermining small-scale fisheries central to local food security
• Escalating tensions also distract from urgently needed regional ocean-governance and climate-resilience efforts, weakening cooperative environmental protection

⏭️ What’s next: The IACHR will determine whether to open a case and request a U.S. response. More petitions from affected families are expected
• Congressional investigations could lead to revised rules of engagement or demands for greater transparency
• Regional governments are likely to press for stronger international safeguards on U.S. operations in shared maritime zones.

💬 One quote: “These killings are against international law. We want this to stop.” — Dan Kovalik, attorney for the Carranza family

📈 One stat: 83 people killed in 22 U.S. maritime strikes since early September

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