The FCDS claims that about 70% of the Nukak population has been driven from their ancestral homelands.
Most families were forced to lead sedentary lifestyles, settling in dormant camps near towns, where child sex abuse and addiction became commonplace.
Others have settled on small plots in rural areas where land disputes between settlers and residents erupted.
The land was taken over as if it were vacant by the colonists. They claim there were no Nukak, but Njibe claimed that the Nukak became ill and left.
The Colombian government is not very active in the Nukak reservation’s most remote areas of the Amazon.
Therefore, when the Nukak attempt to reclaim their lands, they have few legal protections from settler violence.
[Alexandra McNichols-Torroledo/Al Jazeera] A Nukak elder teaches her granddaughter Linda Palma how to make a bracelet out of palm fibers.
However, in recent years, Nukak members like Njibe have decided to leave their homes after getting tired of waiting for government intervention.
In 2020, several clans retreated into the jungle out of fear of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The clans, however, considered staying for the duration after returning to their relative isolation. They requested assistance from non-governmental organizations like FCDS.
Njibe was residing within the Nukak Maku reservation at the time.
Large tracts of the forest had been wiped out even within the reservation after decades of colonization. The tallest palm trees in the Amazon had fallen to grassy pastures full of cows.
Following a government-FARC peace agreement in 2016, deforestation had increased. The rebel group had previously restricted Amazon forest degradation to protect itself from airstrikes.
However, the largest armed rebel group at the time, the FARC, agreed to demobilize as part of the deal. Its replacement was left with a power vacuum.
The FARC claimed that powerful landowners converted the land into cattle pastures as they quickly moved into the areas where they once held cattle.
Armed dissident organizations that disagreed with the peace deal continued to operate in the area, charging extortion rates per cow.
A FCDS expert who declined to be identified for fear of reprisal claimed that “the colonization process has caused many]Nukak] sites to be destroyed or absorbed by settler farms.
[Alexandra McNichols-Torroledo/Al Jazeera] Two Nukak children play in the Amazon rainforest.
The FCDS continued to advance with a pilot program to assist seven Nukak communities as they settled deeper into the reservation, where the lush forest was still present, in 2022. The Nukak were hoping to bring back a more traditional, if not entirely nomadic, way of life.
However, many attempts to find permanent relocation locations were unsuccessful.
Njibe initially planned to relocate to a sacred lake inside the reservation, which he had recalled from childhood, but when he arrived, it turned out to be a ranch.
Njibe was forced to choose another place to live when the settler who owned the ranch requested permission to stay there.
He considered moving back to a forested area that he thought his childhood home was, which is roughly 24 hectares (59 acres) wide and the size of 33 football fields.
The majority of the votes are expected to go to the party of populist billionaire Andrej Babis, raising concerns that Ukraine’s ally, the Czech Republic, may become closer to pro-Russian European Union nations Hungary and Slovakia.
Polling stations closed at 12:00 GMT on Friday, before reopening from 06:00 to 12:00 GMT on Saturday, with results anticipated on Saturday evening.
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It will almost certainly need to work out a coalition, even if Babis’ ANO (Yes) party wins the majority of the vote. According to analysts, the far-right opposition SPD movement, which has a majority of voters support, is the likely candidate.
About 11 million people have signed petitions calling for the halt of military aid to Ukraine in the EU and NATO countries.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala, 61, is the current centre-right coalition government, which has extended extensive humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine. However, many voters accuse it of ignoring domestic issues.
“A change is required,” he said. Jaroslav Kolar, a 68-year-old geographer, told the AFP news agency that the Czech Republic must become more independent and not just a messenger boy for Brussels.
Doctor Anna Stefanova, 41, however, claimed she was concerned about “sway toward Russia.”
Andrej Babis, the head of the opposition ANO (Yes) movement, addresses the media after casting his ballot in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on October 3, 2025. [Peter David Josek/AP]
While he served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, Babis was critical of some EU initiatives. He has a good relationship with Robert Fico, the Slovakian prime minister, and Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, who have maintained strong ties with Moscow despite the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Babis has disputed any attempts to leave the EU or NATO, including those that call for referendums, in response to accusations made by the current administration that he would stall the nation’s democratic, pro-Western course.
ANO leads Fiala’s group of opinion polls with about 20%, with support over 30% suggested.
In line with American President Donald Trump, Babis has described himself as a “peacemonger” who calls for a truce in Ukraine and has promised a “Czechs first” approach. He also pledged “a better life” for all Czechs.
The far-right Patriots for Europe organization, which also includes France’s National Rally and other parties, was founded by Babis and cofounded in the European Parliament in 2024.
On X, Fiala stated that voters would choose whether to “continue on the path of freedom, high-quality democracy, security, and prosperity, or to go east.”
Although some observers believe there hasn’t been much change in voter sentiment since the election, there are still some concerns about Russian propaganda being spread online during the election campaign.
Analysts last week claimed that manipulated engagement and the distribution of pro-Russian propaganda by Czech TikTok accounts to millions of viewers “systematically supports anti-system parties.”
The pro-Western ruling party of Moldova’s leadership won a crucial parliamentary election last week, making a decisive decision to stay in Europe’s orbit or to pivot into Moscow’s.
Both Babis and Fiala’s reputations have been tarnished by scandals.
The justice ministry’s decision to accept $44 million in bitcoins from a convicted criminal is causing controversy in Fiala’s government.
According to Forbes magazine, Babis, who was born in Slovakia and is the seventh-wealthy Czech, will be tried for fraud involving EU subsidies worth more than $2 million.
The United States’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza is not the same as the draft proposed by a group of Arab and Muslim countries, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said.
“I made it clear that the 20 points that President (Donald) Trump made public are not ours. Changes were made to our draft. I have the record,” Dar said, speaking to politicians on Friday, according to remarks carried by Dawn news.
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His comments come after the White House on Monday released a plan with fanfare that would include a ceasefire, the return of all captives, Hamas disarmament, and a new political architecture for post-war Gaza – one that would exclude the Palestinian group.
Its release came a few minutes before Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood next to each other at the White House to announce the plan. There, Trump told Hamas it had 72 hours to accept the proposal. On Tuesday, he gave the Palestinian group three to four days to agree to the plan.
Meanwhile, Hamas political bureau member Mohammad Nazzal told Al Jazeera on Thursday that the group was discussing Trump’s plan and would soon announce its position on the proposal. “We are not dealing [with the plan] under the logic that time is a sword pointed at our neck,” Nazzal said.
The published document was presented as a joint effort between Israel, the US and a number of Arab and Muslim countries. Last week, several leaders from the Arab and Muslim world discussed the plan at a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
But while there are no official records of what was discussed at that mini-summit, Axios reported that the proposal announced by the American and Israeli leaders earlier this week contained “significant changes”, requested by Netanyahu, to the draft that had been agreed on by the Arab leaders and Trump.
The amendments were made during a six-hour meeting between Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Netanyahu, the report said. The revised version ties Israel’s withdrawal to Hamas’s disarmament and allows Israel – after a withdrawal in stages – to remain within a buffer zone inside the enclave until there are no risks of any “terror threat”, it added.
A group of eight Arab and Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, welcomed Trump’s announcement in a joint statement.
Qatar has said that it agrees with the aims of the plan, and seeks further discussions on its details.
“If we speak of the main objectives, there are objectives that it [the US plan] achieves, such as ending the war, and there are things that need clarification, which certainly need discussions and negotiations,” Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told Al Jazeera.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also said that more talks were needed. According to the US proposal, an international body chaired by Trump would have oversight, while a Palestinian technocratic committee would handle civilian governance until the Palestinian Authority reforms itself. To take care of security, according to the proposal, a stabilisation force would be deployed.
“There are a lot of holes that need to be filled; we need more discussions on how to implement it, especially on two important issues – governance and security arrangements,” Abdelatty said on Thursday.
Experts pointed out that there are sticking points. There are questions on whether Hamas will agree to disarm since it has repeatedly said it would not, as the main face of Palestinian armed resistance.
The current proposal also nods vaguely at how reforms may open a pathway to Palestinian statehood, which is not recognised as a right but as the “aspiration of the Palestinian people”.
The plan does not mention the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza – a significant shift from Trump’s earlier lambasted position when he suggested the relocation of the population outside the enclave to turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, which was heavily criticised as ethnic cleansing.
It also ruled out the occupation of Gaza and the annexation of the occupied West Bank – actions that Netanya’s far-right coalition members are pushing for.
Israel has intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla sailing to Gaza and detained hundreds of crew members. The UN’s Francesca Albanese is calling it an abduction. Soraya Lennie asks, does Israel have the legal right to do any of this?
Nine US universities have been asked to accept a number of demands by the US government in order to gain “preferential access” to federal funds.
The universities were informed on Wednesday that a memo from the government had been sent to them instructing them to reduce foreign enrollment and repress institutions that “belittle” conservative ideas in order to be funded.
The White House has not made the memo public or provided an explanation of why these nine institutions were chosen in particular.
What are the new requirements for universities seeking federal funding, as revealed by this information.
What is stated in the White House memo to US universities?
The 10-point memo has the title “A Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”
According to the terms of the memo’s terms:
When hiring staff and faculty, universities must make sure that admissions and financial support services take into account race and sex when granting students and providing financial aid.
GPA and test scores, as well as race, national origin, and sex, must be made publicly available.
Before being admitted to a university, all applicants must take a standardized test, such as the SAT.
International students are required to account for only 15% of undergraduate enrollments.
Universities must maintain a “vibrant marketplace of ideas on campus” without a dominant political ideology.
They must abolish organizations that “purposefully denigrate, demonize, and even stoke violence against conservative ideas.”
Universities are required to reduce administrative costs, freeze tuition costs, and publicly share graduate earnings by program for five years.
Institutions should waive tuition for students enrolled in “hard science” programs if their endowments exceed $2 million per undergraduate student.
Universities who choose not to adhere to the outlined standards may lose federal funding, but those who do will be compensated and rewarded.
Which universities have this memo received?
On Wednesday, the following universities received notice of this agreement:
Arizona University
Brown University
Dartmouth College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
University of Pennsylvania
University of Southern California
University of Texas
Virginia University
Vanderbilt University
Alida Perrine, a professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Texas, protests in support of Palestinians on May 5, 2024 [Nuri Vallbona/Reuters]
What has the response been to these institutions?
The universities have largely stated that they are still reviewing the memo.
Local news outlets in Arizona reported that Arizona University spokesperson Mitch Zak said in a statement: “The university first learned of the compact when we received it on Oct. 1. We are reviewing it carefully.”
The University of Texas system is pleased that its flagship, the University of Texas at Austin, was chosen by the Trump administration as one of only nine institutions in the US for potential funding advantages under its new Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, according to Kevin P. Eltife, the chairman of the University of Texas Board of Regents.
Eltife continued, “We enthusiastically look forward to engaging with university officials and immediately reviewing the compact.”
Brown University announced on Thursday that it would set up an ad hoc committee on diversity and inclusion to develop the recommendations as well as a draft action plan to maintain and advance diversity and inclusion on campus over the next ten years.
What responses have people given?
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest teacher’s union in the nation, criticized the demands in a statement released on Thursday.
The Trump administration’s proposal to give colleges and universities with court-appointed patrons favor favoritism, patronage, and bribery in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda, the statement read.
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a group that has opposed White House interference in higher education in the US, joined the AFT in supporting the group.
Todd Wolfson, president of the AAUP, told Reuters: “This seems to be the administration moving toward a carrot approach, but the stick is embedded in the carrot.”
Additionally, concerned professors from the targeted universities have weighed in.
In a statement to the university’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Kermit Roosevelt, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, stated that “it seems to have a pretty broad theory of what foments political violence.”
On April 12, 2025, demonstrators in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, gather in a protest organized by the City of Cambridge.
Why is the Trump administration currently doing this?
The Trump administration’s most recent attempt to alter the political climate of higher education institutions in the US is represented by the memo.
Trump began retaliating against US university students who had last year participated in marches and camps against Israel’s occupation of Gaza shortly after his inauguration in January.
The administration claimed that these students were “pro-Hamas” and anti-Semitism propagating on campus. Trump also alleged that universities were “illegal and immoral discrimination” through diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Trump signed an executive order on January 29 that mandates that any actions federal agencies take against anti-Semitism on campus within 60 days of the incident.
To all the resident aliens who joined the pro-jihadist protests, Trump was quoted as saying in a fact sheet the day after that: “We put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you. I’ll also immediately revoke all Hamas sympathisers’ student visas on college campuses, which have experienced unprecedented radicalism.
Several students have since been subject to deportation and visa revokes, including Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil, who was detained and arrested in March. A US immigration judge ordered Khalil, who is married to a US citizen, to be deported to Syria or Algeria on September 12.
In honor of six-year-old Hind Rajab, who was killed alongside her family by Israeli forces in Gaza in January 2024, Columbia University took center stage during the pro-Palestine encampments last year on US campuses.
Trump revoked $ 400 million in federal funding for Columbia in February, citing “a failure to protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic harassment.”
Columbia received a letter from the Trump administration outlining the requirements for resuming funding negotiations in March. Within a few days, Columbia responded, accepting the government’s demands.
In April, Trump also frozen Harvard University’s funding.
After months of deliberating about Harvard’s educational policies, Trump announced on September 30 that his administration was close to reaching a deal with Harvard. Trump claimed Harvard will pay about $500 million for an undisclosed reason, without providing any further information about the deal.
With exceptions to religious and medical reasons, the university now requires protesters to present university ID when asked to do so. Additionally, it has employed 36 security personnel who, with the assistance of the New York police, are authorized to arrest students.
