Latino Daily News

PEW STUDY: News Media Using Term ‘Illegal Alien’ Less

2013-06-20T01:02:15+00:00

Even with several major news organizations deciding to reduce or ban its use, the term “illegal immigrant” is still the phrase newspapers most often use to describe foreigners living in the United States without proper documentation. But over time, there have been some shifts in the language applied to those at the heart of the immigration debate, as words like “undocumented” or “unauthorized” have begun showing up more frequently. With Congress now considering a major immigration bill, we compared newspaper language in the period from April 15-29 in 2013 with three other two-week periods—in 1996, 2002 and 2007—when immigration-related legislation was also in the news. During all four time periods, the term used most frequently in newspapers was “illegal immigrant,” although there was some ebb and flow, according to Pew Research’s LexisNexis search of 19 related terms in almost 9,000 articles. This year, we found the phrase “illegal immigrant” accounted for 49% of the terms examined. It accounted for 30% of the terms in 2007, around the time Congress tried and failed to pass immigration reform. And it represented 62% of terms in 2002 when Congress passed legislation ordering Immigration and Naturalization Service to link their databases together.

Blog del Narco: One of US 10 Most Wanted Captured in Quintana Roo

2013-06-20T01:06:51+00:00

Walter Lee Williams, is accused of child sexual exploitation and of traveling abroad for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with minors. One of 10 U.S most wanted fugitives by the FBI, was arrested in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, on Tuesday. The prosecutor’s of the state of Quintana Roo, Gaspar Armando Garcia Torres, said Walter Lee Williams, a former university professor, 64 years, is accused of sexual exploitation with a minor. Williams was arrested on Tuesday while having a coffee in the town of Playa del Carmen. García Torres did not say whether the now detained Williams is involved in any crime in Mexico. The warrant against Williams was issued in April, said the accused had traveled from Los Angeles to the Philippines in 2011 to engage in sexual acts with two children under 14 who met over the Internet in 2010. In the Philippines, Williams apparently linked up sexually with both teenagers and produced sexually explicit photos of them. Read more in Spanish at Blog del Narco Read more Narco News Here

LATINO BLOTTER: Naked Subway Acrobat Arrested

2013-06-19T23:13:25+00:00

The California man who became known as the naked subway acrobat was arrested this week after a video of his antics, which include harassing both make and female passengers, went viral. In May, Yeiner Alberto Perez Garizabalo, was filmed doing naked handstand, flips, and contorting himself on turnstiles at a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District station in San Francisco. In the video, the 24-year-old is seen harassing charging at two women and putting one man in a headlock. BART police eventually arrested him and committed him to a nearby hospital. At the time, no charges were filed. However, Colombian-born man was arrested again and has now been charged with felony false imprisonment, misdemeanor battery, and misdemeanor sexual battery. He was being held on $100,000 bail. According to Reuters, Perez Garizabalo was a member of the ClownSnotBombsCircus, but shortly before the incident in the video, was dropped from the group. A statement from the group, who believes Perez Garizabalo may have a psychological disorder, said, ‘His memory of the incident … does not match what happened in the video. ‘When asked to describe what he remembers in his own words, he describes being in a play where everyone was actors. (He) does not remember attacking anyone. ‘Now that he has seen the video and understands the gravity of what really happened he feels both guilty and horrible for what he has done.’

Top Images of the #ChangeBrazil Protests

2013-06-19T21:16:01+00:00

Protests in Brazil have been going on for nearly a week over against the state of public transit, schools and other public services in the South American country. The discontent arising from the 10-cent price increase in bus and subway fares, shed light on the greater issue of Brazil’s high tax burden and poor public services. Originally organized via social media using the hashtag #ChangeBrazil, people from around the world have been showing their support. Check out some of the top photos of the #ChangeBrazil protests below. Tear gas canister in Brazil (@psykonaut) Definition of “peaceful protest” in Brazil (@JoeJonasArmy) Thousands of people line the streets in Rio de Janeiro (Joao Pedro Sa) Protest damage in Brazil (@devintstewar) Anonymous and its supporters are seen protesting in Brazil (@Anon_Online) Interesting wage and spending statistics in Brazil (@raphaelcaetano)

LATINO BLOTTER: Man Stabs, Castrates Paraplegic in Assisted Living Facility

2013-06-19T22:13:22+00:00

A Pennsylvania man is facing serious charges after allegedly stabbing and castrating a paraplegic man during an argument. Though police are unsure what exactly started it, Edgar Bonilla, 41, and an unidentified 43-year-old man began arguing at the assisted living facility of Inglis Apartments at Elmwood in southwest Philadelphia.

Colombia Criminals Continue to Drug Victims with “World’s Scariest Drug” - Scopolamine

2013-06-19T19:13:02+00:00

What is scopolamine and why does is have Colombians handing strangers all their money? Made from the Borrachero tree, scopolamine, also known as “The Devil’s Breath,” is being used by criminals to manipulate their victims. When put into victims’ drinks or food, scopolamine - a tasteless, odorless, and colorless powder - allows criminals to easily manipulate their now “zombie-like” victims, who later “awake” having no memory of their loss of free will or how it is they lost all of their money and personal belongings. A nurse at San Jose University Hospital in Bogota recently told Global Post, ‘They go out to a party and then wake up two or three days later on a park bench. They arrive here without their belongings or their money. Criminals also use scopolamine as a date rape drug. In recent years the criminal use of scopolamine has become an epidemic. Approximately half of emergency room admissions for poisoning in Bogotá have been attributed to scopolamine. The drug is often slipped into drinks at bars and parties, but has reportedly been blown directly into unsuspecting people’s faces. Though the drug is commonly used to manipulate unsuspecting victims, some of whom have been U.S. embassy employees and politicians, it does have legitimate uses in minute doses. When taken by those with Parkinson’s disease it can help with tremors, and it has also been used to treat motion sickness. In larger doses scopolamine causes loss of free will and short-term memory loss by temporarily mimicking Alzheimer’s dementia. Victims have been admitted into hospitals by police under the assumption that they are having a psychotic episode. In a recent Vice documentary, scopolamine was understandably referred to as “the world’s scariest drug.” Even when victims are left relatively unharmed, they often remember nothing of the last few days, making it extremely difficult for authorities to catch the criminals administering the drug. In 2012, Colombian police reported just under 1,200 cases in which criminals used scopolamine or similar drugs.

U.S. Assesses Success of Border Security in Arizona

2013-06-19T18:01:47+00:00

The Arizona border is one of the main immigration corridors and the place where the success of measures taken by the U.S. government to halt the flow of migrants and enhance security is assessed. The 626 kilometers (388 miles) of border shared by Arizona and Mexico has attracted national attention due to the increase in the crossings of undocumented immigrants there after security was strengthened in other states such as Texas and California. At its peak, during fiscal year 2000, the Border Patrol reported 1.6 million arrests of undocumented migrants along the southwestern border, of whom 616,000 occurred within the Tucson Sector. This increase in the immigration flow sparked a strong reaction by the federal government. By devoting more money to security, the number of Border Patrol agents assigned to monitor the Arizona desert was significantly increased to 5,200 in 2012. Authorities also began using advanced technology such as cameras, radar, motion detectors and drones to monitor the most isolated parts of the desert. According to Border Patrol figures, arrests of undocumented immigrants have decreased by about 82 percent in this region since 2000. Despite this significant decline, politicians who make the decision to approve immigration reform are putting conditions on regularizing the immigration status of the 11 million undocumented foreigners living in the United States. “The extremist politicians are using the issue of border security to make approval of a reform more difficult,” Raquel Goldsmith, a professor in the University of Arizona’s Mexican-American Studies Department, told Efe. “The militarization of the border has transformed our frontier, especially here, in Arizona, (where) the border communities have been the most affected (and) have seen their daily life transform itself to make commercial agreements and daily living with (our) Mexican neighbors more difficult,” Goldsmith said.

POLL: Florida Voters Not Thrilled with Rubio’s Work on Immigration

2013-06-19T18:59:32+00:00

Florida voters give Sen. Marco Rubio negative ratings for his work on immigration reform and strongly disagree with his vote in the U.S. Senate against requiring background checks for those buying guns, but they still give him an overall 51 - 35 percent job approval rating, according to Quinnipiac University poll released today. President Barack Obama gets a split 47 - 48 percent job approval rating, compared to a 50 - 45 percent approval rating in a March 21 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh- pe-ack) University. In trial heats for the 2016 presidential race, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leads two favorite sons, Sen. Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush, but either Republican would run neck and neck against Vice President Joe Biden. Rubio’s approval rating is little changed from his 48 - 33 percent approval March 20, although on individual issues voters are not as enamored with the state’s junior senator: Voters disapprove 41 - 33 percent of the way Rubio is handling the immigration issue; Voters say 49 - 10 percent they think less favorably of Rubio because of his vote against expanded background checks. Background checks are “strongly” supported by 73 percent of voters, including 63 percent of voters in houses with guns, while 14 percent of all voters support them “somewhat.” “A mark of an able politician is one who can keep his support among the electorate even when that politician follows his own path rather than the public’s preference on a high-profile issue like immigration or gun control,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “As perhaps the best-known Hispanic-American in national politics Sen. Marco Rubio has a tightrope to walk between keeping the folks back home happy and serving as a high-profile symbol for the GOP nationally,” Brown added. Illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay in the U.S., with a path to citizenship, 58 percent of Florida voters say, while 12 percent say they should be allowed to stay, with no path to citizenship, and 24 percent say they should be deported. Supporting a path to citizenship are 54 percent of white voters, 66 percent of black voters and 69 percent of Hispanic voters. President Barack Obama, who carried Florida in both of his white House campaigns, is doing a bit better there than in some other states and in a May 30 Quinnipiac University national poll that showed him with a negative 45 - 49 percent job approval. The gender gap is shrinking as men disapprove 51 - 45 percent while women approve 49 - 46 percent. With controversies over the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Justice and the State Department in the headlines, the president is seen as “honest and trustworthy” 50 - 45 percent, little changed from a 52 - 43 percent measure in a November 10, 2011, Florida poll. Ms. Clinton would defeat former Gov. Bush 50 - 43 percent in a trial 2016 presidential heat and best Rubio 53 - 41 percent. Bush would get 47 percent against Vice President Joseph Biden’s 43 percent. In another matchup, Rubio gets 45 percent to Biden’s 43 percent “Vice President Joseph Biden runs weaker than does former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton against a number of Republicans in a number of states Quinnipiac tested,” said Brown. Florida voters support the state’s “stand your ground” law 57 - 36 percent, virtually unchanged in 12 months of Quinnipiac University surveys. Voters also support 49 - 40 percent increasing the number of people enrolled in Medicaid, as part of the federal health care overhaul. From June 11 - 16, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,176 registered voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and the nation as a public service and for research. For more information, visit http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us on Twitter. some details from the poll:

Blog del Narco: Drug Cartels use Bunkers to Hide From Authorities

2013-06-19T18:47:47+00:00

Drug Cartels use bunkers like this to hide their activity from police and federal agents. Cartels hide drugs, modified vehicles and bodies from both air and ground surveillance. Read more in Spanish at Blog del Narco Read more Narco News here

Spanish Architect Creates Transparent Roof for Church Destroyed by War

2013-06-19T17:03:02+00:00

Over 70 years ago, during the Spanish Civil War, the Catalonia town of Corbera d’Ebre was destroyed during the Battle of the Ebro. The pinnacle of the town was the Church set on a hill, unfortunately this landmark has been in ruins since the battle in 1938. While the lower half of the town has been rebuilt, Spaniards chose to leave the higher part as a reminder of those lost during the war. Spanish architect Ferran Vizoso (along with Núria Bordas, Jordi Garriga, and David Garcia) was hired to preserve the church and its history. Vizoso’s solution of a transparent plastic roof has maintained the architectual integrity of the church while also modernizing it. Check out more pictures of the restoration below.

Previously Unknown Mayan City Found in Campeche, Mexico Jungle

2013-06-19T17:47:24+00:00

Archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown Mayan city in the southeastern state of Campeche, which for its vast extension and characteristics is believed to have been a seat of government some 1,400 years ago, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, or INAH, said. A team of experts headed by Slovenian archaeologist Ivan Sprajc has christened the site Chactun. “It is one of the largest sites in the Central Lowlands, comparable in its extent and the magnitude of its buildings with Becan, Nadzcaan and El Palmar in Campeche”, Sprajc said in a statement released by INAH. The complex covers more than 22 hectares (54 acres). Based on the number of monuments, at least ten of them with inscriptions, the city is believed to have been the seat of government for a extensive area during the period of 600-900 A.D., the researcher said. The INAH-backed exploration is financed by the National Geographic Society and two private companies: Austria’s Villas and Slovenia’s Ars Longa. Down through the centuries, Chactun remained hidden in the jungle on the north of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. According to Sprajc, it forms part of an area covering more than 3,000 sq. meters (1,150 sq. miles) that has remained a “total blank” on the Mayan archaeological map. The millennial metropolis is one of the nearly 80 sites detected by the Southeast Campeche Archaeological Recognition Project, launched in 1996.

Goya Drawing “Si Yerras los Tiras!” to be Auctioned Off in London

2013-06-19T17:13:11+00:00

The Goya drawing “Si yerras los tiras!” (If you miss the mark!), a political allegory in which the figure may be King Ferdinand VII, will be sold at auction on July 2 in London, Christie’s said. The drawing, which is expected to sell for between 1.2 million and 1.7 million euros ($1.6 million to $2.2 million), is from the artist’s “Black Border Album” and belongs to a private collector. The album “is one of the most important and best known, and it can be dated at between 1816 and 1818,” Old Master Drawings Department director Benjamin Peronnet told Efe. “The album drawings, which explore every aspect of Goya’s fertile imagination, were not preparatory studies for paintings or prints, but independent works which acted as a form of visual journal. The present drawing, like many of those from the Black Border Album, offers a tantalising glimpse of Goya’s attitudes to the moral, political and social predicaments of contemporary Spain,” Christie’s said in the lot notes posted on its Web site. The drawing has been exhibited on several occasions, including at Madrid’s Prado Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and highlights Goya’s analysis of political and social conditions in Spain in the early 19th century. “Although the hunt appears to be a pretty simple theme, with Goya everything is complicated. The hunter misses the mark. The dog, instead of looking at the prey, turns his head toward the hunter, who, according to studies, could be Ferdinand VII,” Peronnet said. The drawing is in “very good” condition, Peronnet said. “Si yerras los tiras!” was last sold at auction in 1987 at Christie’s.

What does NFLer Aaron Hernandez Know About the Dead Body by His House?

2013-06-19T16:38:16+00:00

Who knew that a dead body in North Attleboro, MA found on Monday would entangle one of NFL’s best tight-end’s, Aaron Hernandez of the New England Patriots. Yes, the 23 year-old Hernandez lives one-mile away from the industrial park where the body was found but so do many others in the nearby affluent neighborhood of Westwood Estates. What we do know is that a male body, reportedly shot, was found around 5:30 p.m. on Monday night in the industrial park. Immediately after the body was found authorities sought information on a Chevy Suburban with Rhode Island plates. It is the search for this car that brought authorities to Hernandez’ home late last night. Authorities had discovered the car was a rental, rented by Hernandez. It is not known why authorities were looking for the car in the first place. Nor do we know what witness accounts of yelling coming out of the house on Friday night might mean to the investigation. Interestingly when authorities arrived last night at the house, two males were making a quick exit but were deterred by authorities. Authorities stayed at the Hernandez house for some time and were seen leaving with boxes. Police returned this morning to the $1.3 million home. The body found has now been identified as 27-year-old Odin Lloyd of Boston who is a former semi-pro football player. Unconfirmed sources say Hernandez’ girlfriend’s sister was dating Lloyd - thus putting him in Hernandez sphere if true. His girlfriend, Shayanna Jenkins, went to Bristol Central high school in Connecticut with Hernandez and is believed to reside with the footballer in North Attleboro. The couple have a daughter born November of last year. Hernandez is a man with a troubled past with many hoping those troubles have not come to visit him again. He was as a fourth round draft pick with first-draft-pick talent that was hampered by numerous failed drug-tests. Hernandez, did fess up to drug use and blamed it on his father’s untimely death in 2006. Hernandez, who has Puerto Rican roots, was drafted in 2010 out of the University of Florida and given a five-year contract valued at $40 million. Former Florida team mate Tim Tebow is set to join Hernandez in this upcoming season. Hernandez once said in an interview ‘‘I obviously made a lot of wrong decisions. But, I learned from them,’’ Hernandez said, when asked about the failed drug test. ‘‘I just think telling the kids to learn from their mistakes, that’s the most important thing in life. Cuz everyone’s going to make mistakes. It’s just a matter of how you bounce back from them.’’

NGOs Call for Air Quality Monitors in Mexico

2013-06-19T15:03:11+00:00

Mexican cities with more than 500,000 residents should systematically monitor their air quality to protect the public from pollution-linked respiratory and cardiovascular diseases that cause 14,700 deaths per year in this country, a coalition of NGOs said Tuesday. The organizations urged local and federal authorities to “take immediate measures that permit the effective fulfillment of this regulation to be guaranteed to benefit the health of 55 million Mexicans.” On June 16, a regulation was published in Mexico’s official gazette, NOM 156, which obliges the country’s 34 most populous cities to “specify the minimum conditions that must be observed for the establishment and operation of air quality monitoring systems.” The majority of the cities that must adhere to this regulation require the technical and financial support of the federal government “to be able to obtain trustworthy measurements and communicate them in an efficient and timely manner to the public,” the NGOs said. To date, they added, “only the Valley of Mexico (the Mexico City region), Guadalajara and Monterrey are monitoring in a consistent manner” the emissions of polluting particles and gases into the atmosphere.

Six-Ton Satellite to be Launched by Mexico in 2014

2013-06-19T15:13:24+00:00

Mexico plans to launch a nearly six-ton Centenario satellite, the second in the state-owned Mexsat system, in the first half of 2014, the Communications and Transportation Secretariat said. The U.S.-made satellite is part of the Geomovil family from Boeing and will go into orbit 36,000 kilometers (22,369 miles) above the equator, the secretariat said. The Centenario satellite will be launched from the Baikonur space complex in Kazakhstan and will have an operating life of 15 years, providing service on the “L” band, the secretariat said. The satellite will offer expanded broadband capacity, covering all of Mexico, Central America and northern South America, the secretariat said. The Mexsat system is made up of Bicentenario, a stationary communications satellite, and two mobile communications satellites, the Centenario and Morelos III, as well as two control and communications centers, the Communications and Transportation Secretariat said.

House Will Not Vote on Immigration Without GOP Support, Says Boehner

2013-06-19T14:04:01+00:00

House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday that he will not bring to a vote an immigration reform bill that does not have the support of a majority of his fellow Republican lawmakers. “I don’t see any way of bringing an immigration bill to the floor that doesn’t have a majority support of Republicans,” he said at a press conference after a closed-door meeting of the House GOP caucus. Boehner said that he will remain faithful to what is known as the Hastert rule, a measure named for former House Speaker Denny Hastert under which only bills having Republican majority support may be voted on by the full Senate. The Senate, where Democrats have a majority, is now debating a bipartisan plan for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. A bipartisan group in the House is working to develop their own proposal. If each chamber were to pass a reform bill, the separate pieces of legislation would have to be harmonized in order to become law. A large number of Republicans in the House and Senate oppose an immigration reform bill that includes a path to citizenship without guaranteeing that the border with Mexico will be made almost impermeable. The House Judiciary Committee began hearings on Tuesday on a Republican bill aimed at increasing the persecution of undocumented immigrants.

THE VOICE: Christina Aguilera, Pitbull Perform in Finale, but Who Won?

2013-06-19T14:01:46+00:00

On Tuesday night’s season 4 finale of NBC’s The Voice, former and returning coach Christina Aguilera took the stage just ahead of the winner being announced. Aguilera took the stage with Pitbull to perform their smash hit “Feel This Moment,” for what can only be described as a deafening crowd. After multiple performances, however, including one from Cher, who had not performed live on television in more than a decade, it was time to announce the winner. With all Team Shakira and Team Adam contestants out of the competition it came down to three: Team Usher’s Michelle Chamuel and Team Blake’s Danielle Bradbery and The Swon Brothers. In the end, The Swon brothers came in third, Chamuel came in second, and the teenaged Bradbery became the winner of a season 4. Though Kia gave each of the final contestants brand new cars, Bradbery is the winner of a recording contract and $100,000. With the young country singer’s win, coach Blake Shelton gets boasting rights for having coached the last three winners, and considering this is only the fourth season, that’s pretty impressive. Though Usher and Shakira filled in this season, Shakira has already announced she will not be a coach next year, as Aguilera will be returning. However, the show has stated it plans to cycle Shakira, Usher, Cee Lo and Aguilera in and out each season to keep things interesting. Shakira will return in 2014 for season 6 of The Voice

Brazil’s Pres. Rousseff: The Voice of the Street Must be Heard

2013-06-19T13:11:42+00:00

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said Tuesday “the voice of the street must be heard” and that large crowds of protesters demanding better public services have “sent a direct message” to the nation’s leaders. Despite isolated episodes of violence during the demonstrations, which on Monday brought some 250,000 people out on the streets of dozens of cities, Rousseff said the rallies “show the value of democracy.” In her first public statements on protests that have spread nationwide over the past 10 days, the head of state denounced the instances of violence but said most of the demonstrations have unfolded peacefully. She said it was positive to see “so many young people and adults, grandchildren, parents and grandparents, all with the Brazilian flag, singing the national anthem and calling for a better country.” Demands for full rights of “citizenship, better schools and hospitals, quality, fairly priced public transportation, for the right to a say in governments’ decisions, in repudiation of corruption and the diversion of public funds, are evidence of the intrinsic value of democracy,” the president said. “My generation knows how much it cost to get here,” said Rousseff, a former leftist guerrilla who took up arms against the 1964-1985 military regime and endured imprisonment and torture. Speaking during a public ceremony at the presidential palace, Rousseff stressed her “commitment to social transformation” and noted that under her government and that of her predecessor and mentor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a former Marxist labor leader-turned-centrist, some 40 million people have been lifted out of poverty over the past decade. She said “the demands change as the country changes,” adding that socioeconomic progress has spawned “citizens who want more and have the right to more.”

Lawmaker Claims Puerto Rico Issuing Worthless Tax Refund Checks

2013-06-19T12:03:45+00:00

Puerto Rico’s treasury department is issuing tax refund checks that are not backed by sufficient funds, an opposition lawmaker said Tuesday. Antonio Silva told radio stations that he had received complaints from taxpayers who tell him that they have not been able to cash their refund checks. The lawmaker specifically cited branches of Banco Popular, saying that they had refused to accept the treasury department’s checks, supposedly due to lack of funds. Silva, also said that he is ready to provide the names of the managers of the bank branches where the problem has surfaced and he challenged the government to refute the complaints. The treasury secretary, Melba Acosta, on Tuesday acknowledged that the Puerto Rican government has cash-flow problems, but she denied that the situation has affected any tax refunds. Acosta said that the situation had occurred specifically with customers of Banco Popular. The problem, she said, is that the 2009-2013 administration of Gov. Luis Fortuño declined to continue an arrangement with Banco Popular whereby the island’s government guaranteed checks issued by the treasury department. Banco Popular is asking its customers to deposit the refund checks in their accounts and allow the funds to be reflected on their bank balances a few days later, Acosta said. The secretary said that about $30 million is paid every week in refunds and she asked Silva to explain what the problem is. The controversy comes at a difficult time for Puerto Rico’s public accounts, given that the island has been in a recession for more than five years. Rating agencies Fitch, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s have recently downgraded Puerto Rican government debt to BBB-, one level above junk status.

Cuban VP Strengthens Relations with China on Trip Abroad

2013-06-19T10:06:27+00:00

Cuban First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a new push to longstanding bilateral relations with a meeting here Tuesday. “We want you to feel at home,” Xi told Diaz-Canel at the start of the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, which was only open to the media for a few minutes. Joined by a large political retinue, Diaz-Canel was the first senior Cuban leader to meet with Xi since he became China’s president in March. While the officials’ remarks to the media stayed within the bounds of diplomatic propriety, tangible steps to boost trade relations and other ties have been taken in recent weeks. Indeed, Diaz-Canel and Chinese counterpart Li Yuanchao on Monday presided over the signing of several bilateral cooperation accords. Those agreements included a donation by the Asian giant, an interest-free loan to Cuba and another credit for purchases of farm machinery and equipment. The amounts were not disclosed. “The two countries have learned from one another during the process of building socialism,” the Chinese vice president said Monday after a meeting with his Cuban counterpart, the official Xinhua news agency said. Diaz-Canel, for his part, said then that Cuba viewed its relations with China “from a strategic perspective” and was interested in bolstering bilateral cooperation. Beijing’s Communist Party secretary, Guo Jinlong, and Cuban President Raul Castro also met earlier this month in Havana, a sit-down that ended with the signing of cooperation accords in the areas of energy, transportation, tourism and biotechnology. China is Cuba’s second-largest trading partner with two-way trade valued at more than $2 billion in 2011, up from $590 million in 2004, according to official figures.

Protests in Brazil Continue, 50,000 Protesting in Sao Paulo Alone

2013-06-19T02:01:44+00:00

Fifty thousand people took to the streets of Sao Paulo and in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday to protest the recent hike in bus fares, criticize corruption and demand improvements in public services. A small group of demonstrators attacked the Sao Paulo City Hall and forced the municipal guard to take refuge inside the building. Later the crowd threw fence barriers and other objects at the windows, breaking a number of them, and wrote graffiti on the outer walls. However, shortly thereafter another group of demonstrators replaced the fence barricades in front of the City Hall and made a human cordon there to prevent acts of violence against the building while they chanted “Without violence.” According to the Datafolha Institute, some 50,000 people participated in the protests on Tuesday after about 65,000 turned out to demonstrate in Sao Paulo the day before. The protesters occupied the central Praça da Se plaza, in front of the Sao Paulo Cathedral and some of the nearby streets, and they booed people who waved the flags of political parties, apparently in an attempt to preserve the non-political nature of the demonstration. They also approached City Hall again, near the square, and burned in effigy a two-faced image with Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad, a member of the governing Workers Party, or PT, on one side and state Gov. Geraldo Alckmin, the head of the opposition Brazilian Social Democratic Party, or PSDB, on the other. This is the sixth demonstration staged in Sao Paulo since city authorities in early June raised the price of public transport from 3 reais (about $1.50) to 3.2 reais (about $1.60), sparking the protests. Thousands of people also participated in protests in São Gonçalo, in the Rio de Janeiro metro area and city authorities in at least six Brazilian cities on Tuesday announced reductions in public transport fares. Haddad, who initially had said it would be impossible to reduce fares in Brazil’s biggest city, later said that he will review the figures to seek alternatives. The protests began last week in Sao Paulo and at first were exclusively against the hike in public transportation fares, an issue that galvanized the public to express latent social discontent. Now, the protesters’ demands have broadened to include greater investment in health care and public education and criticism of the government’s costly programs to organize high-profile sports events such as the Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup.

Oaxacan Leftist Leader Nicolas Estrada Merino Missing

2013-06-19T00:38:44+00:00

A National Democratic Left movement leader in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca has been missing since last weekend, the political party said Tuesday. Nicolas Estrada Merino went missing on Saturday while driving from his house in Tuxtepec to his sisters’ house in the same city. The National Democratic Left is a movement within the Party of the Democratic Revolution, or PRD. Estrada’s burned vehicle was found Monday in Loma Bonita, another city in Oaxaca, the political movement said in a statement, citing information provided by the state Attorney General’s Office. Authorities should conduct the “urgent and necessary” investigations to clear up the disappearance and ensure Estrada’s safe return, National Democratic Left said.

Lost Seabirds Get Help in Peru

2013-06-18T23:38:55+00:00

A number of seabirds reportedly find their way to the shores of Lima, Peru each year, but veterinarians and zoologists are worried these birds may have trouble getting back home. This time of year, the Ringed Storm-petrels, also known as Hornby’s storm petrels, begin showing up in the yards and rooftops of Lima residents, and worried for their safety, a group of veterinarians is asking the public to help ensure the birds are able to return home - wherever that may be. Though records of theses seabirds in Lima date back to 1964, researchers have yet to determine where they originate and make their nests. Peru this Week: Another mystery about these birds is how they make their way to Lima. Some scientists believe that the youngest of the species are disorientated by the city’s bright lights and are knocked off-course. Others believe that over-fishing in the ocean is to blame, causing the Ringed Storm-petrell to go to land for food. Experts are asking that the if people find these birds they should not feed them birdseed, bread, or corn, as these could kill the birds. Residents have been asked, should they find a ringed storm-petrel, to put it in a cloth-lined box and get in touch with Yovana Murillo, who is leading the group of zoologists and veterinarians working to protect the seabirds.

REPORT: Latino LGBT Youth Face Different Challenges

2013-06-18T22:13:52+00:00

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth who identify as Latino face greater rejection from their communities and schools than their non-LGBT Latino counterparts, according to a new report on LGBT Latino youth released today by the Human Rights Campaign in partnership with The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The report further analyzes the results of a groundbreaking survey of over 10,000 LGBT-identified young people titled “Growing Up LGBT in America,” and explores the experiences of nearly 2,000 LGBT youth who identified as Latino. The report further analyzes the results of a groundbreaking survey of over 10,000 LGBT-identified young people titled “Growing Up LGBT in America,” and explores the experiences of nearly 2,000 LGBT youth who identified as Latino. According to the survey, no matter how great the strides toward LGBT equality — from state-approved marriage to employee benefits to school anti-bullying programs — LGBT youth who do not feel loved and supported by their family will face greater challenges both now and in the future. “The well-being of Latino LGBT youth is fostered by the support of family and trusted adults in their lives,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “We must do better in supporting LGBT youth who still fear rejection, being judged and ostracized in school and being rejected from their religious congregations and the broader community.” “The deck is stacked against young people growing up lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” stated LULAC Executive Director Brent Wilkes. “LULAC is rooted in civic participation and protecting residents from discrimination or indifference along with social ostracism. While we’ve advanced significantly in the last 84 years of LULAC’s existence, unfortunately, far too many LGBT youth and adults are still disaffected and disconnected in their own homes and neighborhoods.” “As a nation, we are making great strides towards greater equality for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” said Los Angeles Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti. “However, gaining acceptance and understanding is still very difficult for LGBT youth and especially for young LGBT Latinos. This report highlights the need to do more to help Latino families stay strong and supportive of their children’s needs.” Among the report’s key findings: LGBT Latino youth are nearly as optimistic as their non-LGBT Latino peers about future life achievements. However, they feel much less hopeful than those peers about meeting those goals if they remain in their current communities. The most difficult problems facing LGBT Latino youth are related to negative responses to their LGBT identity. Concern about family acceptance is the top problem identified, and having their families accept and support them is a key change they wish for in their lives. Slightly more than half of LGBT Latino youth are out to their immediate family, and nearly 6 in 10 say their family is accepting of LGBT people. Still, about one-third report a lack of family acceptance. Slightly less than half of LGBT Latino youth have an adult in their family they can turn to if worried or sad, while 8 in 10 of their non-LGBT Latino peers do have such an adult. Like other LGBT youth, 9 in 10 LGBT Latino youth are out to their close friends. However, Latino LGBT youth are more likely than others to be out to their classmates, at school, and to their teachers. Nearly three-quarters of LGBT Latino youth say their school is accepting of LGBT people, and more than 8 in 10 say their peers are accepting. LGBT Latino youth are more likely to face harassment and violence in the community than their non-LGBT Latino peers, and much less likely to participate in a variety of community activities. LGBT Latino youth are twice as likely as non-LGBT Latino youth to say they do not “fit in” in the communities where they live. Two-thirds of LGBT Latino youth say they are more honest about who they are online, while about one-third of non-LGBT Latino youth say the same. This report, the third in a series of efforts to analyze the landscape for LGBT youth, includes a call to action for adults to become an ally to LGBT youth. The report details how to become a strong ally, including taking steps to: educate yourself, find someone to talk to, keep the conversation alive with LGBT youth, and take broad action. HRC’s Latino youth report is available at www.hrc.org/latinoyouth. A copy the full youth report is available at: www.hrc.org/youth.

LATINO BLOTTER: Police Find Cocaine Between Man’s Toes, He Claims “Not Mine”

2013-06-18T20:23:51+00:00

A Florida man was arrested earlier this month after police discovered cocaine between the man’s toes. Martin Perez, 33, was arrested on a battery charge in St. Lucie County, Florida on June 2. When brought in to St. Lucie County jail in Fort Pierce, officers asked if he had any drugs or weapons on his person. Though he told them no, officials found a bag of white powder hidden between his toes. Perez admitted the substance was cocaine, but claimed that it was not his. No additional details were available.