News
Union Vote by GM Workers in Mexico a Test for Labor Rights
Workers at a General Motors plant in northern Mexico were voting Tuesday on whether to form one of the first truly independent auto labor unions in Mexican history.
PRX and Futuro Media Announce an Expanded Podcast Partnership With Politics and Culture Podcasts ‘In The Thick’ and ‘Latino Rebels Radio’
Beginning today, PRX will distribute the Futuro Media podcasts “In The Thick” and “Latino Rebels Radio.”
Earthjustice: AES-Puerto Rico Seeking Bailout for Polluting Coal Plant
On Monday, nonprofit public-interest environmental group Earthjustice released a statement condemning energy company AES-Puerto Rico for seeking to transfer ownership of its notorious coal plant in Guayama to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).
Mexican Army Says Troops Attacked Before Clash With Townspeople
A day after residents in a Mexican town dominated by a drug cartel claimed soldiers fired on a protest and wounded several people, the army on Sunday said its troops were attacked.
Puerto Ricans Hold Beach Protest Against Privatization
After a video of a couple berating beachgoers in Ocean Park while they set up a tennis court went viral on social media last week, Puerto Ricans rallied to host a “beach Olympics” to show that “the beaches belong to the people.”
Xiomara Castro Inaugurated as Honduras’ First Female President
Honduras’ first woman president, Xiomara Castro, was sworn in on Thursday at the national soccer stadium in Tegucigalpa. During her inaugural address, Castro expressed disdain for the outgoing administration’s “economic catastrophe.”
Makeshift Boat with Dominican Migrants Capsizes in Puerto Rico
Migrants from the Dominican Republic and Haiti have increasingly tried to cross the treacherous 92 miles of water known as the Mona Passage that separates the island of Hispaniola that both countries share from Puerto Rico. Some 449 Haitians and more than 200 Dominicans have been detained since October 1.
More Migrants Seek Asylum Through Reopened Canadian Border
Migrants are taking advantage of a quirk in a 2002 agreement between the U.S. and Canada that says people seeking asylum must apply in the first country they arrive in.
App-Based Latinx Food Couriers Share Their Experiences
Latinx adults are more likely to have done gig work than their Black, Asian, and white counterparts, according to a study by the Pew Research Center published in December. About 30 percent have earned money from an online app platform.
Construction Permit Approvals for Coastal Projects Fast-Tracked During Pierluisi’s First Year
Far from slowing the pace of construction on Puerto Rico’s coasts to address climate change, as experts have requested, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi’s administration hit the accelerator to approve construction permits along the coasts.
VP Harris Visits Honduras Amid Calls for Temporary Protected Status
Many see Vice President Harris’ trip to Honduras as a sign that Washington intends to work closely with Honduras and other Central American countries to stem the flow of migration northward. But many Honduran immigrants living in the United States are hoping Washington does something more for their homeland.
From EL FARO ENGLISH: First Signs of Strife in Bukele’s Party
Rank-and-file legislators of President Nayib Bukele’s party, Nuevas Ideas, are showing the first signs of dissent for fear of U.S. sanctions and lack of budget, camera time, and access to decision-making. Some of them did not appear for key votes in recent weeks.
Biden Signs Executive Order to Implement Parts of I Am Vanessa Guillén Act
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Thursday that made sexual harassment an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the legal framework that governs members of the United States armed services.
In Puerto Rico, Privatization Jeopardizes Already Weak Ferry System in Vieques and Culebra
Following years of disrepair and unreliable service, Puerto Rico’s Public-Private Partnerships Authority chose U.S.-based company HMS Ferries to assume control of the local maritime transportation company. Residents are now demanding the cancelation of the 23-year contract, citing numerous issues.
With a Rocky Start, Brazil Prepares for Presidential Election in 2022
January marks the beginning of an election year that could see Jair Bolsonaro re-elected as president of Brazil. Polls and conditions in the country suggest he won’t have it easy.
Texas Teens Face Life in Prison for Killing Man Suspected of Molestation
Brothers Alejandro and Christian Trevino are charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. Christian and friend Juan Eduardo Melendez are also charged with capital murder. A petition on Change.org calling on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to release the boys has already received over 46,000 signatures as of Wednesday morning.
White House Won’t Fully Commit to Green Card Recapture
On Tuesday, Latino Rebels asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki about President Biden’s willingness to take unilateral action on immigrant relief, such as reallocating unused green cards from past years.
Group Topples Conquistador Statue in Puerto Rico, Calls for Repeal of Tax Incentives for Foreigners
“Ahead of the supposed visit of the King of Spain, Felipe VI to Puerto Rico and the escalation of gringo invaders siezing our lands, we want to send a clear message: Niether Kings Nor Gringo Invaders; Borikén is ours,” the group said in a statement.
From EL FARO ENGLISH: Honduras’ New Future, Divided
As of Monday afternoon, Honduras still had two parallel Congressional leaderships, both under suspicion of illegality, a sign that does not bode well for the stability for the first days of Castro’s presidency.
Act 60 Brings People Into Puerto Rico and Pushes Others Out (OPINION)
“A Puerto Rico without Puerto Ricans” has become almost cliche in talks concerning the current wave of gentrification washing over the islands. It’s a phrase so bold-faced about ridding the island of its native inhabitants that one is tempted to view it as satire, if the message behind it hadn’t become all too real for the people of Puerto Rico over the past decade.
Puerto Rico Department of Education Planning a New Wave of School Closings
The Puerto Rico Department of Education’s (DE) “vision of the future” proposes the closing of another 83 schools by 2026, affecting 18,644 students, according to a new infrastructure master plan reviewed by the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo.