Dozens of tortilla makers in the southwest of the city shut down their businesses on Saturday and have remained closed to protest against the presence of violent criminal gangs that charge extortion payments known as cobro de piso, and to demand government action.

“Due to intimidation and the possibility of retaliation, those affected haven’t in all cases reported the extortioners but [instead] chose to close because their incomes are not sufficient to cover the fees that criminals demand from them,” a local tortilla makers’ association said in a statement.

Among the neighborhoods where tortillerías were closed yesterday were Lagos, Las Flores, Santa Isabel, Jacarandas, El Ejidal and Monte Blanco, the newspaper El Universal reported.

“People have been walking around looking for a place to buy [tortillas]. A lot of businesses are closed. It’s very unfortunate, very sad, never before have we reached such extremes,” said Fernando Arellano, a priest at a church in Las Flores.

“All the tortillerías are closed,” said 65-year-old Mariana, who walked seven blocks searching for tortillas. “What are we going to do now? Well, go to [the supermarket] Mega, surely there are tortillas there.”

One store that was closed yesterday was tortillería La Indita, a 57-year-old family business in the neighborhood of Lagos.

However, the shop’s owner didn’t close as part of the protest against violence and extortion.

Virginia “N” and two female employees were shot dead by a suspected extortion gang on Monday as they worked, an attack that has left other tortilla shop workers fearful for their own lives.

“Of course, we’re afraid,” said a young woman working yesterday at one of only two tortilla shops that were open in Celaya’s southwest.

“What can you do? We have to work, right?”

Source: El Universal (sp).

US Congresswoman Denies Guatemala is a Safe Country

US Congresswoman Norma Torres said in Guatemala City that this country is not prepared to shelter thousands of people, referring to the ”safe third country” agreement recently signed with the United States.

‘I have been very clear in my opinion about this and it is personal,’ Torres said in a press briefing after she concluded an eight-hour visit that brought her back to Guatemala, the country where she was born, along with a bipartisan congressional delegation, led by its leader, Nancy Pelosi.

The congresswoman said they talked about the issue with several social actors but ‘We still don’t know the details of what it is about.’

She had very emotional words for the personnel of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) who remain in the country, the mandate of which President Jimmy Morales unilaterally interrupted.

Pelosi, on the other hand, was very satisfied with the program of meetings with non-governmental organizations, a child refuge, representatives of civil society and judges, which offered them an intersectoral vision of the country and possibilities of working together.

The delegation traveled to El Salvador and will later be in Honduras for the weekend before concluding the tour in McAleen, Texas, where they will once again verify the conditions in which undocumented persons arrested at the border are detained.

Nearly 6,000 migrants seeking asylum are waiting in Ciudad Juárez

August 22, 2019

Many will be waiting there for a year or more

by Mexico News Daily

About 6,000 migrants are stranded in the border city of Ciudad Juárez while waiting to apply for political asylum in the United States.

Chihuahua’s State Population Council (Coespo), which heads the coordination of migrant services in the city, stated that the current wait time to apply for asylum is about 90 days.

The migrant population in Juárez includes people from Cuba, Central America, Mexico, and even Africa.

As of August 13, 5,981 people were on the waiting list administered by Coespo. From this list, migrants are called by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to cross into El Paso, Texas, and apply for asylum with an officer.

Once they have applied, migrants are held for a short time in El Paso before being returned to Ciudad Juárez, where they must wait for their cases to be heard. Wait times can be as long as a year in some cases.

Dirvin García, head of Mexico’s Center for Comprehensive Migrant Services (CAIM), stated that there are already cases with wait times that extend well into 2020.

Since October 27, 2018, 18,166 people have been put on the list to apply for asylum, of which 12,185 have been allowed to cross into the U.S. to make the application.

Of the 67 people who arrived at the CAIM facilities on August 10, one was from Cuba.

“It’s a long time to wait,” he said, “and we’re running out of money.”

He said he had relatives in the United States that were helping him financially, but the wait still wasn’t easy.

“Hopefully they can speed up the process so we can cross,” he added.

Instead of waiting, many migrants opt for crossing the Rio Grande to speed up the process. Once in the United States, they are arrested by the Border Patrol. At that point they can apply for asylum.

On Monday, the Border Patrol began holding interviews with migrants after a 10-day moratorium during which no one on CAIM’s list was called to cross into El Paso.

A similar situation occurred at the end of July, when interviews were suspended for 11 days due to overcrowding at CBP facilities.

Source: Reforma (sp)

9 states sign on to Oaxaca Pact, seek to narrow gap between north and south

The agreement will encourage growth in the industrial sector, business and tourism

The governors of nine states signed an agreement yesterday that seeks to boost development in the south and southeast of Mexico and to narrow the economic gap with the north of the country.

At a meeting in Oaxaca convened by the Confederation of Industrial Chambers, the governors of Oaxaca, Yucatán, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Veracruz and Puebla inked the so-called Oaxaca Pact.

Under the terms of the agreement, the governments of the southern and southeastern states will work collaboratively with the private and academic sectors to create a more prosperous region.

Oaxaca Governor Alejandro Murat expressed confidence that the pact will help to reactivate the regional economy and contribute to the achievement of equitable development across the nation.

Growth will be sought in the industrial sector, business and tourism, he said, adding that the agreement also stipulates cooperation on education, security and infrastructure.

The federal government is pursuing three large infrastructure projects in the south and southeast – the Maya Train, the Dos Bocas oil refinery and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec trade corridor, which includes modernization of the railway between Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.

President López Obrador has said that the projects will act as a trigger for economic and social development.

Mexico’s southern states lag behind the north and center of the country in terms of human development.

A report published by the United Nations in May said that development in certain highly disadvantaged municipalities in Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Veracruz is on a par with that in impoverished African countries such as Burundi and Burkina Faso.

As a result of a lack of economic opportunities, the southern-southeastern region has struggled to retain its population because many residents choose to seek employment in other parts of the country or the United States. The region also finds it difficult to attract new residents.

The governors agreed that development in their states has not kept pace with other parts of the country, which has exacerbated the north-south divide. They pointed out that the south and southeast has failed to attract much foreign investment and to tap in to export markets a significant way.

Seven out of 10 workers are employed in the informal sector of the economy and 80% of indigenous residents live in poverty, the governors said.

Some residents of the region are not all that keen about the development plans.

The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) announced this week that it is planning to hold a music festival to protest against the government’s infrastructure projects.

In a rambling statement, Subcomandante Galeano (formerly Subcomandante Marcos) said the Zapatistas will also demonstrate against the “wall that the supreme government is planning to build on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to separate us from the people of the north.”

It is unclear exactly what the EZLN member was referring to although some people have likened the deployment of National Guard troops to southern Mexico to ramp up enforcement against undocumented migrants to the construction of a wall.

The EZLN and López Obrador have a strained history although the president expressed his respect for the Zapatistas during a visit to Chiapas last month.

Source: El Universal (sp), La Neta Noticias (sp)

In México economy: For executives, AMLO fear factor has created investment paralysis

August 22, 2019

They’re watching the president closely amid uncertainty about what he might do next

by Mexico News Daily

Fear and uncertainty about the policy agenda of President López Obrador are paralyzing investment, according to high-ranking business executives who spoke to the news agency Bloomberg.

A report published today said that about half a dozen executives who met with Bloomberg in Mexico City last week described navigating the president’s policies and abrupt pronouncements as a struggle.

The most common word that the executives used to describe López Obrador’s decision-making process on issues that affect them was “erratic,” Bloomberg said.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, most expressed support for the government’s implementation of austerity measures and its crusade against corruption – many said that the scourge spiraled out of control during Enrique Peña Nieto’s presidency – but rejected the decisions to cancel the Texcoco airport project, freeze new energy auctions and take legal action that seeks to annul clauses in natural gas pipelines.

Amid uncertainty about what the president might do next, the executives said they closely watch López Obrador’s daily press conferences for clues.

In that context, no one is investing, they said. Many of the executives said they see the beginning of a downward economic trend for Mexico although their views differed about how steep the slope will be.

In any case, the situation raises a range of questions, Bloomberg said: “Invest now? Wait to invest? Simply keep the business on autopilot or consider selling assets? Put resources toward other countries?”

Gross fixed investment in Mexico fell 7.4 percent in May, the worst monthly performance in more than two years, while the economy only narrowly avoided entering a technical recession by recording 0.1 percent growth between April and June after a 0.2 percent contraction in the first quarter.

Although López Obrador has clung to his forecast of 2 percent growth in 2019, his own government predicts an expansion of just 1.1 percent.

The International Monetary Fund slashed its growth outlook for the Mexican economy to 0.9 percent from 1.6 percent last month while the Bank of America and Citibanamex cut their forecasts to just 0.5 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.

Bloomberg said that the “mix of AMLO’s austerity drive and the uncertainty among business leaders” is taking a heavy toll on the economy.

The news agency noted that while the president is curtailing government spending in many areas, he has allocated significant funding to Pemex, the beleaguered state oil company.

It questioned the logic of building a new oil refinery on the Tabasco coast when existing refineries are operating at or below 30 percent capacity.

Considering the president’s track record on canceling and challenging investment projects, Bloomberg said the business community is waiting for “a sign – any sign” that López Obrador can generate an economic and legal environment in which investors have the confidence they need to make decisions.

The news agency noted that the president told its editor-in-chief John Micklethwait in an interview last week that he respects contracts and the need for foreign investment but added that “for the executives, actions speak louder than words.”

Source: Bloomberg (en).

Mexico considers legal action against US after 8 Mexicans die in El Paso

Mexico could obtain access to evidence revealed by the investigation and prosecute the shooter

Mexico is looking into taking legal action against the United States over the murder of eight Mexican citizens in a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, on Saturday.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard told a press conference Sunday that Mexico is considering the mass shooting an act of terrorism against the Mexican-American community and against Mexicans in the United States, and that the attorney general is exploring legal action that would rule the shooting as such.

Designating the attack as an act of anti-Mexican terrorism would give Mexico access to all the evidence that comes out of the investigation into Saturday’s shooting. Ebrard said that such a designation would be the first of its kind.

“There will be legal action against whoever ends up being responsible for the sale of the assault weapons to the person responsible, and whoever pulled the trigger,” said Ebrard. “We are going to request access to the investigation to find out how the weapon was sold and how it got into his hands.”

A total of 22 people were killed in the shooting, which took place at a Walmart in the Cielo Vista shopping center in El Paso. The shooter has been identified as 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, of Allen, Texas.

Authorities say Crusius is the author of a 2,300-word “manifesto” posted to the message board 8chan before the attack, which speaks of an “invasion” of Mexican and Latino immigrants into the United States.

Ebrard added that Mexico will send a diplomatic note to the United States asking it to “take a clear position against hate crimes,” and that Mexico will consider requesting that Crusius be extradited to Mexico to face charges for the murders of Mexican citizens.

“Mexico considers this individual to be a terrorist,” he said.

Ebrard was scheduled to travel to El Paso on Monday where he was to meet with Mexican consuls from around the United States.

Source: El Universal (sp), CNN (en).

Farmworkers rise up against labor exploitation

August 22, 2019

Farm workers march to protest the H-2A farm labor program — BELLINGHAM, WA - 4AUGUST19 - Farm workers and their supporters march to protest the H2-A guestworker program and the death of Honesto Silva, on the anniversary of his death twho years earlier. They also protested recent federal regulations making it more difficult to protect the rights of H-2A and resident farm workers. The march was organized by Community2Community and the new union for Washington farm workers, Familias Unidas por la Justicia. Copyright David Bacon

by David Bacon

Washington State today is ground zero in the effort to hold back the massive use of agricultural guest workers by U.S. growers, and to ensure that farmworkers, both those living here and those coming under the H-2A visa program, have their rights respected. For a second year, on Aug. 4 workers and their supporters marched 14 miles in 90-degree heat through berry fields just below the Canadian border, protesting what they charge is widespread abuse of agricultural labor.

“Farmworker families have been living and working in local fields since the early 1950s,” according to Rosalinda Guillén, director of Community to Community, a farm worker organizing and advocacy group in Whatcom County. “But we’ve seen a big increase in growers’ use of the H-2A guest worker program in the last few years, and it’s had a huge impact on working conditions in the fields. We’ve had to feed guest workers who come to us hungry, fight to get them paid their wages, and help them deal with extreme work requirements. At the same time, our local workers find they’re not being hired for jobs they’ve done for many seasons.”

At dawn on Aug. 4, 200 marchers gathered in front of the immigration detention center in Ferndale, about three hours north of Seattle. Before starting the 14-mile peregrination, Guillen told the crowd that most of the immigrants detained there, and later deported, are farmworkers. “The Trump administration is targeting our local community, deporting people who have been living here for years,” she charged. “Then growers complain there aren’t enough workers, and begin using the H-2A program to bring in guest workers. It is a vicious revolving door of exploitation.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey, there are about 2.5 million farmworkers in the U.S., about three quarters of whom were born outside the country. Half are undocumented and the rest are visa holders or people born in the U.S.

Last year growers were certified to bring in 242,762 H-2A workers – a tenth of the total workforce and a number that in just four years has increased from 139,832.

In 2017, Washington State growers were given H-2A visas for 18,796 workers, about 12,000 of whom were recruited by WAFLA (formerly the Washington Farm Labor Association, a H-2A labor contractor). “We predict growers will request more than 30,000 H-2A workers during 2019,” according to Washington Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine.

The department estimated that 97,068 farm workers were employed in Washington State in 2016, so the projected number of H-2A workers would be a third of the entire workforce.

At the same time as H-2A employment is rising, deportations are increasing. The Trump administration deported 256,000 people in 2018, just slightly more than the number of people brought to the U.S. under H-2A visas. Local deportations are increasing as well in Washington. In August last year 16 people were arrested and held at the Ferndale center. Half were deported immediately, and others were charged bail as high as $18,000 to be released pending hearings. A month earlier 19 others had also been arrested for deportation.

Stories are common, according to C2C, of people stopped for traffic violations, and then held for detention by immigration authorities. In 2017, Gov. Jay Inslee signed an executive order barring state agents from helping to enforce federal immigration laws in most cases, ordering them not to ask about immigration status. Nevertheless, immigration detention centers are scattered around the state, including one of the nation’s largest in Tacoma, three hours south of Whatcom County, where the GEO Group holds around 1,500 people.

Protesting Exploitation at Crystal View Raspberry Farm

After leaving the Ferndale detention center, people walked north for four hours, arriving at the Crystal View Raspberry Farm. There they stopped to hold an informal hearing to highlight the decision by the farm’s owners to bring in 80 guest workers for this year’s blueberry harvest.

Growers recruit H-2A workers every year from other countries, mainly Mexico. Companies using the H-2A program must apply to the U.S. Department of Labor, listing the work, living conditions and wages workers will receive. The company must provide transportation and housing. Workers are given contracts for less than one year, and must leave the country when their work is done. They can only work for the company that contracts them, and if they lose that job they must leave immediately.

The H-2A program has its roots in the notorious “bracero” program, which brought workers from Mexico in extremely exploitative conditions starting in 1942. At its height in 1954 about 450,000 workers were brought in by growers, and in the same year over a million people were deported – the same “vicious revolving door” described by Guillen. Although the program was abolished in 1964, the H-2 visa on which it was based was never eliminated. In 1986 an organized farm labor importation program began again, and the H-2A visa was created. It has been growing ever since.

In August last year, about 60 Crystal View workers, brought from Mexico and Guatemala under H-2A visas, went on strike to protest the non-payment of their wages. They reached out to Community to Community (C2C) and Washington’s new farm worker union, Familias Unidas por la Justicia, looking for help. Workers told C2C organizer Edgar Franks they’d been threatened that if they didn’t work fast enough they’d be fired and sent back home. “They didn’t feel safe reaching out to anyone because of the threats,” he said. Workers were isolated because they lived on the farm property, miles from the nearest town, and had no cars or transportation of their own.

The media have ignored pedophilia in the elite

August 16, 2019

It took a billionaire pedophile to die in jail for the mainstream media to finally report on elite child sex trafficking

by Matt Agoris

Adult and child sex trafficking is an unfortunate and horrifying reality that plagues countries around the world—including the United States. As TFTP has reported, people have been arrested attempting to purchase children as young as three-months-old to abuse them, including police officers. Even former child sex slaves have come forward to tell their stories and provide insight into the elite sickos who have the money and resources to deal in the lives of children. This has been ongoing for decades, yet the media and Americans alike, have largely ignored it, until now.

The arrest of Jeffery Epstein and his subsequent demise in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York has catapulted the massive problem of elite child sex trafficking into the limelight. Naturally, politicians on both sides — including the president — are attempting to use Epstein’s death for political advantage which has skewed the discourse. However, for the first time, Americans are actually talking about the problem of child sexual abuse among the elite, and this is healthy.

While some Americans are hearing Epstein’s name for the first time, TFTP has been reporting on his special treatment and ties to the elite for years. The child trafficking scandal doesn’t stop at the White House either, it crosses the pond and implicates the royal family too. Last year, a photo of the Queen’s son, Prince Andrew, surfaced as evidence during legal proceedings, showing him with his arm around one of the underage victims.

Epstein is a convicted child molester and sexually abused no less than 40 underage girls. Despite this fact, Alexander Acosta protected him while serving as a U.S. Attorney in Florida. After letting an admitted pedophile off with a wrist slap, instead of being fired, Acosta was then appointed to Trump’s labor secretary in 2017 before resigning last month amid the Epstein controversy.

Instead of going to prison for life, as he should’ve considering the evidence against him, Epstein only got 13 months and was allowed to stay in the Palm Beach County Jail in his own private cell where he was allowed to leave the prison six days a week for “work release”. Epstein was forced to register as a sex offender for life, but with his money and his connections he wasn’t too bothered—until last month.

Despite the left and the right pitting Epstein against their political foes, this pedophile was tied to all sides of the political spectrum.

Just in case you thought sex abuse was a partisan thing, here’s a picture of @POTUS with convicted child rapist and @BillClinton Lolita Express chauffer, Jeffrey Epstein. #ItsABigFuckingClubAndYouAreNotInIt pic.twitter.com/qpNxcdzT6W

— Matt Agorist (@MattAgorist) November 29, 2017

As a report in the Miami Herald noted:

The eccentric hedge fund manager, whose friends included former President Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Prince Andrew, was also suspected of trafficking minor girls, often from overseas, for sex parties at his other homes in Manhattan, New Mexico and the Caribbean, FBI and court records show.

However, he was never held accountable until last month — only after his victims and dedicated reporters pushed for justice for nearly a decade.

Now, as a tornado of conspiracy theories over Epstein’s death continues to travel across the internet like wildfire, the media can no longer ignore the problem, nor Epstein’s connections.

Maybe now, as the DOJ investigates, the media may start to actually report on this massive problem. This is not the first time high profile figures have been arrested for sick crimes against children and let off with a wrist slap, but it is the first time the media is giving it so much attention—because this sicko is now dead.

As TFTP reported, in April of 2016, Dennis Hastert, former Speaker of the House under Clinton and Bush — and admitted child rapist — was sentenced to 15 months in prison after he was caught paying his victims to keep quiet. However, he was released in 2017 — two months before finishing his already insultingly lenient sentence.

Hastert was sentenced, not for raping children, but for illegally structuring bank transactions in an effort to cover up his sexual abuse of young boys.

Just like Epstein, Hastert was an admitted serial child rapist, yet because he is a well-connected politician and former Speaker of the House, this vile man’s victims received no justice. In fact, Hastert attempted to sue his victims for speaking out after he paid them to stay silent about their abuse.

As TFTP has reported, Washington D.C. not only protects sex abusers but they use your tax dollars to silence their victims. Sadly, most people ignore at least half of all the abuse because blowhards in the media try to turn sex abuse into a partisan issue. Those on the left ignore the crimes of their party, just like those on the right claim sex abuse is a liberal issue. But as we’ve shown, there is no difference between a blue child rapist and a red one.

As the Free Thought Project has previously reported, the problem of child sex trafficking goes all the way to the top in the UK as well. Sir Edward Heath, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was found by the police chief to be a pedophile. Just like what happens in the US, his vile crimes against children were allegedly ‘covered up by the establishment.’

Unfortunately, pedophilia and human trafficking is all too common among those in power. Sadly, however, those who attempt to draw attention to this problem are labeled as conspiracy nuts or perpetrators of fake news. Hopefully, as the truth comes out in regard to Jeffrey Epstein, the establishment will have a harder time protecting society’s worst.

Learn to improvise with different styles of music!

August 16, 2019

Free music instruction at City College of San Francisco

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

All Instruments & Vocalists Are Welcome!!

Free tuition for students who are S.F. Residents. Register Now!! http://www.ccsf.edu.

MUSIC 46, CRN# 76947, Section 501. Tuesdays 7-10 P.M. (3 units). Instructor David Hardiman, Jr. 1st Class Meets Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2019. CCSF Creative Arts Building, Room A132, (510) 407-6915. Instructor David Hardiman Jr. Off, (415) 239-3640. http://www.ccsf.edu.

Salsa in the Mission with Emilio Pérez and his New Caní band

Come and celebrate summer time with salsa, Latin jazz and tropical music for the soul on the dance floor, with Grupo New Caní. In the congas Emilio Pérez, in timbales Tito Thumas and his aunt Patricia Thumas on the piano.

At Cavas-22 Restaurant. Full bar and Mexican and International food, 22^nd Street @ Bartlett – across the street from Café Revolution. Fridays and Saturdays, from 8 to 11:30 p.m.

Sounds of the Shores 2019

Redwood City takes its summer music out to Redwood Shores for 3 Sundays throughout the summer. Marlin Park is located on the lagoons of Redwood Shores and provides a picturesque setting for live music. There will also be food concessions available.

The Cocktail Monkeys will perform their unique blend of rock, pop and R&B live during the event, which takes place 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Come hear and dance to some of your favorite songs by your favorite bands, paired with treats from this month’s food truck, Casablanca.

Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019, from 5 -7 p.m., at Marlin Park (corner of Neptune & Cringle), Redwood City.

Cuban Timba Pioneer! ¡Fiesta Cubana! Issac Delgado: Album Release Party

Replacing ¡CUBANISMO!

This album release celebration will be an explosive salsa dance event that Miner Auditorium will barely be able to contain.

One of Cuba’s most famous stars and a respected musical innovator, GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Issac Delgado returns to SFJAZZ for the first time in nearly a decade with the U.S. premiere of material from his new Tropix Music release.

Lluvia Y Fuego (Rain and Fire) brilliantly showcases the effect of his return to his homeland and a re-investment in traditional song forms. The recording features lushly arranged original compositions and tributes to timeless Cuban sonero Benny Moré and Puerto Rican salsa king Cheo Feliciano.

A dazzling live performer who was mentored by legendary Cuban jazz pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Delgado helped pioneer the timba style (Havana’s tough, funky take on salsa) as lead singer of the wildly influential group NG La Banda in the late 1980s. Restlessly inventive, he has continually rewritten the rules of Caribbean dance music, constantly playing with time and tempo, employing jazz-inspired passages and mixing in cutting edge rhythms and avant-garde electronics. He defected to the U.S. for over a decade in the late 2000s, but recently returned to Havana where his fame has only grown more fervent over the years.

Through Aug 18th, 2019, at Miner Auditorium, SF Jazz center, SF.

Please note: Dance floor is General Admission standing room only. If you would prefer seats, please select a different level for this show.

Détente – Oakland Premiere

Détente investigates displacement, the words meaning, and impact. Through dance, video, and story, performers experiment with the act or process of displacing, and what it means to be removed from home.

The Oakland premiere includes a special film screening of the documentary, Alice Street, and a post-show discussion on gentrification and housing rights with organization Causa Justa: Just Cause.

Dance Show Alert!! Premiere in Oakland! Choreography by Cherie Hill. Featuring Rose Rothfeder and Andreina Maldonado

On Thursday, Aug. 22 & Saturday Aug. 24, 8 p.m., at Temescal Arts Center, 511 48th St., Oakland. Cover $10-20 Sliding Scale (no one turned away for lack of funds)

Tickets: https://detente-oakland.brownpapertickets.com/ More info: http://www.iriedance.com/deacutetente.html

UnidosUS awards MEDA as member of the year for its work in the Latino community

August 12, 2019

by Aracely M. Ortega

The Economic Development Agency of the Mission (MEDA), based in the Mission District neighborhood in San Francisco, was awarded the “Affiliate of the Year” award granted by the national organization UnidosUS, formerly called National Council of La Raza ( NCLR) for its work to give Latinos tools and information to achieve the American dream and obtain financial stability.

The award was presented to MEDA on Aug. 5 during the 2019 Annual Conference held in San Diego for its commitment to achieve a significant change for the Latino community. The “Affiliate of the Year” award is the greatest honor given to a UnitedUS affiliate.

“UnidosUS has been very fortunate to have MEDA as part of our network of talented affiliates who face critical issues and improve lives,” UnitedUS President Janet Murguía said.

“We are honoring MEDA for its strong passion to help working Latino families gain greater financial security and achieve the American dream,” he said.

Because many families face economic challenges and displacements, MEDA’s approach is through building resistance and prosperity in one of the most expensive cities in the nation.

MEDA works to strengthen the financial well-being of Latino families of moderate and low income by promoting economic equity and social justice through the creation of assets and economic development in the San Francisco Bay area.

It offers almost all its services at no cost, and its strategies focus on accessible housing, small businesses, access to capital and education. It serves 7,300 people every year.

“MEDA is honored to be selected as a United States affiliate of the year 2019,” said Luis Granados, executive director of MEDA.

He said his diligent work team works daily to strengthen immigrant and low-income families. In addition they are now sharing their model nationwide.

“This work is inspired by the power of the collective and individual experience of our Latino community,” he said.

He added that MEDA is very proud to be part of the 269 organizations that make up the UnidosUS affiliate network by working collaboratively towards a common goal of building equity through the power, name and wealth of Latinos.

MEDA works with UnidosUS as a digital innovation program fellow to scale the impact of MEDA’s Viva! a financial capacity toolkit for an online platform.

This will offer an interactive tool for instructors, clients and communities that allows them to work together on family development and wealth building plans.

MEDA works with five UnitedUS affiliates to build financial capacity programs using the MEDA’s Viva! for community development.

Meda was born in 1973 to serve small businesses. According to Luis Granados, they are also currently working on the development of accessible housing, access to capital and political commitment for immigrant families or children of immigrants. The goal for 2020 is to prevent and reverse the displacement of families. In recent years, 8,000 Latinos have been forced to leave their homes in the Mission neighborhood, 25 percent of the community.

The Affiliate of the Year award was made possible by the generous collaboration of the Ford Motor Company Fund, a longtime ally of UnitedUS in its commitment to advance the interests of the Latino community.

The Ford Motor Company Fund is the philanthropic arm of the Ford Automotive Company.

“The Ford Fund congratulates MEDA’s impressive work to empower Latino families in their excellent economic development programs,” said Joel Avila, community development manager in the United States and Latin America of the Ford Automotive Company Fund.

“It is very stimulating to continue our collaboration of more than 25 years with UnidosUS to strengthen communities throughout the country,” he said.

In addition to rewarding MEDA with $25,000 in cash, UnidosUS also recognized regional beneficiaries of its affiliate network. Each of the winners was given $5,000 in cash at the lunch of the National Conference for Affiliates.

Other organizations that were awarded are: Esperanza, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio as the Midwest affiliate; Affiliate of the Far West Latino Network of Portland, Oregon; Northeast affiliate: Puerto Rican Association in March, Inc. (APM) of Philadelphia; Southeast affiliate: East Coast Migrant Head Start Project of Raleigh of Northern California; The Texas Affiliate, Your Family Clinic.

The UnitedUS affiliate network consists of almost 300 community organizations that provide a variety of key services and resources to millions of Latinos throughout the country.

The Annual Conference of UnidosUS is a central meeting place for affiliates, and that includes thousands of people representing community organizations, non-profit organizations, government, corporations and academic institutions.

UnidosUS, formerly NCLR, is the largest Hispanic defense and civil rights organization in the nation. With the joint work of researchers, leaders, programs and its network of affiliates throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, for more than 50 years, UnitedUS has challenged the social, economic and social barriers that affect Latinos at national and local levels.

México necesita 123 mil médicos; las escuelas no están entrenando lo suficiente: AMLO

August 12, 2019

El presidente dijo que el nuevo servicio de salud trabajará con las universidades para capacitar más

por Mexico News Daily

El presidente López Obrador dice que México necesita 123,000 médicos más para cubrir las necesidades del país.
“Hay 270,600 médicos generales en el país, y de acuerdo con las normas internacionales, deberíamos tener 393,600 médicos”, dijo durante una visita a un hospital rural en Michoacán el sábado. “Eso significa que somos 123,000 médicos cortos”.
Según la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos (OCDE), un país debe tener un médico por cada 333 residentes. Según una estimación del Banco Mundial para 2017, México cuenta con un solo médico por cada 477 personas.
El presidente agregó que la escasez de médicos está relacionada con las bajas tasas de ingreso en las universidades para los programas de medicina.
“Es por eso que hay una escasez”, dijo. “Necesitamos más médicos generales, necesitamos más especialistas”.
Dijo que 13,000 personas solicitaron su admisión en la facultad de medicina de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma, pero solo 216 fueron aceptadas. La elección de carrera más popular entre los futuros estudiantes es la de un cirujano. En febrero, dijo López Obrador, había 11,198 solicitantes para 140 lugares.
Dijo que el nuevo Instituto Nacional de Salud para el Bienestar trabajará con las universidades para capacitar a más médicos.
El instituto, que aún no ha sido aprobado por el Congreso, operará con un presupuesto de 80 mil millones de pesos (US $4.2 mil millones) y reemplazará al Seguro Popular, que ofrece servicios médicos a personas que no están cubiertas por la seguridad social.
Fuente: Notimex (sp), W Radio (sp).

Algunos inversores extranjeros nerviosos se están retirando, ven mayor riesgo en México
Han estado vendiendo títulos públicos desde febrero

Los tenedores extranjeros de valores gubernamentales han comenzado a retirar sus inversiones debido a la disminución de la confianza en el gobierno federal y la economía mexicana, y la expectativa de que el Banco de México recortará las tasas de interés.
Las estadísticas del banco central muestran que el valor de los bonos del gobierno y los certificados del tesoro federal en manos de los inversionistas extranjeros fue de 2.11 billones de pesos (US $111 mil millones) el 9 de julio, la cantidad más baja desde el 14 de diciembre.
Desde el 8 de febrero, cuando el valor de la deuda pública en manos extranjeras alcanzó un nivel récord, los inversionistas descargaron valores por un valor de 162 mil millones de pesos (US $ 8.5 mil millones), informó el periódico El Universal.
La inversión extranjera en certificados de tesorería, que son más fáciles de cobrar, ha disminuido a su nivel más bajo desde marzo de 2018.
“Los inversores ya están empezando a ponerse nerviosos y, si bien perciben un mayor riesgo, es posible que veamos más ventas de valores del gobierno y que la tasa de interés de los bonos suba”, dijo Ernesto O’Farrill, gerente general de Bursamétrica, una firma de corretaje de la Ciudad de México.
A pesar de decisiones como la cancelación del nuevo aeropuerto de la Ciudad de México, el gobierno federal generó confianza entre los inversionistas durante sus primeros meses en el cargo luego de presentar un presupuesto para 2019 que fue descrito como fiscalmente prudente y realista por muchos analistas.
La primera venta masiva de valores emitidos por el gobierno por parte de la administración de López Obrador a mediados de enero generó un fuerte interés de los inversores.
Más de 300 inversionistas institucionales de las Américas, Europa, Asia y Medio Oriente participaron en la subasta y la demanda para comprar valores excedió la oferta por cuatro.
Pero la confianza de los inversionistas ha disminuido debido a las bajas en la calificación soberana de México y la de Pemex, y la posibilidad de que haya más recortes en las calificaciones.
“Los inversionistas anticipan los ajustes de las agencias calificadoras y deducen que Moody’s eliminará el grado de inversión de Pemex en los próximos meses como lo hizo Fitch a principios del mes pasado”, dijo O’Farrill.
Predijo que las agencias también rebajarán la calificación soberana de México pero no por debajo del grado de inversión. Fitch redujo su calificación soberana para México a una muesca por encima del estado de chatarra el mes pasado, pero si él y otras agencias de calificación bajaran, se produciría una enorme venta masiva de bonos del gobierno.
“El noventa y cinco por ciento de los inversionistas están en valores del gobierno porque México tiene un grado de inversión”, dijo Oarrill.
Otros factores que han puesto nerviosos a los inversionistas son los recortes generalizados a los pronósticos de crecimiento para la economía mexicana y la renuncia de Carlos Urzúa la semana pasada como secretario de finanzas.
El Universal informó que los inversionistas ahora ven inestabilidad en la implementación de políticas públicas y han respondido retirando sus inversiones en valores gubernamentales. El retroceso podría acelerarse a medida que el Banco de México se acerque más al recorte de las tasas de interés, que muchos analistas creen que ocurrirá en agosto o septiembre.
Otro factor que pesa en la mente de algunos inversionistas es la decisión de la Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE, por sus siglas en inglés) de buscar un arbitraje internacional destinado a anular cláusulas en siete contratos de ductos.
Uno de los contratos que el servicio público está tratando de renegociar es el del gasoducto Texas-Tuxpan, que fue construido conjuntamente por la compañía canadiense TC Energy (anteriormente TransCanada).
El embajador de Canadá, Pierre Alarie, se pronunció en contra de la decisión de la CFE, mientras que el jefe de misión adjunto de la embajada dijo que la acción legal ha generado preocupación entre los inversionistas canadienses.
“La verdad es que desde las acciones de la CFE, recibo llamadas todos los días con respecto a la señal que México está enviando a los inversionistas canadienses. Piden nuestro consejo para saber si México aún quiere más inversión y qué hacer con su inversión actual y futura. Sí, son acciones que causan preocupación “, dijo Jean-Dominique Leraci.
Fuente: El Universal (sp), Milenio (sp).

Mexico short 123,000 doctors; schools not training enough: AMLO

August 12, 2019

The president said new health service will work with universities to train more

by Mexico News Daily

<p>President López Obrador says Mexico needs 123,000 more doctors to cover the country’s needs.
“There are 270,600 general practitioners in the country, and according to international norms, we should have 393,600 doctors,” he said during a visit to a rural hospital in Michoacán on Saturday. “That means we’re 123,000 doctors short.”
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a country should have one doctor for every 333 residents. Based on a 2017 World Bank estimate, Mexico has only one doctor for every 477 people.
The president added that the shortage of doctors is related to low admission rates at universities for medicine programs.
“That’s why there’s a shortage,” he said. “We need more general practitioners, we need more specialists.”
He said 13,000 people applied for admission to the faculty of medicine at the National Autonomous University, but only 216 were accepted. The most popular career choice among prospective students is that of a surgeon. In February, López Obrador said, there were 11,198 applicants for 140 places.
He said the new National Institute of Health for Well-Being will work with universities to train more doctors.
The institute, which has not yet been approved by Congress, will operate with a budget of 80 billion pesos (US $4.2 billion) and replace the Seguro Popular, offering medical services to people who are not covered by social security.
Source: Notimex (sp), W Radio (sp)

Nervous foreign investors are pulling back, see higher risk in Mexico
They have been selling off government securities since February

Foreign holders of government securities have begun withdrawing their investments due to declining confidence in the federal government and the Mexican economy, and the expectation that the Bank of México will cut interest rates.
Statistics from the central bank show that the value of government bonds and federal treasury certificates in the hands of foreign investors was 2.11 trillion pesos (US $111 billion) on July 9, the lowest amount since December 14.
Since February 8 – when the value of government debt in foreign hands hit a record high – investors have offloaded securities worth 162 billion pesos (US $8.5 billion), the newspaper El Universal reported.
Foreign investment in treasury certificates, which are easier to cash in, has declined to its lowest level since March 2018.
“Investors are already starting to get nervous and while they perceive greater risk, we may see more sales of government securities and the interest rate for bonds may go up,” said Ernesto O’Farrill, general manager of Bursamétrica, a Mexico City brokerage firm.
Despite decisions such as the cancelation of the new Mexico City airport, the federal government generated confidence among investors during its first months in office after presenting a 2019 budget that was described as fiscally prudent and realistic by many analysts.
The first sell-off of government issued securities by the López Obrador administration in the middle of January garnered strong interest from investors.
More than 300 institutional investors from the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East participated in the auction and demand to purchase securities exceeded supply fourfold.
But investor confidence has waned on the back of downgrades to Mexico’s sovereign rating and that of Pemex, and the possibility that more ratings cuts are still to come.
“Investors are anticipating rating agencies’ adjustments and they deduce that Moody’s will strip Pemex’s investment grade in coming months like Fitch did at the start of last month,” O’Farrill said.
He predicted that agencies will also downgrade Mexico’s sovereign rating but not below investment grade. Fitch cut its sovereign rating for Mexico to one notch above junk status last month but if it, and other rating agencies went lower, a huge sell-off of government bonds would occur.
“Ninety-five per cent of investors are in government securities because Mexico has investment grade,” O’Farrill said.
Other factors that have made investors nervous are the widespread cuts to growth forecasts for the Mexican economy and Carlos Urzúa’s resignation last week as finance secretary.
El Universal reported that investors now see instability in the implementation of public policy and have responded by withdrawing their investments in government securities. The pullback could hasten as the Bank of México draws closer to cutting interest rates, which many analysts believe will happen in August or September.
Yet another factor weighing on some investors’ minds is the decision by the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to seek international arbitration aimed at annulling clauses in seven pipeline contracts.
One of the contracts the utility is seeking to renegotiate is for the Texas-Tuxpan gas pipeline, which was jointly built by the Canadian company TC Energy (formerly TransCanada).
Canadian ambassador Pierre Alarie spoke out against the CFE’s move, while the embassy’s deputy head of mission said that the legal action has triggered concern among Canadian investors.
“The truth is that since the actions of the CFE, I receive calls every day with regard to the signal that Mexico is sending to Canadian investors. They ask for our advice in order to know if Mexico still wants more investment and what to do with their current and upcoming investment. Yes, they’re actions that cause concern,” Jean-Dominique Leraci said.
Source: El Universal (sp), Milenio (sp).</p>

They reward MEDA as a member of the year of UnidosUS for their work in the community

August 9, 2019