The school year isn’t three days old and teachers in Oaxaca, Mexico, are going on strike again, this time to protest a requirement that teachers in training must now study English.

The Oaxaca local of the CNTE teachers’ union — whose annual protests have been going on for years — and students in the state’s 11 teacher training colleges say English should not take precedence over teaching native languages.

It claims the latest stage of the new education model prioritizes English and technology.

The federal Public Education Secretariat (SEP) has been implementing the new education model in a staggered manner. Now, for the first time, English is a requirement at the colleges.

“We demand the immediate cancellation of the imposed education reform,” students told a press conference in Oaxaca city, declaring they would put up a fight.

Student Nayeli Juárez told the newspaper El Imparcial that her college would lose its soul by bypassing indigenous languages in favor of English.

The students declared that they were not protesting for the sake of protest, but speaking out after analyzing the consequences of losing subjects such as history and the arts.

Excluding them, they said, creates a chasm in the schools’ humanist focus.

As the students were protesting in Oaxaca, a group of Section 22 teachers traveled to Mexico City to take their rejection of the updated curriculum to officials there, where they hoped to meet with the nominee for education secretary in the new government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

They also intended to repeat their longstanding objection to the evaluation of teachers, another element of the reforms.

It is unclear how many Oaxaca teachers are participating in the strike and how many schools will be affected.

López Obrador repeated on Monday his intention to cancel those reforms and substitute them with a new proposal that takes into account the opinions of teachers and parents.

Source: El Imparcial (sp)

In other non related news:

White House: immigrant accused of killing Mollie Tibbetts ‘permanently separated’ family

White House uses killing of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts to stoke anti-immigrant fears, even as studies show lower crime rates

by Sabrina Siddiqui

Donald Trump’s White House has seized on the killing of a college student in the hopes of bolstering a sharply anti-immigrant agenda, even as studies show immigrants in the US are less likely to commit crimes than the native-born population.

Within a day of law enforcement being led to what they believe is the body of Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old student in Iowa who was missing for more than a month, Trump amplified as fact that the crime was perpetrated by an alleged undocumented immigrant. The White House continued to press on the matter on Wednesday, even as questions loomed over the immigration status of the suspect, the farm worker Cristhian Bahena Rivera.

The White House released a video on Twitter blaming “an illegal alien” for Tibbetts’s murder while stating: “The Tibbetts family has been permanently separated. They are not alone.”

The video featured several family members of victims of immigrant crime in an unmistakable attempt to capitalize on the death as evidence to support the anti-immigrant agenda that has been a centerpiece of Trump’s presidency.

Since taking office, Trump has cracked down on both illegal and legal immigration while often perpetuating stereotypes linking immigrants to crime – even as studies far from back up his claims.

Social science research has consistently found that immigrants are considerably less likely to commit crime than the native-born US population. The statistics have held true even as the immigrant population has risen, with analyses over the course of more than three decades showing immigrants were one-half to one-fifth as likely to be incarcerated compared with those born in America.

Trump has nonetheless repeatedly used his platform to highlight crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, a fear-mongering tactic that has helped persuade Republican primary voters there is a need for the US to adopt draconian immigration laws.

As a candidate, Trump similarly hammered on the 2015 murder of Kate Steinle, a California woman who was fatally shot by an undocumented immigrant in San Francisco. Trump subsequently featured the relatives of individuals killed by immigrants at the 2016 Republican National Convention and invited them, as president, to high-profile events including his State of the Union and Joint Address to Congress.

Some of Tibbetts’s family members have spoken out against the president’s attempts to politicize her death. “Evil comes in EVERY color”, Tibbetts’s aunt wrote on Facebook.

Trump also invoked Tibbetts at a rally in Charleston, West Virginia, on Tuesday, telling a crowd of supporters: “You heard about today with the illegal alien coming in very sadly from Mexico … And you saw what happened to that incredible beautiful young woman.”

Other Republicans, including the Iowa governor, Kim Reynolds, decried a “broken” immigration system.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, expressed sorrow for Tibbetts’ family. But she denounced the Trump administration’s policy of separating families at the border, telling CNN such drastic measures were not the appropriate course of action.

“One of the things we have to remember is that we need an immigration system that is effective, that focuses on where real problems are,” Warren said.
“I think we need immigration laws that focus on people who pose a real threat, and I don’t think mamas and babies are the place where we should be spending our resources.”

Frank Sharry, the executive director of the pro-immigration group America’s Voice, said: “An individual committed this crime, not a community.”

“It’s not supposed to be the American way to judge people based on their race, creed and background. Unfortunately, it’s Trump’s way.” (The Guardian).

Costa Rica continues to condemn xenophobic acts against Nicaraguans

August 24, 2018

by the El Reportero’s wire services

The Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector ( UCCAEP) has condemned today the xenophobic acts, hate speeches and insults of a group of people from Costa Rica against Nicaraguan migrants.

The business sector will never be in favor of acts of xenophobia and hatred against Nicaraguans or any other person of different nationalities,’ said Gonzalo Delgado, president of UCCAEP, to the press.

Some 500 xenophobic demonstrators, members of sports associations and neo-Nazi and anarchist groups, broke into La Merced Park – known as a meeting point for Nicaraguans – and other places in this capital with expressions against Nicaraguan migrants.

The demonstration ended in clashes that left 44 detainees – 38 Costa Ricans and six Nicaraguans – and the seizure of eight Molotov cocktails and about 20 knives.

Delgado said such events are detrimental to the human dignity of many Central American brothers and sisters and other nations who have had to leave their countries due to various internal situations.

He recalled that his organization has reiterated that the issue of greater and better immigration control is about security, not only for Costa Ricans, but also for all migrants.

They (the migrants) also have rights to be respected, so they should be able to have an adequate registration at the time of their entry into the country, which would make it easier for them to circulate normally in Costa Rican territory, the president of UCCAEP said.

Besides, he indicated, it is impossible not to recognize the importance of migrants in the history of Costa Rica, since they have contributed to the economic growth of the country, accounting for 12 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

In the same way that the migrant population contributes to the growth of the GDP, it also does so with social security, which benefits the country as a whole, but those who enter in non-formal conditions cannot contribute in this way, which creates damage to them and to the system, Delgado explained.

Stressing that Costa Rica is characterized by solidarity when required, the President of UCCAEP believes that such demonstrations will not be repeated, and calls for and incitement to violence and hatred against people of other nationalities will be wiped out from the country.

Panama could become an oil producing country

The likelihood of Panama becoming a petroleum producing country made headlines again, stimulated by the discovery of oil fields in Colombia, near the common border, issue to be assessed at an international convention next October.

‘According to the Secretary of Energy (SEP), there are studies being carried out on oil exploration, after Ecopetrol of Colombia found three fields near our border with Colombia, what made us think that Panama could share such fields’, business woman Leonor Gomez told Prensa Latina.

‘I wish we can find something similar, as those three fields representing over 25 billion dollars for Colombia’, said Gomez who heads an initiative by sponsoring companies of the bid to offer Panama as venue of a world conference on the topic.

The first geological study in the last 30 years found traces of hydrocarbons in the Caribbean Sea of Panama, in a zone connected with three natural gas wells in Colombia, the SEP confirmed last January, after prospecting 9,000 square kilometers at 40,000 meters deep.

A spirit fable: the moon, the mother, and the dog

August 20, 2018

por Jon Rappoport

Hace unos días, me desperté con el pensamiento muy claro, como si hubiera sido plantado en mi cabeza, que todo lo que experimento es producto de mi propia imaginación.

Esto, lo he aprendido desde entonces, es una enseñanza de la antigua Hermetic School of Philosophy.

En cualquier caso, decidí llevar a cabo un experimento. Imaginé una segunda luna flotando sobre la Tierra, para ver si podía hacerlo tan real para mí, realmente la vería claramente, en noches consecutivas.

Por supuesto, como saben, anoche una segunda luna apareció en el cielo. Gente de todo el mundo lo vio. Te lo aseguro, este no era mi intento. Simplemente estaba tratando de aclarar un problema para mí.

Consideré hacer una confesión a las autoridades, pero ¿por qué molestarse cuando me considerarían un chiflado? Se me ocurrió que podía anunciar que había hecho la luna nueva y que, en un momento determinado, la habría deshecho. Pero supongamos que he fallado? De todos modos, asegurar la atención de un gran número de personas, cuando eres desconocido, es bastante difícil, no importa cuál sea tu tema. (No me gusta correr desnudo a la calle y lanzar un discurso.)

Esta mañana, mientras me acercaba a la habitación de mi madre en el asilo para mi visita semanal, decidí que la iba a experimentar como si se hubiera recuperado de su enfermedad. Cuando entré en la habitación, estaba de pie junto a la ventana cantando una de las viejas canciones de mi infancia. Cuando se volvió hacia mí, tenía los ojos claros y estaba sonriendo. Ella dijo: “Estoy lista para ir a casa”.

¿Me estaba engañando a mí mismo? ¿Estaba ella bajo mi propia proyección? Llamé a una enfermera. Entró en la habitación y miró a mi madre, que se suponía que estaba en una silla de ruedas. La enfermera comenzó a gritar y se detuvo. Mi madre no se había quedado sola en diez años.

Un médico me dijo que tendría que someterse a una serie de pruebas. Aproveché la oportunidad para volver a mi apartamento y pensar en todo.

Si tengo poderes formidables, debería considerar opciones. ¿No es así? ¿Tomarías, por ejemplo, un curso atrevido y pondrías fin a la guerra y la enfermedad? Si puedo lograr tal hazaña, creo que lo haría. Maldición las consecuencias. Dejaría a otros para resolverlos.

Estoy extrañamente calmado. Es como si hubiera estado apuntando hacia este momento toda mi vida.

Ya no siento que tengo necesidades. De alguna manera, esas cadenas han sido eliminadas.

Érase una vez, estaba caminando en terreno incierto. Pero no ahora.

Otros seguramente dirán que he llegado demasiado alto, y estoy a punto de caer. Busco una nota de advertencia en mi mente, pero no la encuentro. Mi mente es silenciosa. No tiene ningún consejo para mí.

Esta nueva situación parece bastante natural.

An hour ago, I tried a third experiment. My beloved terrier, Jack, who died after a long illness when I was in school, is now back lying on my couch. He’s looking at me. I go over and pet him and he licks my hand. He yawns, stretches out his front legs, jumps off the couch and trots across the living room to a small table, where I’ve kept a framed photo of us sitting in a field near my school. He looks up at the photo and barks. He turns to me and sits.

Why wouldn’t things be this way? Why would they be any other way?

I’m not looking for a response from you, dear reader. Suppose you, too, have these powers? I have the clear sense you would use them for good.

Suppose what I’m reporting here is the superior reality, and the end of things we don’t want to end is the illusion?

Perhaps I should have started with a smaller example of manifestation, to make it easier for you—but that is not the way it happened to me. That is not the way I chose to change What Is.

What Is, is a brief flicker across a wide ocean. The ocean is all possibility. That’s what I see now.

Am I offending your sense of propriety? If so, I apologize. This is not my intent.

I see us as errant knights. Errant in the sense that we are departing from a prescribed course. We cross a threshold, and then the fabric of events alters. The “news” is different. Solid becomes liquid, liquid becomes vapor, and vapor becomes open space. The space is waiting for us to do something. The space has no plan. It is calm. The challenges we assumed were there are missing. Those challenges were the last meal we consumed on the last day of old time. Now we walk and look up at the night sky. We are satiated and satisfied. Now we can do something different.

We really do not need perfumed nostalgia. Looking to the future, we feel an anticipation of dimensions. This more than supplants the past.

You manifest what you will, and so will I, and in the process, you and I will use our powers for good.

That is a very pleasant, even ecstatic prospect to contemplate.

A few weeks ago, I had my first inkling of the change, when I was invited to speak at the funeral service of a cousin. As I stood there in the church looking out at the mourners, I wondered what they would do if, out of the blue, James strolled in the door and danced up the aisle.

I couldn’t help wondering how the family and friends would feel if they saw him in that church, in the flesh. A few of them, I was sure, injected with shocks of lightning, interrupted from their proper grieving, would express outrage. How dare James return!

There is a way events are programmed to proceed, and people prepare their responses. They are tuned like instruments.

Given the choice, would you prefer to surrender to the occasion of a fallen friend, or suddenly find him back in your midst?

Supongamos que el amigo, de alguna forma, está siempre contigo? ¿Es eso muy difícil de creer?

Puedo decirte esto. Estaba menos vivo cuando comencé a escribir estas palabras que ahora.

(Jon Rappoport es el autor de tres colecciones explosivas The Matrix Revealed, Exit From The Matrix, y Power Outside The Matrix).

Chile honors Lucho Gatica for his 90 years old

August 17, 2018

by the El Reportero’s news services

Luis Enrique Gatica Silva has just turned 90 and if that name says little, bolero and ballad lovers have this Chilean singer known as Lucho Gatica among the greatest ones.

‘My father is loved in Cuba, Spain, Brazil, Mexico and so many countries, but of course this Chilean affection is different and special for him,’ his Mexican daughter Juanita Gatica Cortes said.

All this is on occasion of a tribute to the winner of the Latin Grammy Award for Excellence in 2007 in his native Rancagua, in central Chile, where a bronze statue was unveiled at the Regional Theater with his figure and that of his brother, Arturo.

His last album, Historia de un amor (History of a Love), dates back to 2013. He made duos with none other than Italian singer Laura Pausini, Portuguese-Canadian singer Nelly Furtado and Canadian singer and songwriter Michael Bubble, among others.

But much earlier, Lucho Gatica became essential to the romantics of the 1950s and 1960s with successes such as Piel Canela (Cinnamon Skin), Contigo en la distancia (With You in the Distance), Bésame mucho (Kiss Me a Lot), El reloj (The Clock), No me platiques más (Don’t Talk to me Anymore), and the Chilean song Yo vendo unos ojos negros (Dark Eyes for Sale).

In January 2008, the Chilean singer received the 2354th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

U.S.: Music and personality of Elvis Presley

After 41 years of the death of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, his followers remember his music and personality as one of the most influential in the history of popular music in the 20th Century.

Considered one of the great legends of contemporary music, Elvis Presley sang for his first time in public in 1945, and some time later, he received his first guitar, which inspired him the peculiar pelvic movements he made in his performances and a madly melodic passion that it had not been experimented before. With these two elements, Presley conquered the world.

In 1948, Presley’s family moved to Memphis, a city located in the southwest of the state of Tennenssee, where people never imagined the boy’s music would give birth to a musical and film revolution for successive decades.

With the mission to condense all the work of the performer into five classics, his fans and the world of rock and roll in particular remember this Thursday the so-called king of the genre (1935-1977) and commemorate the 41st anniversary of his death.

Topics such as My happiness’(1953), That’s all right(1954), It’s now or never (1960) and Suspicious minds (1969) are today positioned on social networks as a well-deserved tribute to Presley.

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin Dies at 76

Aretha Franklin, the undisputed ”Queen of Soul” who sang with matchless style on such classics as Think, ””I Say a Little Prayer” and her signature song, ”Respect,” and stood as a cultural icon around the globe, has died at age 76 from pancreatic cancer.

She died Thursday morning at her home in Detroit, ‘one of the darkest moments of our lives,’ her family said in a statement.

‘We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world,’ the family said, adding that funeral arrangements would be announced in coming days.

Franklin, who had battled undisclosed health issues in recent years, had announced her retirement from touring last year.

A professional singer and accomplished pianist by her late teens, a superstar by her mid-20s, Franklin had long ago settled any arguments over who was the greatest popular vocalist of her time.

Her gifts, natural and acquired, were a multi-octave mezzo-soprano, gospel passion and training worthy of a preacher’s daughter, taste sophisticated and eccentric, and the courage to channel private pain into liberating song.

Victory to protect immigrant children abused or neglected in home country

August 17, 2018

By the El Reportero’s wire services

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Thursday helped secure a victory in the California Supreme Court in Bianka M. v. Superior Court.  The lawsuit involved the procedures that children who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected by a parent must go through to become eligible to apply for “Special Immigrant Juvenile” visas.

This visa enables the children to apply for permanent residency in the United States. Today’s ruling removes a significant hurdle for many of those seeking to obtain that status.

In April 2017, the Attorney General filed an amicus brief in the California Supreme Court in Bianka M., arguing that minors who are living with one parent in the United States should be allowed to seek an order in state family court necessary to obtain “Special Immigrant Juvenile” status without having to join the absent parent—who allegedly abused, abandoned, or neglected them—as a party to the proceeding. In June 2018, Attorney General Becerra’s team participated in oral arguments as a friend-of-the-court in this case.

Daniel Ortega adepts put a price on the head of a journalist from Masaya

NICARAGUA – PEN International denounced that the journalist Yilber Ideáquez, correspondent of Radio Corporación in Masaya, is being victim of digital harassment, where a “reward” of 5 thousand dollars is offered to whoever gives his whereabouts.

“We stand in solidarity and urge the Government of Nicaragua to cease immediately the persecution of journalists and the media,” says the organization.

Mexican pork purchases from the U.S. increase despite tariffs

U.S. pork imports grew in spite of the tariffs imposed by the Mexican government on Washington”s decided levies on steel and aluminum produced in the United States.

The Agricultural Market Advisory Group (GCMA) reported that the northern country’s pork purchases were maintained and even increased by 8.1 percent in July, compared to those reported in the same month in 2017.

This is despite the fact that the Mexican government first imposed a 10 percent tariff on U.S. pork in June, and raised it to 20 in July, as part of import duties on various U.S. products.

Bill to ban junk insurance in California approved by the Assembly

Senate Bill 910, authored by Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), passed on Thursday 16 the Assembly Floor with bipartisan support. SB 910 will ban junk insurance, also known as “short-term” plans, in California.

Earlier this month, the Trump Administration’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued final regulations to extend “short-term” plans from three months to up to three years. These short-term plans do not have to cover essential health benefits, like cancer treatment, substance use treatment, or maternity care. Additionally, these plans can deny coverage altogether for those with pre-existing conditions.

Illinois manufacturer to lay off 153 workers, move to Mexico

A storage safe manufacturer is closing two Chicago-area factories and moving operations to Mexico to counteract the effects of metal tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

The Chicago Tribune reports Stack-on Products will lay off about 153 people at its Wauconda and McHenry plants when they close Oct. 12.

Stack-On makes products ranging from tool-boxes to gun vaults. Fletcher says the company has a plant in China and another in Mexico, and its only U.S. factories were the two in the Chicago area.

Household cleaning chemicals decrease lung function over time

August 17, 2018

by RJ Jhonson

Being clean may do wonders for your health, but how you do it may leave you worse off. As has been suspected by researchers for a long time, the use of cleaning products can harm your lungs and you may not even know it.

A study from the University of Bergen in Norway looked into the effects of cleaning products on women who used them regularly. The researchers suspected that while cleaning chemicals may not cause immediate and significant damage, they do affect the lungs gradually over time.

They looked at data from 6,235 participants of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. At the time of the study, the participants had an average age of 34. They were tracked by the researchers over a period of 20 years.

To measure the effects of cleaning chemicals on lung function, the researchers obtained the participants’ forced expiratory air volume for one second (FEV1), the amount of air a person can forcibly exhale within one second. They also took forced vitality (FVC) measurements, which determine the total amount of air a person can exhale forcibly.

They found that women who worked as cleaners experienced a 3.9 mL faster decline of FEV1 per year, while those who cleaned regularly at home using chemical cleaners had a 3.6 mL faster decline. These figures were compared to women who did not work as cleaners or did not use cleaning products on a regular basis.

Furthermore, cleaners’ FVC figures declined by 7.1 mL on average every year. Women who cleaned regularly at home had a 4.3 mL/year faster decline. (Related: Many cleaning products, especially those billed as “antibacterial,” contain toxic chemicals that cause physical damage.)

Previous studies have looked into the short-term effects of toxic chemicals in cleaning solutions on asthma, but the aforementioned research was the first to examine their long-term impact on the lungs. The researchers believe that the fumes from the cleaning products result in irritation which, with time and constant exposure, worsens significantly and weakens the lungs. The damage has been likened to that of cigarettes.

Interestingly, the effect was observed only in women. Men who cleaned regularly showed no significant difference in terms of either FEV1 or FVC compared to men who did not use cleaning products.

The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Cleaning your home naturally

Thankfully, there are ways to keep your home clean without having to use toxic chemicals that will harm your health and that of your loved ones’. Here are some natural cleaning products you can use every day:

– Water – It’s not called the “universal solvent” for nothing. Learning to use the various aspects of water, such as its pressure and temperature, to your advantage can be a life-saver. For example, warm water works great for hardened grease near your stove, while hot water can be used to deglaze hardened and burnt residues in your pots and pans.

– Salt – There are several ways to use salt for cleaning. By itself, it can scrub tough stains off from hard surfaces. If you have bottles with very narrow openings, just pour water and some salt inside, shake vigorously, and rinse. You’d be glad to know that salt also has antimicrobial and bleaching properties, making it an excellent, all-around natural cleaning ingredient.

– Baking soda – Sodium bicarbonate, as it’s called scientifically, is effective at removing tough stains because of its mild abrasive properties. It also works great as a deodorizer, making it ideal for cleaning out your oven or fridge.

– Vinegar – Its acidity makes it one of the best all-around natural cleaning agents. Not only does vinegar eliminate tough stains, it also acts as a mild antiseptic. Use it to remove water stains on glass or to increase the gleam of faucets, knobs, and shower heads at home.

– Essential oils – They are a great way to imbue your home with nature’s fragrance. Essential oils like tea tree oil also have potent antibacterial properties so adding them improve the effectiveness of your natural, homemade cleaning solution. (Natural News).

Benefit for Meals on Wheels San Francisco, and AIDS Legal Referral Pane

August 17, 2018

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

HELP IS ON THE WAY 24 – Concert and Gala, celebrating music, legends & icons

The concert benefits HIV/AIDS and hunger programs. It’s an elegant evening of wonderful music, delicious food and beverages tastings and, most of all, fun. 

“Help is on the Way” is Northern California’s largest annual benefit Leanne Borghesi, Eileen Bourgade, Carole Cook, Davis Gaines, Debby Holiday, Eric Krop, Kimberley Locke, Valarie Pettiford,
Jai Rodriguez, Paula West, Top Shelf Classics, Eric Rosenberg & Yelena Vayn And Mary Wilson.

The 24th Annual Gala - Northern CA’s Largest Annual, Star-studded Concert & Gala, which start at 5 p.m. with the VIP Gala Reception and a silent auction, at 6 p.m. the Gala Reception, and at 7:30 – 9:45 p.m. main performance.

On Sun., Aug. 19, 2018, AT THE Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. in SF.

You’re invited… Water 2.0: Developing tomorrow’s leaders

California Water Service is opening its doors to San Jose Unified School District high school students for an exclusive look at the evolving water industry. Students interested in engineering, water quality, chemistry, environmental affairs, cybersecurity, and sustainability will learn how they can make their mark on the future of water. Join us and meet today’s water professionals and tomorrow’s leaders.

Monday, August 20, 2018 • 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Cal Water Campus, 1720 North First St., San Jose,

Legendary Brazilian musician Sergio Mendez back to life

Sergio Mendes, producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist, Sérgio Mendes is one of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time. His hit single, “Mas Que Nada,” is the first Portuguese language song to ever hit Billboard’s U.S. Pop chart and Mendes’ signature mix of bossa nova and samba and distinctive pop instrumentation have ultimately come to define Brazilian music.

With a career spanning five decades, his enduring influence on the music industry continues to evolve. A three-time Grammy® Award winner, with three additional Grammy nominations, he has recorded more than 35 albums, with numerous gold and platinum albums among them. In 2012, following year, Mendes received an Oscar® nomination for Best Original Song for “Real in Rio” from the animated film Rio.

On Saturday Sept. 8. Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 7:30 pm

The Adrian Areas Latin Jazz Ensemble will be performing live

This is going to be a Fantastic event full of Good Music Good Food and Beverages and Good Vibrations. Music, Family, Community and Latin Jazz At its Best with The Adrian Areas Latin Jazz Ensemble 2018 line up.

It’s a Potluck Food & Beverages will be Available.

At the Art House Gallery & Cultural Center in Berkeley. On Saturday Sept. 8, 2018. Doors 6 p.m.. Show 7 p.m.-10 p.m. All Ages welcome. $15-$25 Donation fort the arts/musicians.

La Patronal, Free Concert

Hailing from the Peruvian capital of Lima, La Patronal is a singular brass band rooted in the tradition of fiestas populares (or town fairs) common in rural villages across Latin America. Direct descendants of rural musicians from Peru, the members of La Patronal combine their first-hand knowledge of folk culture with their formal music studies to celebrate their heritage.

With contagious percussion, vibrant brass and winds, and the vivid visual aspects of fiestas populares, including masks and traditional dance, La Patronal’s lively performances encourage, nay demand, audience participation and dancing.

PRE-CONCERT DANCE WORKSHOP. Starting at noon, an interactive dance workshop explores different dances of Peru: cumbia, marinera, morenada and toril. The workshop invites participants to learn basic movements and learn differences between the genres, and to learn the history the dances are rooted in.

On Aug 30, at 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., at Esplanade, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts., San Francisco.

Powerful Mexican federal delegates to ensure state funding goes where it’s intended

August 17, 2018

El dinero irá directamente a la gente en lugar de a los bolsillos de los gobernadores

por Mexico News Daily

Reemplazarán a una gran cantidad de funcionarios que cada secretaría federal emplea actualmente para distribuir fondos del gobierno y servir de enlace con las autoridades estatales.

Los delegados serán coordinados por Gabriel García Hernández, un senador electo del partido Morena y confidente político durante mucho tiempo de López Obrador.

Luego de reunirse con el presidente electo el sábado, algunos de los delegados designados le dijeron al periódico Reforma que el objetivo del plan es evitar que los fondos públicos ingresen en “los bolsillos de los gobernadores”.

Varios gobernadores estatales han sido acusados de malversación y otras prácticas corruptas en los últimos años, como Javier Duarte en Veracruz, César Duarte en Chihuahua y Roberto Borge en Quintana Roo.

Los delegados tendrán una línea directa de comunicación con López Obrador y coordinarán con las secretarías del gobierno federal.

“What the president asked for is that we hold meetings with the people so that the resources can be used in a participatory budget scheme in which no [state] deputy, mayor or governor can intervene to try to install a construction company [of their choice], determine the project and receive a kickback,” one of the proposed delegates said.

Olga Sánchez Cordero, tapped by the president-elect to be secretary of the interior, said the delegates will manage resources that the federal government, through departments such as the Secretariat of Social Development (Sedesol), has always managed.

However, she explained that the difference will be that “the resources will flow down through a single delegate.”

The prospective officials have been instructed to avoid allowing state government executives to touch the money.

“All the funds for federal projects are not going to be handed over to the states because they usually keep 10 percent or 20 percent of the money . . .” another prospective delegate told Reforma.

“…We’re not plenipotentiary but the resources are going to go directly to the people,” an unidentified member of the future government said.

López Obrador also directed the future delegates to coordinate with the military and other federal security forces and to review registries containing the names of the beneficiaries of different federal programs.

Social program audits have previously found that federal money has been squandered because it went were it shouldn’t have gone, such as dead people.

The Federal Auditor’s Office (ASF) found that Sedesol made support payments to more than 17,000 deceased people in 2016, costing taxpayers almost 66 million pesos, while the federal Agricultural Secretariat (Sagarpa) paid out millions of pesos in farm subsidies the same year to ineligible beneficiaries, including people who had died and civil servants.

López Obrador, who won the July 1 presidential election in a landslide, campaigned heavily on the promise that he would stamp out endemic government corruption.

The incoming government has also announced that it will implement a centralized purchasing system to avoid corruption, while there are also plans to slash the wages of politicians and government officials.

López Obrador and his cabinet will be sworn in on Dec. 1.

Source: Reforma (sp)

In other news in Mexico:

Judge orders investigators reopen case of Tlatlaya massacre

Attorney General’s investigation was neither adequate nor effective

A federal judge has ordered that the Attorney General’s office (PGR) reopen the case of the 2014 Tlatlaya massacre, ruling that the original investigation lacked due diligence.

According to a statement issued by the human rights advocacy group Centro Prodh, Judge Erik Zabalgoitia Novales ruled on May 25 that the investigation carried out by PGR was not exhaustive, adequate or effective, and ordered a series of actions to clarify the case and establish responsibilities.

It remains unclear why it took nearly three months for the order to be made public.

There was evidence from the start of a cover-up in the June 2014 shooting in which soldiers gunned down 22 civilians in a warehouse in the municipality of Tlatlaya, México state. It was initially described as a clash with a group of armed criminals who allegedly opened fire on an army patrol.

The details of what actually happened began to surface after the Associated Press found discrepancies at the crime scene. A witness later confirmed a reporter’s suspicion that the scene had been altered by army personnel.

The National Human rights Commission (CNDH) later determined that between 12 and 15 of the victims did not die in a gunfight, as officials had stated, but were arbitrarily executed.

“Debido a esta investigación defectuosa, hasta la fecha no hay una sola persona que haya sido responsabilizada, ya que [la PGR] no presentó suficiente evidencia para individualizar individualmente a los responsables”, dijo el documento emitido por el Centro Prodh.

“Esta falta de debida diligencia es una de las muchas formas adoptadas por el encubrimiento inaceptable de graves violaciones de derechos humanos en México”, concluyó la declaración.

Fuente: Reforma ( sp ) .

What was the life of this guest worker worth?

August 17, 2018

por David Bacon

Mientras que las agencias del estado de Washington reducen el salario de los trabajadores del campo y encuentran a los empleadores sin fallas por una muerte en el campo, Trump y los republicanos del Congreso respaldan las propuestas para convertir el trabajo agrícola en servidumbre permanente contratada.

El domingo 5 de agosto, un grupo de 200 trabajadores agrícolas y simpatizantes comenzaron a caminar al amanecer a lo largo del hombro de Benson Road, en dirección norte desde Lynden, Washington, hacia Canadá. Cuando llegaron a O Road, los manifestantes giraron a la derecha para caminar a lo largo de la frontera. A diferencia de la frontera con México, con sus muros, reflectores y patrullas, el límite aquí no es una línea en absoluto: simplemente un camino a cada lado de una medianamente estrangulada.

La procesión, cantando y sosteniendo pancartas, pasó una sucesión de campos de arándanos durante las siguientes 14 millas, y finalmente alcanzó el cruce fronterizo oficial en Sumas. Haciendo una pausa para una protesta frente al centro de detención de inmigrantes locales, continuó hasta que alcanzó su objetivo una milla más allá: la extensión de 1,500 acres de Sarbanand Farms. Allí, frente a las instalaciones de empaque y depósito del rancho, los participantes organizaron un tribunal.

“Estamos aquí para asignar la responsabilidad por la muerte de Honesto Silva”, anunció Rosalinda Guillen, directora de Community2Community, uno de los principales organizadores de la marcha. Un año antes de la marcha, Silva, un trabajador invitado H-2A traído de México para cosechar los arándanos de la granja, colapsó y luego murió.

Al pasar por los campos, uno de los compañeros de trabajo de Silva, Raymond Escobedo (su nombre ha sido cambiado para proteger su identidad), recuerda el día de su muerte.

“Pude ver que no se sentía bien, y me pidió que dejara el trabajo. No le dieron permiso, pero de todos modos regresó al cuartel para descansar. Luego, el supervisor fue y lo sacó y lo obligó a volver a su trabajo. trabajo. Honesto continuó sintiéndose mal, y finalmente tuvo que pagarle a alguien para que lo llevara a la clínica. Cuando llegó a la clínica se sentía aún peor, y lo llevaron al hospital en Seattle. Y así murió “.

Sarbanand negó toda responsabilidad por la muerte de Silva, y afirmó que era un gerente que había llamado a una ambulancia para llevarlo a la clínica local.

Sin embargo, la muerte de Silva se sumó a la creciente ira entre los trabajadores por sus condiciones de vida y trabajo.

“Desde el momento en que llegamos de México a California, tuvimos quejas”, dice Escobedo. “Nunca había suficiente para comer y, a menudo, la comida era mala. Parte de la comida en realidad se desechaba. Aun así, sacaron dinero de nuestros cheques para sacarla. También sacaron dinero para atención médica, pero nunca obtuvimos El lugar donde nos tenían que quedar era inseguro y hubo robos. Algunos trabajadores en California protestaron y la compañía los envió de regreso a México “.

Sarbanand Farms pertenece a Munger Brothers, LLC, una compañía familiar con sede en Delano, California. Desde 2006, la compañía ha traído más de 600 trabajadores anualmente de México bajo el programa de visa H-2A, para cosechar 3.000 acres de arándanos en California y Washington. Munger se autodenomina el mayor productor de arándanos del mundo y es la fuerza motriz detrás de la cooperativa de productores que comercializa bajo la etiqueta Naturipe. El año pasado, trajo a Silva y los otros trabajadores de H-2A al otro lado de la frontera. Primero los llevó a Delano, y una vez que terminaron de cosechar arándanos allí, los transfirió a Sarbanand Farms en Washington.

“We thought that when we got to Sumas, things would get better,” Escobedo recalls. “But it was the same. There still wasn’t enough to eat, and a lot of pressure on us to work faster, especially when we were working by the hour. They wouldn’t let us work on the piece rate [which would have paid more]. But what really pushed us to act was what happened to Honesto, when he got sick and there was no help for him.”

Escobedo’s account is at odds with a statement Sarbanand Farms gave to Univision following Silva’s death. In it, the company claimed “it is always our goal to provide [the workers] with the best working and living conditions.” It called the barracks “state of the art facilities” and described the food as “catered meals at low cost.” Silva himself “received the best medical care and attention possible as soon as his distress came to our attention. Our management team responded immediately.”

Lynne Dodson, secretary treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council, was one of the marchers earlier this month. As upset as she was to hear about Silva’s death, she says, she was even more outraged by what happened next. When they heard Silva had been taken to the hospital, 70 of his fellow H-2A workers refused to go into the fields, and instead demanded to talk with the company about the conditions. They were then fired. Because the H-2A regulations require workers to leave the country if they are terminated, firing them effectively meant deporting them.

“Workers may not leave assigned areas without permission of the employer or person in charge, and insubordination is cause for dismissal,” the Sarbanand statement says. “H-2A regulations do not otherwise allow for workers engaging in such concerted activity.”

Debido a la longitud de esta historia interesante y triste y la falta de espacio, no pudimos proporcionarle el artículo completo. Para leer el resto de la historia, visite: (https://davidbaconrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2018/08/what-was-life-of-this-guest-worker-worth.html)

What’s happening at Cha Cha Cha in the SF Mission District in music

August 13, 2018

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

Duende Del Sur is a Latin music group inspired by rumba flamenca, boleros and jazz. Damián Nuñez on piano & vocals, Garsha Shavankhani on cajon, Jose Vergelin on percussion, Francisco Ferrer on guitar, Chris Mayorga on bass, Matt Kelly on trumpet & Rasul Grayson on saxophone. Tuesday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Also at Cha Cha Cha:

Key Elements is a Latin/Brazilian Jazz ensemble and features Patricia Thumas on piano, Robin Nzingah Smith on sax, Sue “Suki” Kaye on percussion, Colin O’Leary on bass. Enjoy their vibrant and infectious rhythms for listening and dancing. Tuesday, Aug. 14, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

29th Annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest

San Jose Jazz Summer Fest returns for its 29th festival season from Friday, Aug. 10 – Sunday, August 12 in and around Plaza de César Chávez Park in downtown San Jose.

A showcase for jazz, blues, funk, R&B, salsa, world and related genres, SJZ Summer Fest is nationally recognized as one of the biggest Latin festivals in the country and a magnet for international artists, who have marquee performance opportunities in Northern California. Above and beyond any other year, SJZ Summer Fest 2018 illuminates the depths of electrifying global jazz happening around the world by supporting new Summer Fest artists hailing from Cuba, Australia, Switzerland, Argentina, Spain, Ghana, Japan and Luxembourg.

A standout summer destination for music lovers and families alike, the three-day event includes 120+ performances on 12 stages, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to downtown throughout the weekend.

The 29th Annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2018 features an acclaimed lineup, and today San Jose Jazz announces its initial round of confirmed artists including Sobrato Organization Main Stage headliners: Kool & the Gang; Herb Alpert and Lani Hall; Lalah Hathaway; Booker T.’s Stax Revue: A Journey Through Soul, Blues and R&B; Goapele; Yissy & Bandancha; Nachito Herrera Trio; and Vincent Herring’s Story of Jazz: 100 Years.

Friday, Aug. 10 – Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, Plaza de César Chavez Park, Downtown San Jose. Event Info: summerfest.sanjosejazz.org.

Celebrating Colombian filmmakers creativity

PANORAMA COLOMBIA showcases Aug. 17-19, 2018 some of the most stimulating works made by a new generation filmmakers in Colombia.

Four feature films and a program of shorts make up a series that celebrates not only the talent and the creativity of the Colombian directors, but also a cultural expression through its cinematography and story-telling. Images, screening links and interviews with select directors available upon request.

Among the films is Amazona – In this skillfully constructed personal film, director Clare Weiskopf explores motherhood and its lace of the spectrum between persona freedom and parental responsibility.

While expecting her own first child, Clare visits her mother Val in the Amazon region of Colombia in order to heal the wounds of the past and make sense of the elder woman’s decision to leave her children behind to live in the jungle after a family tragedy. In the process, she opens a fascinating dialogue about sacrifice, guilt and self-determination.

A Q&A via Skype with director Clare Weskopf will follow the screening! Sunday, Aug. 19, 3:30 p.m., at Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco.

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