Thursday, November 28, 2024
Home Blog Page 552

Rural unrest in Paraguay turns violent

by the El Reportero news services

Fernando LugoFernando Lugo

On 21 May Paraguayan peasants fired shots on a Brazilian-run farm. Land reform was one of President elect Fernando Lugo’s main campaign promises. Commercial farmers have issued blunt warnings that they will not cede their land to landless peasants without a fight. Héctor Cristaldo, the head of a local soya growers group, claimed that Lugo was encouraging the landless to march into working farms and said that he should do more to “put out the fire”, before taking office on 15 August.

Néstor Núñez, the president of the ranchers’ association, the Asociación Rural del Paraguay (ARP), was even more outspoken. He said that the law entitled his members to defend themselves and their land without fear of subsequent prosecution.

Diplomatic tension simmers during EU-Latin America summit

The official agenda of the Fifth European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean (EU-LAC) Summit in Lima on 16 and 17 May was trade, food and climate change. The unofficial agenda was the political and diplomatic tension between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela in the wake of the release by Interpol of its verdict on the authenticity of the computer files purportedly produced by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). For once the official agenda prevailed and the diplomatic differences did not spill over into the summit. There was no shortage of developments, however, on the sidelines of the summit.

Fernández wins in first round

Leonel Fernández will be president of the Dominican Republic for another four years: these were the results of the country’s presidential elections of 16 May, announced the following day by the Central Electoral Commission (JCE). The 53-year-old will enter his third (and second consecutive) term as president in August this year with 53.83 percent of the popular vote, but he is likely to face a tougher time in office with the downturn in the US economy.

Peru lawmaker accused of shooting dog

A lawmaker is under fire in Peru after he allegedly gunned down his neighbor’s schnauzer for harassing his ducks.

Nina Ventura de Cardenas, the neighbor, says opposition lawmaker Miro Ruiz shot and killed her 18-month-old dog when it ventured onto his property. Ventura filed a formal complaint with Congress on Monday.

Ruiz denied the allegation, saying he has several small animals and “loves them a lot.” But animal rights activists and fellow politicians called for sanctions.

Cabinet chief Jorge del Castillo said the alleged killing of the pet demonstrates “psychological weakness” and “hurts the country.”

The congressional ethics committee will review the complaint. (Associated Press contributed to this report).

spot_img

Latino business leaders launch effort to press to press for passage of Colombia FTA

by Alex Meneses Miyashita

Nancy PelosiNancy Pelosi

Hispanic business leaders announced an alliance May 7 to press Congress to pass the U.S. free tradeviolentagreement with Colombia.

They urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to bring the agreement to the floor for a vote as soon as possible and promised to continue pushing Congress until it is approved.

Nearly 100 organizations, among them the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, have joined the coalition, named the Hispanic Trade and Business Alliance, in an effort to keep the trade deal alive after the Democratic majority in Congress put an indefinite hold on it last month.

The alliance effort was announced following a meeting of members of organizations in support of the FTA with a half dozen Republican senators and Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez.

Leading the initiative to coalesce these groups is an organization called the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity Institute.

The agreement, which was signed in November 2006 by the United States and Colombia, was sent to Congress by President Bush last April, giving lawmakers 90 days to vote on it through the fast-track rule. But the House of Representatives passed a resolution that waived the fast-track requirement.

Alliance members plan to launch grassroots efforts nationwide to promote the trade agreement and urge constituents to pressure their members in Congress to act on it.

Supporters of the agreement are calling on Democrats to stop using the trade agreement as a “bargaining chip” for political benefit.

“It is very im­portant that we approach this not as a partisan issue,” said Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.).

Pelosi declared through an e-mail from her office that given the state of the economy, “now is not the time to be discussing free trade agreements with other countries.”

She added, “Democrats in Congress are focused on providing much-needed relief to hard-working Hispanic families here at home.”

Secretary Gutiérrez said that from a commercial, geopolitical and national security point of view, the decision to delay a vote on the agreement was an error.

If the FTA is not passed, ­he added, U.S. exporters going into Colombia will continue paying tariffs while Colombian exporters coming to the United States won’t because of a deal agreed to by Congress.

“We need to level the playing field,- he said.

The FTA with Colombia is a “Hispanic American issue,” he declared.

“It is a Latin American country. We want these countries to be prosperous. We resent the idea that we’re going to use a Latin American ally as some kind of bargaining chip to get a better deal on something else.”

Nonetheless, Democrats and several Latino leaders and labor unions have expressed concern that the agreement will cost U.S. workers.

“The only impact that free trade agreements have had is more and more job losses,” said Gabriela Lemus, executive director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

She added that over the past ten years, ‘we have seen 40,000 small and mid-size manufacturing businesses shut down in the United States, and that has a lot to do with globalization.”

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) maintained that the approval of the trade agreement would be beneficial to the country’s economy and create markets for U.S. exporters, manufacturers and farmers.

Cornyn said that Colombia President Álvaro Uribe “has been one of our best friends. He has joined us in the fight against narco-traffickers,” adding it is important “that we have friendly, democratic governments in Latin America.”

Lemus said Colombia still faces a serious human rights crisis.

“It is not that Uribe has not done anything, but the problem is still grave, and to prize them with a free trade agreement seems to me nefarious,” she said. Hispanic Link.

spot_img

Gerardo Sandoval for Judge – vote June 3er

­by Margine Quintanilla R.

Hogar Siervas del Divino Rostro houses 200 girls and some young boys between a few months and 17 years of age.Hogar Siervas del Divino Rostro houses 200 girls and some young boys between a few months and 17 years of age.

You are invited to a reception in support of Gerardo Sandoval for Judge. Gerardo has a proven track record and will make a great Judge. Join us for a glass of wine & tapas and an opportunity to hear the candidate, understand why Gerardo’s running for Judge and why that it is important to the community.

Please join us in supporting Gerardo and together we can make a difference! Thurs, May 29th- 5: 30pm- 7:00pm, at Gold Key Realty, 1000 Valencia Street @ 21st Religious leaders join to protect the neediest More than 50 religious leaders of diverse tendencies, will join efforts to request to the Mayor of San Francisco to designate a part of the current San Francisco budget, for the homeless and low income people.

This event will take place on Thursday, June 5, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at San Francisco City Hall. These children at present are attended in “Zacarías Guerra Home Residence of Managua ” and “ Orfanatorio Siervas of the Divine Face! in El Crucero, Nicaragua.

The event will be accompanied by the group Los Ramblers, and the Martha Vaughan Show & Héctor Silva y su Sabor, and will be held at the State Room in So. San Francisco, 306 Barden Ave. Cover charge $50, which includes dinner.

For more info call at 415-259-1498.

Escapes of Alcatraz

Enjoy healthily being present at a unique sports event, with athletes from around the world who are going to try to conduct an escape from Alcatraz. They will have to experience difficult tests like swimming 1.5 miles in cold ocean waters, ride 18 miles of mountainous area in motorcycle.

Do not miss this phenomenal event that will be held on June 7, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be free outdoor space for the public. For more info call 415-380-8390, or write to Meghan@spinpr.com.

Stars of jazz and music African Latin in the only presentation

Omar Sosa and John Santos will hold one only dual presentation, where they will share the most important elements that characterize their music. Sosa is recognized jazz artist, composer and musician, Santos Is four-time Grammy Award candidate, and is one of the main exponents of Afr0-Latin music in the world.

The event will take place Centro Cultural La Peña, at 3105 Shuttuck Ave., Berkeley, and is $15 cover charge. For more info call 510-849-2568.

spot_img

Several Tamayo works to be actioned at Sotherby’s

by Antonio Mejías-Rentas

Julianne Moore, Danny Glover and Gael García Bernal.Julianne Moore, Danny Glover and Gael García Bernal.

PRIME SPOT: The latest film from Brazilian director Fernando Mereilles will open this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

As expected, Blindness will screen on May 14 as an off cial entry. It is based on a novel by Portuguese Nobel laureate José Saramago and it stars Gael García Bernal, Mark Ruffalo and Danny Glover.

Meirelles is best known for his 2002 Portuguese-language fi lm Cidade de Deus, for which he received an Oscar nomination. He also directed the 2005 English language thriller The Constani Gardener.

ON THE BLOCK: Several important works by Mexican painter Rufi no Tamayo are part of this spring’s Latin American art auction at Sotherby’s in New York.

A highlight of the auction is the 1 949Tamayo oil painting El comedor de sandías, which has not been available since 1980 and is expected to fetch up to $2 million. The sale, to be held May 29 and 30 at the auction house’s Manhattan gallery, will also feature works by such heavyweights as Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Fernando Botero and Jesús Rafael Soto.

THROWN OUT: A New York judge dismissed a lawsuit by a TV writer who claimed Jennifer López had a hand in stealing his idea for a show.

Jack Bunick claimed in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that the short-lived UPN series South Beach, that debuted in 2006, was similar to a plot he described in 1999 for a pilot that would have been titled South Beach Miami. The lawsuit named López, UPN and CBS Television among defendants.

Judge Richard Berman said there was inadequate evidence to take the case to trial.

ONE LINERS: At an international Book Fair in Santo Domingo last week, Dominican Pulitzer prize winning author Junot Díaz announced his novel, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, will have a Spanish-language translation this year… Toxicology tests showed that Tejano singer Emilio Navaira was intoxicated when the tour bus he was driving crashed into freeway barrels in suburban Houston in March; the 45-year-old singer is recovering in a Houston hospital singer Mariah Carey unexpectedly married actor Nick Cannon last week, according to unconfirmed reports… and actor Javier Bardem is reportedly dropping out of the film adaptation of the musical Nine, which was expected to go into production this year. Hispanic Link.

spot_img

Two excelling Latinos overcome poverty and succed

by the El Reportero’s news services

Mother and daughter Diane and Antoinette López graduate together at SFSU. (Photo Courtesy of SFSU)Mother and daughter Diane and Antoinette López graduate together at SFSU.: (Photo Courtesy of SFSU)

NEWS FROM SFSU­ – Stephen de la Cruz, from homelessness to law school Criminal justice studies major Stephen de la Cruz has been accepted to the Boalt School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, with a full tuition scholarship. De La Cruz’ passion to improve society stems from his own challenges: being born into a single parent family in Oakland, fi nding himself homeless for a brief spell in his twenties, and then being diagnosed with a terminal illness in 1996. Living in the Western Addition in the 90s, De La Cruz became active in grassroots activism and involved in advocacy work on behalf of the incarcerated. He enrolled at SF State in 2006.

Diane López Trujillo and Antoinette López, Mother and daughter to graduate together

Diane López left a year of junior college behind to raise and support her three children. After an injury that prevented her from continuing with the manufacturing job she held for 27 years, the San Bruno resident chose to follow in her daughter Antoinette’s footsteps.

Though Antoinette has earned a master’s degree in early childhood development with a career in teaching ahead, her mother is not far behind. Diane will return to SF State in the fall to pursue her master’s degree in social work. “Don’t ever think that your children won’t influence you as much as you hope to influence them,” said Diane. “I am living proof that it can happen.”

ACORN Housing awarded $7.8 Million to help save homes from foreclosure

ACORN Housing has received an award of $7,850,939 from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Fund for its work in foreclosure prevention counseling.

As one of 48 organizations that received part of the $180 million in foreclosure prevention money that passed in Congress two months prior, ACORN Housing has received the fi fth highest award. As part of this program, ACORN will be holding Foreclosure Prevention Workshops for homeowners who are facing delinquency or foreclosure every Wednesday at 7 pm beginning Wednesday, May 14th.

ACORN Housing Corporation (AHC) has spent the last two years working with struggling homeowners and mortgage lenders to prevent foreclosures and restructure loans with affordable resolutions.

According to a written statement from ACORN, last year, they prevented over 4,000 foreclosures of homeowners. AHC has partnerships with 40 mortgage servicers to provide expedited resolutions, affordable workouts, and housing counseling for homeowners.

Foreclosure Mitigation funding will permit ACORN Housing to expand its work to over 20,000 homeowners in 2008, the statement said.

California Community Colleges Partners with Department of Food and Agriculture

SACRAMENTO – The California Community Col- leges System Offi ce entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to leverage and combine state resources to enhance California’s global trade prospects, announced Chancellor Diane Woodruff.

“As the largest provider of workforce training in the United States, California’s community colleges are pleased to partner with the state’s agricultural industry to help California’s economy remain strong and competitive in this important sector of the global market,” said Chancellor Woodruff.

spot_img

We have a Mexican problem

by Justin M. Ruhge

Justin RuhgeJustin Ruhge

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Hispanic Link News Service regularly presents analyses and perspectives of Hispanic authorities and pro-immigrant activists on the issue of U.S. immigration. Today begins a two-part series by Justin M. Ruhge, a retired aerospace executive now living in Lompoc, Calif., whose countervailing views reflect those regularly expressed by some of our readers. Ruhge is an officer with I.N.C. — Initiatives for National Change).

The growing border encounters with more and more illegal aliens of up to a million a year is only the tip of the socio-economic problems in Mexico. Nearly 70 years of PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional) dictatorship has resulted in a two-level caste system of very wealthy and very poor. The last revolution, which was to reduce the power of the patrón system and redistribute the wealth to the poor, has failed. The country is corrupt and degenerate.

The present retrograde system exists with a huge population explosion, the result of which is to force the Mexicans deeper into poverty and to force a “run for the border” by ever-growing numbers of Mexicans who cannot get jobs, food or education there. Any small gains in quality of life in the past 70 years have been wiped out by the population explosion and a general lack of new development for the majority in the country of Mexico.

The majority of Mexicans who come to the United States are uneducated and unskilled Indians. They are not the well-educated and well-dressed blondes that you see on Mexican TV every day. They do not know how to read or write Spanish, not to mention English. So why do we print the California ballot in Spanish?

Education in Mexico is just for the rich. Two-thirds of its people have no education above sixth grade. Most Mexican schools run two sessions a day instead of the one we have in the United States because they do not have the facilities or the teachers or the funds for more of both. Mexicans who go to school at all get only half the education.

Frequent visits to Mexico by this writer over the past 50 years show little improvement in the infrastructure throughout the country. It is equivalent to the United States in the 1930s. Yet here is the most advanced country in the world, the United States of America, aligned with Mexico on an equal basis through NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement — a horrible mistake.

Mexico has a poor civil rights record. Any citizen can be treated harshly by murder and imprisonment by judges and police appointed by the only party for 70 years, the PRI. Yet, this longest enduring dictatorship in the world and most backward banana republic is shored up by loan guarantees and business from the most democratic and advanced country in history, the United States. Why? The Mexicans love our money but they hate us for it!

The United States has spent billions to undo dictatorships like Russia, Germany, Japan and all the Eastern Bloc nations that were communist, but we do nothing to eliminate the Mexican dictatorship on our doorstep.

Why is that? Could it be that our leaders do not want to lose the great source of dope so close at hand to the American and Canadian markets? Is that why NAFTA was really pushed through Congress, to improve the supply lines? Hispanic Link.

Next week: Part II. The United States must act quickly and decisively. (Readers may contact the writer by email at jaruhge@hotmail.com).

spot_img

What is ‘money?’ Could it be so simple

by Archer Heart

Un billette de 1905 de 20 dólares respaldado con oroA modern, unbacked with gold $20 bill

With foreclosures hitting an all time high and inflation moving steadily upward, one is forced to begin taking a hard look at the cause. President Jackson was the bane of the central bankers with comments like “You are a den of vipers and thieves. I intend to rout you out, and by the eternal God I will rout you out.” And “The bold effort the present bank had made to control the government … are but premonitions of the fate that await the American people should they be deluded into a perpetuation of this institution or the establishment of another like it.”

Could it be that simple? Could the answers to our problems lie at the feet of a small group of unanswerable men who have managed to manipulate an entire nation and world to depend on them to its detriment? How many are aware of the concept of a “central bank”? Those who have gone before knew. Ask your grandparents if we have a central bank. Undoubtedly you will hear an emphatic NO! But listen to the talking heads that weave a web of deceit on the network television and radio stations and they bandy the term about as if it has always been that way, while at the same time they blame you for the fi nancial destruction the nation is facing. “This nation’s central bank” is a title that has been slowly inculcated over the past several years. The matrix of deceit has been used to manipulate people into thinking that they must use the system established by the international bankers. Mayer Amschel Bauer, who founded the Rothschild family had said, “Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes the laws” His son, Amschel Mayer Rothschild said, “Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.” Another son, Nathan Mayer Rothschild bragged, “I care not what puppet is placed upon the throne of England to rule the Empire on which the sun never sets. The man who controls Britain’s money supply controls the British Empire, and I control the British money supply.”

Without going into the detailed evidence that the UNITED STATES is still a Roman/British colony, since that is not the primary topic of this missive, understand that what the Rothschilds said still has a deep meaning today. Control of this nations “money” supply has been given over to private men who determine how much is issued, who it is issued to and how much is charged for the privilege of its use. The banker’s hidden tax on the use of their private script is known as infl ation. Infl ation is not mandatory, it is manipulated. One hundred years ago a loaf of bread cost a nickel. Today, depending on which part of the country one lives in, a loaf of bread costs upward of two. What has changed?

Does a loaf of bread cost more to produce today than it did a century ago? On the contrary, with the advances in mechanization and mass production available to the modern bakery today the individual manufacturing costs of a single loaf of bread is lower. INSET Black’s Law Dictionary, fourth edition 1953, the reference used in the courts, defi nes a “dollar” as “The unit employed in the United States in calculating money values. It is coined in both gold and silver, and is of the value of one hundred cents. Look in the current editions and you will fi nd the defi nition of dollar has been deleted. Just an oversight?

Automobile manufacturer Henry Ford said, “If the people of the nation understood our banking and monetary system, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” Well, it looks like the revolution is coming. The full faith and credit of the U.S. is failing. Too many people are waking up and realizing that we are being lied to and misled. Subtle threats pervade this society. Questions like “You don’t want to lose your benefits, do you?” serve to trick people into submission. That kind of tactic is slowly loosing its ability to keep people in slavery.

The solution to the people’s problems could be just as simple as asking a few basic questions and then holding fi rm in their resolve until the questions are answered honestly. If the targets of the questions refuse to answer then it is our responsibility to hold their feet to the fi re until they do so. Those in a position of authority have a fiduciary duty to deal with us honestly. And if they effuse or fail to do so then it is up to us as “we the people” to do something about it.

As for some of those simple questions, try these on for size. What law, rule, regulation, code or contract provision requires me to use the private currency of a private Federal Reserve banking association to do business or pay a tax or child support or anything? Does the use of those private notes obligate me to any other requirements? When I signed the original promissory note to buy my house or get my credit card or my car, did I create the money?

The problem is that most bankers and attorneys are dishonest when it comes to these types of questions, creating a corrupt system. They cannot and therefore will not show you any law at all. When you ask for full disclosure in the form of the original bookkeeping entries for the transaction you will be met with a stone wall. They will say things like, I don’t know anything about that. Or I’ve never heard anything like that. Or it is very complicated. Or my favourite, I don’t have to.

The average man or woman really can’t be blamed for not comprehending these issues. From our earliest days in school we are programmed to do what we are told and don’t question “authority”. We are told “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” But in 12 plus years of public school not one law book is ever cracked open. When one of the smarter children think to ask any pointed question they are told that it is complicated. Too bad for the child, he just goes away with the question unanswered.

However, it doesn’t have to. If we could start teaching our children to ask questions, and then demand answers, within a generation, the corruption could be reduced drastically.

spot_img

Vote this June 3rd, but put pressure on your congressperson to abolish the Federal Reserve Bank

by Marvin J. Ramirez

Gerardo SandovalGerardo Sandoval

As June 3rd election approaches, there are a few items we must take into consideration when all we go to stamp our vote. And this is to remember our compromise with our community and those leaders who have worked so hard within the current corrupt legal and politacal system, to make a difference in the lives of Latinos and other disenfranchised minorities and low-income people.

Our current and only Latino in the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is leaving office at the end of his last term. California law allows him to serve only two terms in office.

However, as a veteran public servant, Gerardo Sandoval has demonstrated his commitment and wants to continue working for the people.

Sandoval wants to keep serving the community. So, he is running seriuosly to become a judge.

“The courts touch every aspect of our lives from health care to business opportunities to crime,” says Sandoval, who complains that there are 67 judges in San Francisco, but only two Hispanic judges.

Until a few years ago, there were four aHispanic judges in San Francisco, which means we have gone from 8 percent to 4 percent, even if the population of Hispanics in San Francisco is 15 percent (20 percent if you count the undocumented), according to a statement released by Sandoval’s office.

Sandoval told El Reportero that he is aware of the corruption that reigns in the court system.

He recognized that most judges lean in favor of corporations, and not for the ordinary people. He promised that this would not happen with him.

I believe Sandoval should be given the opportunity to make a Latino presence in such an exclusive club. We recommend that you vote for Sandoval for Judge.

We also recommend that you vote No on Prop. 98, which will allow landlords to expel senior citizens and low-income families from their rent-controlled houses and apartments in order to raise their rents. It will permit the eviction of thousands of Latinos, and give way to people with more money to move in those units.

And I heard from many in the community, that Prop. 99 will help offset the effects of Prop. 98, in case it wins. Please vote Yes on Prop. 99.

Even though I encourage to vote, and you should, just remember one thing: nothing is going to make our lives any better, unless we all pressure our politicians to ask for the abolition of the Federal Reserve Bank, which is the cause of our financial misery. The Federal Reserve Bank is a private corporation that prints our currency (the dollar bills), and then loans it to the government with interest. That’s why we have such a huge national debt. All the money that we pay to the IRS, goes to the Federal Reserve Bank, which then lends it back to our government with interest.

Why can’t we have our government printing our own money, instead of having a private bank printing it and so control our lives?

­

spot_img

Latino Museum and César Chávez bill go to President’s desk

by Alex Meneses Miyashita

César ChávezCésar Chávez

The U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills April 9 that recognize the Latino contribution to this country.

The 91-117 vote on the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 008 now sends the bill to president’s desk for final approval. The Senate passed the bill April 10.

One bill honors Latino labor rights activist and union leader César Chávez and the other one recognizes the entire Hispanic community through the creation of a national museum.

The Cesar Chavez bill, sponsored by Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.), allows the Department of the Interior to explore significant lands in the life of the labor rights leader for potential inclusion in the National Park System.

“Through this effort, we can leave a legacy of his work so future generations better understand the importance of his sacrifice to improve the lives of othens,” Solis stated.

The museum bill, sponsored by Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) and lleana Ros Lehtinen (R-Fla.), would establish a commission to study the viability of building a Latino Museum in Washington, D.C. and strategize a potential plan of action. The commission would report to Congress within 4 months of the bill becoming law.

We have the opportunity to make significant progress in ensuring that visitors to our nation’s capital gain a more complete understanding of all the groups who have helped make America a better place,” RosLehtinen stated.

spot_img

Latino leaders fear upheld Supreme Court decision will prevent voting

by Alex Meneses Miyashita

A woman protests the stereotyping of undocumented people as 'illegals,' during a May Day march in San Franciso: (photos by Marvin J. Ramirez)A woman protests the stereotyping of undocumented people as ‘illegals,’ during a May Day march in San Franciso (photos by Marvin J. Ramirez)

Latino organizations decried the U.S. Sup­reme Court’s decision April 28 backing an Indiana law that requires voters to show a government-issue photo ID to vote.

Concerned groups claim that the ruling, decided on a 6-3 vote, disenfranchises voters and primarily affects people of color, elderly citizens, the indigent and those with disabilities.

They maintain for many of these people the requirement is not as simple as it sounds, that the bureaucratic hurdles in order to obtain proper ID could be huge. The state provides free voter identification cards for those without government-issued IDs, but critics claim it would still impose burdens on many.

The state will be able to apply its ID law during this week’s primaries.

The ruling’s detrimental impact on Latino access to the electoral process will likely be felt not just in Indiana.

“Other states will now be encouraged to adopt similar requirements,” states the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

The Oklahoma Senate is debating a similar proposal, although the sponsor of the bill put a hold on it last week, unsure there were enough votes for it to pass. Less severe than the Indiana law, it would validate other forms of identification such as utility bills or bank statements.

Supporters of photo ID requirements argue the purpose is to prevent voter fraud.

Justice John Paul Stevens wrote Indiana’s intent to prevent fraud was “amply justified.”

Nina Perales, southwest regional counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the state “has no evidence of voter fraud to justify its onerous policy.”

Indiana is the seventh state to require a photo ID to vote.

The others are Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan and South Dakota. Missouri had the law but it was overturned by the state’s highest court. Eighteen other states require some form of ID.

­Federal law requires all states task for some form of identification from first time voters registering by mail who did not verify their identity.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which took on the case against the state of Indiana, called that state’s law the “most restrictive” voter identification one in the nation.

The National Conference of State Legislatures explains that while every state has “some sort of recourse” for voters without identification to vote, in Indiana and Georgia voters can cast a provisional ballot but must return shortly afterwards with a photo ID for their ballot to count. Hispanic Link.

spot_img