San Mateo County community leaders have called on residents to join in raising the Juneteenth flag in Redwood City, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and offering a moment to reflect on the ongoing obstacles facing the African-American community.
“Juneteenth serves as a milestone and a moment of reflection in the fight for racial justice both past and present,” said Noelia Corzo, San Mateo County Supervisor for District Two and a member of the County’s Juneteenth Advisory Committee.
“As we commemorate Juneteenth, our County renews its commitment to addressing the challenges our African American residents and leaders continue to face as they live and work in our community. Juneteenth specifically exemplifies how critical it is that we hold ourselves accountable when intent and impact differ,” she stressed.
The Board of Supervisors at its May 23 meeting recognized June 19, 2023 as Juneteenth in San Mateo County.
On June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln declared all enslaved people free, Union Army troops marched into Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the last enslaved African Americans in Texas.
Juneteenth is now a federally recognized national holiday.
The flag raising will take place this Tuesday, June 6th at 9:00 a.m. sharp, at 400 County Center in Redwood City.
Presenters will include Kalimah Salahuddin, trustee of the Jefferson Union High School Board and co-founder of the REACH Coalition; Noelia Corzo, supervisor of San Mateo County District Two; the Rev. Lorrie Carter Owens, president of the NAACP San Mateo branch; Jennifer Taylor Mendoza, president of the College of San Mateo; Dana Johnson, community activist, author, and documentary filmmaker; Q. Smith, vocalist; and Jacob Virges, spoken word performer.
The flag raising will be live-streamed on the county's Facebook page and the recording will be posted on the Juneteeth website. The site also includes resources such as the history of Juneteenth, a curated reading list from local libraries, and an archive of the county's past Juneteenth celebrations and panel discussions.
As a special event, the County Juneteenth Advisory Committee is screening a short film about the date and the African American experience, followed by a moderated discussion and refreshments.
The event will be next Wednesday, June 21 at 5:00 p.m. at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Community Space, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue in Redwood City. Space is limited, so please RSVP by giving your consent. click here.
A weeklong bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles raised $11.7 million for HIV/AIDS organizations in San Francisco and Los Angeles, organizers of AIDS/LifeCycle announced.
On Sunday morning, more than 2,000 participants set out from Cow Palace on a 7-day, 545-mile trip to Los Angeles to support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
As the world's largest fundraising event for HIV/AIDS services, AIDS/LifeCycle aims to fund services and testing and remind others that the HIV epidemic is still ongoing. Organizers estimate that more than 650 people in the United States will become infected with HIV during the week.
“After more than 40 years, the fight to end this epidemic continues,” said Joe Hollendoner, executive director of the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
“The contributions of thousands of people who are part of the AIDS/LifeCycle community – riders, roadies, staff and donors – provide the resources needed to continue this fight. Donations, through hard work and determination, support medical and social care services for people living with HIV and make it possible to offer prevention tools, such as PrEP, to those most at risk of becoming infected. I am so proud to be part of this community that continues to fight every day to end this epidemic,” she added.
The organization has raised more than $300 million since its debut in 1994.
“The funds raised by AIDS/LifeCycle support the many lifesaving services we provide free of charge to the community,” said Tyler TerMeer, PhD, executive director of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and a 12-time AIDS/LifeCycle participant.
“The epidemic has been ongoing for over 40 years, and it is far from over. Each year, this event helps us get closer to a time when we reach zero new HIV infections, when all people living with HIV are fully supported with health and wellness services, and when people at risk of contracting HIV have the tools and information they need to prevent HIV,” she stressed.
The San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States, is well known for being home to technology companies like Google and Facebook. However, just a few miles away, in the city of Oakland, is the Zapatista education and information center known as the Chiapas Support Committee, standing up to them.
One of the heads of the committee, Arnoldo García, told Península 360 Press about the work they do throughout the state, along with Vanessa Nava, who was part of the delegation they sent to Mexico to participate in the most recent El Sur Resiste caravan in Mexico.
The Committee is an organization made up of members who adhere to the principles of the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle and international solidarity with the Zapatista movement, supported by indigenous peoples in Chiapas, Mexico. They have supported and accompanied the construction of autonomy in the territory they control since 1994.
Today, García, a poet, musician and community activist, heads the committee.
"I am not the president of anything, only due to state requirements we have a board of directors and that's where I stayed, for more than 10 years now," said García.
The committee provides education and information to the California public about the Zapatistas, the situation in Chiapas and the community struggles in Mexico through public events, the newsletter Chiapas Update, email lists, page Facebook and his blog. Currently, the greatest support they provide is to autonomous education system: construction of schools, provision of teachers and students.
Every time some of the Committee They go to Chiapas, buy from Zapatista cooperatives at prices set by the producers, sell these same products in the San Francisco Bay Area and return all profits to the Zapatista communities.
García grew up in a family of Mexican-P'urhépecha farm workers who migrated between Mexico and the U.S. His experiences organizing with other youth and farmworkers throughout his life led him to actively participate in protecting the rights of undocumented immigrants in the United States.
"In the US, African Americans and migrants are put in the same corner. In the end, it is the same state and the same police that oppress minorities," García said.
Her work addresses struggles for immigration and racial justice, restorative justice against capitalist borders, landless Chicano Mexicanness in the United States, and solidarity with indigenous movements. Since 1994, García has followed the Zapatista movement.
"The Zapatistas," García continues, "have placed great emphasis on recognizing Chicanos and Mexicans in the U.S. as part of their struggles, as well as the peoples of North America."
García commented that the Zapatistas opened spaces where they confirmed that, in effect, Another world is possible.
«In 1994, when the Zapatistas came out into the public eye, they had the same values and principles as several groups in the U.S., but that courage to say, “let's do our thing and organize ourselves,” was the straw that broke the camel's back.»
When the first international meeting was held, García was not part of the Committee. However, he attended, and went again in 1996. Whether with or without García, the organization sends a delegation to Chiapas for each International Meeting.
"We try to make them aware of the reality of the indigenous and Zapatista peoples who live in Mexico without romanticizing anything. On the contrary, so that they learn other forms of struggle, and not only those that have been carried out in the U.S.," García commented.
The committee is looking for ways to organize binationally to create dialogues of struggle between Mexico and its northern neighbor. At the International Meeting of Women Who Struggle, held in 2019, the Committee sent Ohlone women, one of the native peoples of the northern coast of California, and in this way connect the different groups that resist the different forms of state dispossession, since the Zapatistas advocate for another possible world.
They also organize annual and monthly events in San Francisco and Oakland, for example, they have a vigil every December 22nd where they commemorate the Acteal massacre, in which 45 families and people from the Tzotzil community lost their lives in Chiapas in 1997. Likewise, on the 26th of each month, the committee goes to the Mexican Consulate on Folsom Street to show solidarity and demand justice for the 43 missing people from Ayotzinapa and the paramilitary violence in Mexico.
Recently, the committee sent a delegation to the El Sur Resiste caravan in Mexico and to the caravan's culminating event, the International Meeting.
"I'm not going, but the delegation of Vanessa Nava and Caitlin Manning is"The mandate we send will help us learn directly from the experiences of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) and the Zapatistas in order to strengthen our solidarity," said García.
Delegation in the South Resists
Nava joined the caravan in Puente Madera, in the state of Oaxaca, on April 26.
The caravan The South Resists summoned by the CNI He toured the Mexican southeast with the purpose of making visible the territories that will be affected by the implementation of extractive megaprojects, which are the Mayan Train and the Corridor Transisthmian. Likewise, andshe was looking foreither boost the organization of communities, collectives, peoples, and organizations to create concrete strategies and connect the different struggles they experience.
Nava was born in Chicago, Illinois, and spent her childhood in Guerrero, Mexico, where her family is from. Attending the caravan was a personal matter with the land and Mexico, as she became deeply connected to the land when her parents worked in the fields planting corn.
She returned to her hometown to attend high school, where she began organizing to help undocumented students. She then studied Communications, Sociology, and Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago. There, she continued to participate in organizations with other students to lobby for the passage of the DREAM Act. She later applied for a master's degree in digital art in San Francisco, where she now resides.
Nava startedeither to get involved in the Chiapas Support Committee in 2019. Although she already knew about the Zapatista movement, it was not until California that she began to go to events and become an active member.
In the caravan, Nava sought to learn the ways in which the various collectives, organizations, activists, and community leaders who resist the imposition of the Trans-Isthmus Corridor and the Mayan Train in Mexico fight and resist, in order to continue resisting the megaprojects in California and other states in the U.S.
In the United States, the “Maya Train” began in the 1800s with the construction of the transcontinental rails. Not so long ago, in 2016, the construction of the bullet train in California called the California High Speed Rail Authority was approved, whose magnitude is similar to the Trans-Isthmus corridor in Mexico.
California's high-speed rail project has pledged to do better than past megaprojects by lessening the impact it will have on the communities it will traverse from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area.
However, what they have built in the Central Valley of California is already impacting communities in farmers. Like the Mayan Train, communities have not only been displaced but also the water, flora and fauna of the region are being affected.
While construction of the bullet train in California is on hold due to lack of funding, other megaprojects remain on track, such as the Kestone XL pipeline, which the Lakota people of South Dakota have resisted.
Nava explains that activism in the United States could learn a lot from the Zapatistas, and that binational solidarity is critical to fighting for life in both territories.
"Putting heart into the fight, that is what is sometimes lacking here and being consistent with the land, the water and living beings," said Nava.
She also seeks to spread the word to the new generations in California and share how they can defend the territory where they live, learning from the compass.
«It is crucial not to forget deither"where we are, remember our memories and share our skills with the new generations to face injustices, create autonomy and different ways of walking to build a better world with love for life," he said.either.
Agents of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Man arrested in San Carlos after being found under the influence of alcohol and in possession of firearms and usable cartridges.
Officers responded to the 200 block of Industrial Road in San Carlos City on a report of a vehicle blocking the exit of a business, police said.
Upon arrival, officers found a white Chevrolet Express van blocking a commercial exit, so officers contacted Andrew Cuestas, who was sitting in the driver's seat with the vehicle running.
Upon contact with him, Cuestas showed objective symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol, and admitted to being in possession of a rifle inside his vehicle.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed an unloaded .22 caliber rifle, a loaded pistol, and several usable high-capacity magazines.
Cuestas failed a series of alcohol tests and was arrested on eight criminal charges.
Cuestas was transported and booked into the San Mateo County Jail without incident.
US President Joseph Biden and House Republicans reached an agreement to raise the debt ceiling until January 2025 in exchange for spending limits for the next two years. However, the measure may not be enough to guarantee a stable economy, consequences that Americans would have to pay.
This was stated by specialists during a press conference organized by Ethnic Media Services, in which they carried out an analysis on the subject and explained how the country's economy is affected or benefited.
The agreement comes at an important moment for the president's political figure. By managing to unite forces between the parties, Biden seeks to score points for the Democratic wing and make a good impression ahead of the next elections that will take place in 2024, where he seeks re-election. However, the issue must go far beyond politics and focus on people.
The debt ceiling is set by Congress and is the maximum amount that can be borrowed to finance government obligations that have already been authorized. When a budget deficit occurs or when the revenue collected is considered insufficient, the ceiling is raised to avoid default.
Rachel Snyderman, deputy director of business and economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, expressed concern about the agreement's negotiation due to the list of priorities and the reductions that will be applied mainly to social programs, so she recommended looking for new sources of income that do not affect citizens.
«The bill also failed to look at new ways to generate revenue, we have a very large deficit and the bill is not doing anything to address that part. It is time for legislators to do something to generate revenue without considering taxes and then focus only on spending. discretionary which is a small part of the budget", the economist stressed.
To Snyderman said that raising the debt ceiling is not enough, since it has been requested many times and in the end those affected are the citizens. Therefore, he proposed looking for other ways to raise taxes, such as making procedures easier for companies and thus attracting investment that generates more jobs, or considering the immigration to obtain new income.
For Americans, having debt is worrisome. Interest costs become a government problem and social programs on which millions of families depend are no longer financed.
Shannon Buckingham said that the issues at stake include the broad negative effects on the economy, a situation that citizens are well aware of because they know they will be affected and their benefits may be delayed.
«This agreement cuts part of the budget that covers education, job training, housing, food security and many areas of funding that are necessary investments for people, mainly for the less favored communities.", he pointed out.
Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, said the decision to raise the debt ceiling is necessary to sustain the country's economy and avoid default, which would lead to further economic problems.
However, he agreed that inflation will affect the financing of resources and that there will continue to be an economic loss for Americans.
«The increase will be reflected in cuts due to inflation, even if they freeze funding. In a world where inflation is 4 to 5 percent, inflation eats up that part first and then there are 4 or 5 percent fewer resources available. That's 5 percent less for housing, we will see less resources for assistance in programs for children and seniors. It's important to understand that this extra funding will not cover the effects of inflation.", he pointed out.
The measure approved on Friday has generated many political opinions, however, the issue of the country's economy involves the pockets of all citizens, so the debt ceiling should not be politicized among parties and personalities.
The experts concluded that it is necessary to examine and analyse the measures taken, and how, since the debt ceiling was created more than a century ago, money has not been raised in any other way, thus continuing to affect the most vulnerable.
Whether you're planning an outing with family, friends, or just relaxing, here's the local news from May 27 to June 2 that you should know to stay up to date.
We're halfway through the year, with just over three weeks until summer kicks off in earnest with plenty of recreational activities in the Bay Area.
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Redwood City residents face significant challenges in the real estate market on a daily basis, including high costs and restrictions, as well as growing income inequality, factors that have led to an increase in displacement.
In order to address this community-wide issue and promote equity, the City has worked collaboratively with various stakeholders to create a comprehensive anti-displacement strategy.
In response to this, and as part of the anti-displacement strategy, the city held a talk in Spanish with property owners on June 1 at 11:30 a.m., where more detailed information was provided on possible policies and practices that can help them.
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San Mateo County's recommended $7.7 billion spending plan for the next two fiscal years seeks to strengthen the social safety net while preparing for an uncertain economic outlook.
County Executive Mike Callagy released the spending plan, which will be the subject of three days of public hearings before the Board of Supervisors from June 26-28, 2023.
The plan emphasizes investments in sustaining initiatives and not in launching new programs.
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Colorful “Trees of Life” adorned the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Community Space in Redwood City. The clay sculptures, handcrafted by children who are part of the Casa Círculo Cultural student body, go beyond beautiful figures; they are a celebration of life itself.
This was confirmed by Casa Círculo Cultural professor Omar Quezada, who in an interview with Península 360 Press, pointed out that the Trees of Life belonging to the exhibition “Traditions for Cross-Cultural art learning” seek to capture important stories for the children and adolescents who created them.
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Through hand-carved clay figurines, children and adults strengthened ties with their Latin roots by displaying colorful Trees of Life in the CZI Community Space —Chan Zuckerberg Initiative— in Redwood City.
The artworks created by students from the Casa Círculo Cultural organization are part of the exhibition “Traditions for Cross-Cultural art learning,” which seeks to celebrate the diversity of cultures through art.
Under the guidance of renowned local artist Fernando Escartiz and Casa Círculo Cultural art teacher Hanny Crespo, children, teenagers and adults gave free rein to their imagination to create pieces that tell stories about the topics they like and find most interesting.
Flowers, leaves, skeletons, historical figures, mythological creatures, cartoons and more were part of these Trees of Life that embrace all creation in their branches.
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Data released Tuesday, May 30, revealed that the number of homeless people in Santa Clara County decreased 1.2 percent compared to last year, according to preliminary results of the 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) census, while in the San Jose city limits it fell 4.7 percent.
The progress reported, the county said, is a result of implementing a comprehensive response to homelessness, which has included building thousands of new affordable housing units, expanding homelessness prevention assistance, expanding outreach and basic needs services, and piloting new temporary housing and shelter models.
However, he said, solving the severe homelessness crisis will require continued and focused investment from all community partners.
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With its “Click It or Ticket” campaign, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is calling on everyone who drives to always buckle up and keep children in child safety seats.
This year, the Click It or Ticket campaign runs from May 22 to June 4. During this time, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office will have additional deputies on patrol actively looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing seat belts.
This includes vehicles where children are not secured in special safety seats.
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San Mateo police have arrested a man who witnesses say hit another man in the head with a hammer in an unprovoked attack Tuesday, police said in a statement.
Joaquin Morales, 41, of San Jose, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, unlawful theft of a vehicle and resisting arrest.
Police said witnesses told them Morales ran up to a 34-year-old man from behind on North San Mateo Drive and hit him in the head with a hammer. The victim was taken to a local hospital with severe head trauma.
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San Mateo County supervisors will combat opioid and fentanyl use through education, directing their staff to develop a comprehensive plan focused on public education, treatment options and increased access to life-saving medications that can reverse overdoses to combat the growing public health threat posed by cheap opioids and fentanyl.
“As the parent of a college sophomore and recent college graduate, this is an issue that is very personal to me,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Dave Pine during a hearing Tuesday, May 30, to discuss the harm fentanyl and opioids are inflicting on San Mateo County residents.
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San Mateo County's plans to expand farmworker housing, including units for those displaced by January's tragic mass shooting, received a substantial boost Thursday when the state of California announced it will award the county a $5 million grant.
The Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant will allow the County Housing Department to partner with the City of Half Moon Bay in the purchase of 28 manufactured housing units.
The county noted that 18 housing units will be prioritized for farmworkers and families displaced by the shootings at two coastal farms in Half Moon Bay.
The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, the attorney general Rob Bonta and the state superintendent Tony Thurmond They sent a joint letter to all county school superintendents, district school superintendents, and charter school administrators warning against banning books in California.
The letter outlines relevant educational civil rights and corresponding legal mandates that school administrators must follow to preserve freedom and ensure access to diverse perspectives and curricula.
“In the first half of this school year alone, 1,477 books were banned nationwide, and teachers and librarians were threatened with prison time for shelving the wrong book,” Newsom, Bonta and Thurmond said.
"As state leaders elected to represent the values of all Californians, we offer our response in one shared voice: Access to books – including books that reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of Californians, and especially those that can challenge us to grapple with uncomfortable truths – is a profound freedom that we must all protect and cultivate," they stressed.
The joint letter sent Thursday highlights case law and constitutional precedents that restrict the removal of books from libraries and schools; the responsibilities of school administrators to expose students to diverse worldviews; and legal mandates that require school administrators to provide unbiased curriculum to students and preserve freedom of expression.
It also informs local educational agencies that if they remove or ban educational materials from classrooms or libraries, they may be required to provide information to the Attorney General's Office for review.
The plans of the the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors para ampliar las viviendas para los trabajadores agrícolas, incluidas las unidades para los desplazados por el trágico tiroteo masivo de enero, recibieron un impulso sustancial este jueves cuando el estado de California anunció que le otorgará una subvención por 5 millones de dólares.
The Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant will allow the County Housing Department to partner with the City of Half Moon Bay in the purchase of 28 manufactured housing units.
The county noted that 18 housing units will be prioritized for farmworkers and families displaced by the shootings at two coastal farms in Half Moon Bay.
Mientras que 10 de esas casas estarán disponibles para los trabajadores agrícolas que ganen hasta 80 por ciento del ingreso medio del área, con un enfoque en los hogares de ingresos extremadamente bajos y los desplazados debido a condiciones de vida inhabitables.
El supervisor Ray Mueller, cuyo Distrito 3 incluye Half Moon Bay y la costa no incorporada, agradeció a los funcionarios estatales y al personal del condado que ayudaron a obtener la subvención, y aseguró que «apenas estamos comenzando».
La Junta de Supervisores aprobó la solicitud de la subvención en febrero, y Mueller dijo que «lograron lo imposible» asegurándola en un plazo tan breve después de que él y el personal del condado se reunieran con el estado.
«Nuestros trabajadores de granjas y ranchos juegan un papel esencial en la comunidad y la economía del condado de San Mateo», señaló Iliana Rodríguez, ejecutiva asistente del condado que dirigió el esfuerzo de la subvención. «Estamos felices de que el estado y el gobernador respalden el trabajo que hemos estado haciendo para brindar estabilidad de vivienda a los trabajadores agrícolas en nuestro condado».
A inicios de mayo de este año, la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de San Mateo asignó un millón de dólares para cubrir los costos necesarios de planificación, gestión de proyectos y otros trabajos para construir viviendas asequibles para los trabajadores agrícolas locales, fondo del impuesto a las ventas de medio centavo de la Medida K local.
Actualmente el condado trabaja con la ciudad de Half Moon Bay para identificar y desarrollar un sitio potencial que podría albergar unidades prefabricadas para hogares de trabajadores agrícolas de bajos ingresos.
San Mateo County supervisors will combat opioid and fentanyl use through education, directing their staff to develop a comprehensive plan focused on public education, treatment options and increased access to life-saving medications that can reverse overdoses to combat the growing public health threat posed by cheap opioids and fentanyl.
“As the parent of a college sophomore and recent college graduate, this is an issue that is very personal to me,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Dave Pine during a hearing Tuesday, May 30, to discuss the harm fentanyl and opioids are inflicting on San Mateo County residents.
«Creo que el énfasis en la educación debe ser destacado continuamente. Nuestro mejor enfoque es educar a los residentes, especialmente a los jóvenes y adultos jóvenes, sobre la letalidad de estas drogas», agregó Pine.
The local official's comments followed a detailed report from the San Mateo County Health Department durante la sesión de estudio de la Junta titulado «La crisis de los opioides y el fentanilo: una descripción general». El informe incluyó presentaciones y debates de expertos locales en salud pública, así como de una madre de Pacifica cuyo hijo murió de una sobredosis de fentanilo.
Según los Centros para el Control de Enfermedades, 107 mil 375 personas en Estados Unidos murieron por sobredosis e intoxicaciones por drogas en el período de 12 meses que terminó en enero de 2022. Dos tercios, o el 67 por ciento, de esas muertes involucraron opioides sintéticos como el fentanilo, que a menudo se mezcla con otras drogas.
«Cualquier muerte es trágica», dijo el doctor Scott Morrow, oficial de salud del condado de San Mateo. Aunque los datos son imperfectos, dada la creciente prevalencia del fentanilo, puntualizó, «es seguro que aumentará el uso de los jóvenes y la muerte de los jóvenes».
Durante la sesión, los supervisores dijeron que quieren ver acciones incluidas en un plan integral como el lanzamiento de campañas de educación y concientización pública, incluidas vallas publicitarias y mensajes dirigidos a los jóvenes y las familias en varios idiomas, que se basan en los éxitos en otras áreas de la salud pública.
Además, la mejorar la recopilación de datos para ayudar a los expertos en salud pública a identificar áreas o poblaciones específicas en riesgo; así como ampliar el acceso a medicamentos que salvan vidas ‒naloxona‒, que pueden revertir las sobredosis y tiras reactivas que pueden identificar la presencia de fentanilo.
De igual manera, pidieron mejorar la comunicación y la cooperación entre una gran cantidad de organizaciones, incluidos los funcionarios de salud del condado y de seguridad pública, los representantes escolares y otros que medirían el problema y harían recomendaciones.
A tan solo 24 días de que se lleven a cabo las elecciones en Guatemala, organizaciones sin fines de lucro por los derechos humanos y la libertad de prensa, han denunciado la intensificación de ataques hacia medios de comunicación que critican al actual gobierno de Guatemala, lo cual, han subrayado, socava la democracia.
«Hacemos un llamado a las autoridades a respetar y proteger la libertad de expresión y de prensa como condición para garantizar la democracia y la legitimidad del proceso electoral», subrayaron en un comunicado una decena de organizaciones a los cuales preocupa y alerta la situación en el país centroamericano.
Y es que, en Guatemala se ha acrecentado un sistema de intimidación, silenciamiento y restricciones al libre ejercicio del periodismo, apuntaron.
De acuerdo con la reciente encuesta de Prensa Libre, en un contexto en el que solamente 16 por ciento de la población confía en el Tribunal Supremo Electoral como institución garante de un proceso electoral democrático, tales restricciones a la prensa pueden afectar aún más la credibilidad del resultado del escrutinio.
Esto no es nuevo, pues las amenazas que enfrenta la prensa son históricas, sobre todo la comunitaria en territorios donde empresas nacionales e internacionales se asocian con el crimen organizado y las autoridades locales para silenciar las investigaciones periodísticas, subrayaron las organizaciones.
Ante ello, un equipo de observadores se desplazó a diversas zonas del territorio nacional y sostuvo diálogos con periodistas y comunicadoras para conocer las circunstancias en las que desarrollan sus actividades y los desafíos que enfrentan, así como con directivos de medios de comunicación, representantes de organizaciones de sociedad civil y con autoridades del Estado para conocer sus iniciativas y esfuerzos para garantizar la libertad de prensa.
«La conclusión a la que llegamos es extremadamente preocupante no sólo para el derecho de personas periodistas y comunicadoras de informar, sino principalmente para el derecho de la ciudadanía a estar informada para tomar decisiones de manera libre y consciente», puntualizaron.
La misión dio cuenta de cómo existe un escenario en el que la prensa es vista como una amenaza a la alianza entre actores estatales y privados, creada para controlar instituciones, y sostener la corrupción y la impunidad en el país, haciendo del acoso y la criminalización una nueva forma de censura que, comenzó durante el gobierno de Jimmy Morales, se recrudeció con Alejandro Giammattei, y que podría consolidarse en estas elecciones.
Este martes, la Fiscalía Especial contra la Impunidad en Guatemala, pidió 40 años de cárcel para el presidente y fundador del medio El Periódico, el periodista José Rubén Zamora, acusado por lavado de dinero, tráfico de influencias y chantaje. El periodista se encuentra en prisión preventiva desde que fue detenido el 29 de julio de 2022.
El Periódico tuvo que cerrar a mediados de mayo tras denunciar persecuciones políticas por parte del presidente Alejandro Giammattei.
Eso, puntualizaron las organizaciones firmantes, «es un ejemplo de cómo este sistema represivo elige objetivos estratégicos para enviar un mensaje intimidatorio a la prensa en general. Atreverse a denunciar la corrupción y la impunidad incrustadas en el Estado guatemalteco bastó para desencadenar la persecución. Lamentablemente, el caso de El Periódico no es aislado».
Sumado a ello, la misión dijo haber constatado otros casos preocupantes para el periodismo en sus diferentes expresiones, por ejemplo, la criminalización de Carlos Choc y Robinson Ortega, el encarcelamiento arbitrario de Anastasia Mejía, la detención ilegal de Norma Sancir y la agresión sufrida por Sonny Figueroa.
El miedo llegó a las plumas, y diversos periodistas han tenido que dejar de firmar sus trabajos por miedo a represalias y a convertirse en «objetivos» de citaciones para que revelen sus fuentes.
En ese sentido, apuntaron que alrededor de 20 periodistas dejaron el país tras ser amenazados o acusados judicialmente por coberturas incómodas al poder, mientras que otras son vigiladas o han recibido amenazas de muerte, incluso de candidatos.
«El uso arbitrario de la pauta oficial y la presión gubernamental sobre los anunciantes refuerza los intentos de silenciamiento. La autocensura también es resultado de la actuación de net centers y otros dedicados al acoso e intimidación digital constante, como los que realiza la Fundación Contra el Terrorismo. El machismo, el racismo, la homofobia y el clasismo, entre otros ejes de opresión, son factores agravantes de la violencia que sufren las personas periodistas en razón de su labor».
Si bien es cierto que Guatemala cuenta con una fiscalía especializada en delitos contra periodistas, la mayoría de los casos de intimidación y agresión a la prensa no se investigan o quedan impunes, por lo que las acciones son insuficientes. A ello suman que la Procuraduría de los Derechos Humanos tampoco cumple activamente con su mandato en este contexto.
Además, se suma la restricción a fuentes estatales, lo que incrementa la falta de transparencia.
«Ante este grave escenario, concluimos que sin una prensa libre e independiente no puede haber elecciones libres y justas, y sin elecciones libres y justas no puede haber una democracia verdadera, por lo que el Estado de Guatemala debe tomar medidas urgentes para garantizar el derecho a informar y a ser informado», enfatizaron.
Finalmente, las organizaciones hicieron un llamado a las autoridades a respetar y proteger la libertad de expresión y de prensa como condición para garantizar la democracia y la legitimidad del proceso electoral, estableciendo condiciones seguras y propicias para el ejercicio de la labor periodística en todo el país.
