In Mexico there are first class citizens, second class citizens and people who, even though they were born in Mexico, are not recognized by the Mexican State as citizens of this country.
This is the case for thousands of indigenous people who are born in communities far from places where birth certificates or other official documents are processed. To obtain these papers, they wait for the civil registry brigades or go to the offices at another time.
Recently, Mexico's two main indigenous peoples' organizations, the National Indigenous Congress and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, reported the state racism with which officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs treated members of their organizations when they wanted to apply for passports.
The responses received by the people who came to do the paperwork, after making all the payments, the transfers and the lines, were insulting with phrases like these: "That is very far away and the trip is expensive, it can't be that you have the necessary money because you are indigenous", "Let's see, sing the hymn", "now we have to wait until we check if they are Mexicans", "we have to check if the papers are true", "she dresses like India Maria".
One of the most recurrent problems that has been observed is the "extemporaneous" nature of birth certificates, that is, people who go to the SRE to apply for their passport carry a birth certificate issued three years after they were born. In this situation, the application is usually rejected unless additional documents are presented.
In the case of indigenous people who are part of the EZLN or CNI, the matter can be even worse. No document was sufficient for the SRE officials, who have delayed the process for up to five months in some cases.
Were the documents the problem? No.
The problem is racism, xenophobia, fear of the other, of the other, of what is different. That terrible intention of pretending that Mexico is one nation and that everyone speaks Spanish, a pretense that erases the histories of hundreds of peoples that inhabit this country, brown-skinned peoples who have their own language, their own traditions.
An old anecdote tells that the singer Chavela Vargas, born in Costa Rica, used to say that "Mexicans are born where the fuck they want to be born. Not so for the Mexican state. What's more, it's not even enough to be born in Mexico: you have to prove it when it comes to those who have been historically discriminated against.
The science fiction author Neal Stephenson coined the concept metaverse in his novel Snow Crashpublished in 1992, which revolves around the character Hiroaki Hiro, a young pizza delivery boy in real life, but a samurai warrior in a virtual universe.
Broadly speaking, the metaverse is a fictional construction of real life, where people can socialize through immersive technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality, to name a few.
In this virtual universe, which could be a reality in the next five years, participants interact through avatars or characters created by themselves, trying to reproduce real life in a virtual metaphor environment in third dimension, without space-time limitations.
The topic of the metaverse has become increasingly popular among major tech companies; for example, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games - the company that developed the popular video game Fortnite - has made several points on the subject.
In particular, his positions refer to the programming code that would be necessary to create such a virtual environment, and he has also emphasized the various limitations that currently exist to make this virtual world a reality.
Facebook's vision; more than a game
For Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, the metaverse goes much further. It is a vision that encompasses the entire technology industry, a kind of immersive Internet where, "instead of watching content, you're in it and you feel present with other people.
Imagine you're sitting on the couch at home, you're feeling bored so you decide to use a Virtual Reality device. Suddenly, you find yourself sitting in the middle of thousands of people enjoying a concert, together with your partner and friends.
In an interview he gave to the specialized technology media outlet The VergeHe pointed out that the metaverse is being in other places, having different experiences like dancing, attending a concert or exercising, that you couldn't have in a 2D application or on a website.
"The metaverse is not just virtual reality. It will be accessible on all our different computing platforms: virtual reality, augmented reality, but also for personal computers, mobile devices and game consoles.
According to Zuckerberg, a lot of people currently think of the metaverse as being about video games, and while much of this virtual universe will be entertainment, "I don't think this is just a game."
Thus, the metaverse he describes looks to be a big part of the next chapter of the technology industry, the developer community and digital commerce, where Facebook projects like Oraculus, which have been years in the making, may soon contribute to our access to a whole new universe.
Every day thousands of new cases of COVID-19 are reported in the country, because, despite calls for vaccination and for people to take the necessary measures to avoid contagion and spread of the virus, many continue to deny its existence and the importance of the vaccine.
In light of these circumstances, P360P has taken on the task of investigating some of the main rumors about this disease and the COVID-19 vaccine, in order to clarify these doubts through the experts.
During the program "The Voice of our Roots", broadcasted by the organization Casa Círculo Cultural through FacebookIn an interview with the radio program "Hecho en California," hosted by Marcos Gutierrez on 1010 AM, Dieter Bruno, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Sequoia Hospital, responded promptly to questions from the audience.
Among the versions given by the listeners and that were asked to Dr. Dieter, the following stand out:
Is it true that the COVID-19 vaccine damages the body's vital organs and weakens the immune system?
A: "FALSE. The vaccine is effective. What the vaccine actually does is help our immune system fight the COVID virus. The vaccine does NOT weaken or destroy the immune system.
"Vaccines are useful because they actually use the immune system to fight COVID."
"It's important to know that, in general, vaccines are very safe and effective."
Is it true that once people are vaccinated against SARS-Cov-2 virus they will die within two years?
A: "FALSE. Vaccines have helped us save lives and they are effective. There's no question that when we look at the COVID activity curves in the different states and communities between last year and this year, vaccines have saved lives.
"Like any medication or vaccine, there are going to be side effects and there will be some people who will have some reaction that will be mild. But vaccines are very safe.
Is it true that people who have received the vaccine are getting more COVID-19 and have more severe symptoms?
A: FALSE: "Many of us know of friends, family members, or acquaintances who have died from VIDOC. That is a very real risk in people who are not vaccinated. There is no question that COVID can kill people."
"One of the benefits we see with vaccination, especially in San Mateo County, is that about 80 percent of eligible people are vaccinated and we've seen no deaths in that group."
Is it true that people with a good immune system and a healthy lifestyle do not get COVID-19?
A: "FALSE, we are happy for people to have a strong immune system, but what the vaccine does is train the immune system to fight against COVID. A person with a strong immune system is just the kind of candidate we want to vaccinate precisely to train their body to fight the virus.
Is it true that there are no deaths due to COVID-19 but to many other diseases, but that the government along with big corporations give money to hospitals to report that so many deaths are due to the virus?
R: "Absolutely FALSE. even if you believe there is a conspiracy in the country to make it happen. Then what about all those who are dying all over the world because of COVID?"
Is it true that the vaccine is experimental and will cause serious long-term effects?
A: "FALSE, I wouldn't call it an experimental vaccine, I would call it an emergency licensed vaccine, and there's a difference there. And relatively soon the vaccine will come out of that status to be just another vaccine."
Is it true that the government and elite groups want the vaccine to kill poor people?
A: "FALSE. The vaccine is not designed to reduce population or kill poor people. The best proof of this is that everyone can have access to the vaccine. Even at the beginning of the pandemic, people with high purchasing power wanted access to the vaccine and could not. The health system sought to ensure that everyone could be vaccinated equally, regardless of their socioeconomic level.
Is it true that the vaccine causes hair loss, weight gain and sterility?
R: "FALSE. The vaccine does not cause any such effect. I repeat, the vaccines are safe and effective and help the immune system fight COVID-19 better."
Is it true that a chip or magnetic material is inserted into people through the vaccine?
A: "FALSE, none of that is true.
The media is reporting a "Delta Plus" variant, should we be even more worried?
A: "YES. The more time we spend with incomplete vaccination schedules, the more variants we will see and the greater the challenge.
If I've had COVID, do I still need to be vaccinated? And how long should I wait after getting the virus?
A: "Yes, it's still a good idea to get vaccinated against the virus even after infection with COVID and the timing of how long people should take has changed. We used to say wait three months and then it changed to once people recover from the disease, no one knows exactly how long it should take. But what is certain is that if a person has contracted the virus and gets vaccinated, they will be better protected against getting it again."
How soon will the vaccine be available for children under 12?
A: "Hopefully in the short term. As time goes on and it gets closer to back to school it's important that everyone is protected. So we're hoping that will happen very soon."
What harm is caused by unvaccinated people to those who have been inoculated?
A: "There are two things that concern us about people who are not vaccinated: the first is that it's easier for them to get the virus, and then once they get it, it's easier for them to potentially transmit the disease even in those who are already vaccinated."
"We tend to believe that people who are already vaccinated are completely immune to the disease, but we now know that the truth is that there is no complete immunity. But, without a doubt, vaccinated people who do get infected recover faster and better. That's why vaccination is still very important.
It seems that we still won't see the end of this pandemic. At least not in the short term, and as if it were not enough with the infections caused by the Delta variant, predominant in the country, specialists are already talking about the "Delta Plus" strain.
In June, India's health ministry said in a statement that studies showed the so-called Delta Plus variant, also known as AY.1, spreads more easily, binds more readily to lung cells and is potentially resistant to monoclonal antibody therapy, a powerful intravenous infusion of antibodies to neutralize the virus.
The Delta Plus strain was first detected in India in April this year, and by June, about 40 samples were detected in six districts in three states: Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.
However, Delta plus has moved on to other countries, including the US, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, Russia and China.
It should be noted that the original, highly contagious Delta strain has already been detected in at least 100 countries.
This new strain of the Delta variant has been listed "cause for concern" by the international health agency, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCsaid they will continue to evaluate its independent rating.
While it is true that viruses are constantly mutating and most changes are low risk or even harm the virus itself, others cause the disease to become more infectious, more aggressive and more resistant.
The president and CEO of Meharry Medical College , James Hildreth, told The Washington Post that the way India has skillfully evaded the ravages of the Delta variant and the decision to name the Delta Plus variant as "worrisome" should put public health leaders on notice.
Do the Delta Plus variant vaccines work?
According to Dieter Bruno, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Sequoia Hospital in San Mateo County, California, people should start worrying about this strain of the variant, because with a large unvaccinated population, the havoc will be greater.
"The longer we go with incomplete vaccination schedules, the more variants we will see and the more challenges will come," he said.
Although 192 million 614,017 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine-58 percent of the eligible population-and 165 million 334,987 have a complete vaccination schedule-49.8 percent-it is still too little to stop the advance of the variants and their effects on the population.
It should be noted that our only weapon against this new strain and others is vaccines, as they are still very effective against the Delta variant, their promise is to prevent severe disease, hospitalization and death.
And although to a slightly lesser extent than with the previous variants, it has been seen that both doses are required to obtain good protection, as there are reports of vaccinated people testing positive for the virus but with generally mild or no symptoms.
With research showing that up to 30 percent of COVID-19 patients experience persistent symptoms, Stanford Health Care has been operating a Post Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) Clinic since May.
For about five months after contracting COVID-19, Rosie Flores lay on the couch in her Mountain View, California, home, feeling so fatigued that standing up was a struggle.
"I remember walking from the couch to my bed to grab a comforter and I was breathless," said Flores, 47, who tested positive for coronavirus in July 2020. "My arms felt like noodles. A phone conversation exhausted me. My life was just living on the couch."
Nearly a year later, that fatigue has finally improved somewhat. She returned to work part-time in December as a project coordinator at Stanford Health Care, and returned full-time in March, but the day-to-day work remains exhausting and she continues to struggle with other symptoms, such as memory impairment, hair loss and balance problems.
In the fall, Flores was diagnosed at the Stanford Health Care clinic with symptoms of post-viral COVID-19 or better known as prolonged COVID.
Unfortunately, so are many people like her. As coronavirus cases have declined across the country since last winter's peak, this newly described illness is estimated to affect up to 30 percent of recovering coronavirus patients.
That situation has drawn the attention of the media, the federal government and the medical community, raising concerns that the long-term public health impact of the disease could be overwhelming.
At Stanford, some doctors who have been treating patients with COVID-19 and researching COVID for a long time realized they needed a clinic specifically for patients like Flores.
"As the pandemic progressed, we began to see patients with all kinds of persistent symptoms after the initial COVID infection, such as fatigue, dizziness, cognitive dysfunction, mood symptoms, chest pain, shortness of breath, insomnia, loss of taste and smell, hair loss and sleep disturbances," said Linda Geng, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine, who co-directs the clinic at Stanford.
Persistent symptoms of COVID-19
Media stories about a large number of patients who recovered from COVID-19, but developed new and persistent symptoms, first appeared last summer.
The cause of prolonged COVID-19 remains unclear and the number of people who have it is unknown. It can persist for months and range from mild to disabling. There is no definitive laboratory test to diagnose it, and there are no standardized treatments. In many cases, patients wonder if they will ever get better, Stanford Medicine said.
In any case, he said, enough scientific evidence has accumulated to confirm that the problem is not only real but worrisome, according to the federal government. In December, Congress provided the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with $1.15 billion to study the long-term symptoms of COVID-19.
The NIH named the disease as a post-acute sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection and launched an initiative to find treatments.
"We don't yet know the magnitude of the problem, but given the number of people of all ages who have been or will be infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the public health impact could be profound," Francis Collins, director of the NIH, said in an press release announcing the initiative.
In May, a study by Stanford Medicine epidemiologists found that 70 percent of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 had at least one symptom months later; another analysis found that even those with less severe cases of the virus, and who were never hospitalized, were experiencing prolonged COVID.
Stanford doctors and scientists continue to track symptoms and perform imaging as they search for causes and treatments.
The PACS Clinic is designed as a portal that connects patients with prolonged COVID to a multidisciplinary team of post-COVID experts, including pulmonologists, cardiologists and neurologists, based on symptoms.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday appointed 14 county residents to the District Line Oversight Advisory Commission, which will be responsible for redistricting the county based on 2020 Census data and public input.
The county is divided into five districts, each represented by a supervisor. Every 10 years, state law requires counties to redraw their district maps based on census data to ensure that each district has the same population and that each board member has the same number of constituents.
While counties usually have their own staff and consultants redraw the district maps, San Mateo County supervisors decided to form a commission of resident volunteers to oversee the redistricting process.
After receiving 65 applications for the commission, county supervisors selected the fourteen members based on recommendations from the League of Women Voters of Southern San Mateo County, a nonpartisan education and advocacy group that encourages participation in government.
Members were selected based on associations with "good government, civil rights, civic engagement and community groups or organizations that are active in the county, including those active in language minority communities," according to a staff report.
The fourteen members selected to oversee the redistricting process in San Mateo are: Nirmala Bandrapalli, Nathan Chan and Hermes Monzon Ruiz for District One; Marcus Barber, James Lawrence and Kailen Sallander for District Two; Benj Azose, Nadia Bledsoe Popyack and Marian Lee for District Three; Mark Dinan and Rudy Espinoza for District Four; and Rita Chow, Miguel Louis -Rudy- Guerrero and Priscilla Romero for District Five.
The board also appointed two alternates: David Chu and Mark Olbert.
To ensure that each district has three members, the county will accept applications for District Four Seat 15. Applicants must live in District Four, which includes Redwood City, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park - east of El Camino Real - and the unincorporated North Fair Oaks area.
Applications will be accepted until noon on August 16. Residents can apply online or find instructions for applying by mail at https://cmo.smcgov.org/districtlines.
During Tuesday's meeting, several callers expressed support for the board's decision and requested that there be enough public workshops to help people understand the process and provide information.
Julia Marks, voting rights attorney for Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus, said the commission should hold more than two meetings before the census data is released.
"We've found that initial engagement can be really challenging because it's a complicated issue," Marks said based on caucus involvement in redistricting efforts in other California communities. "People often need multiple opportunities to listen and participate before they are ready to provide the very detailed information that the drafters will need to do their job."
After a series of public workshops, the San Mateo County Commission will recommend changes to the current district map and create a new map or draft maps. A professional demographer and county staff will assist with the process.
Board of Supervisors to approve final redistricting in San Mateo.
Current laws require the new district map to be fully approved by December 15 and the county is asking the commissioners to complete the map by November 15. a compact timeline and did not know if the legislation would extend the timeline.
Board Chairman David Canepa, who oversaw the recruitment efforts along with Supervisor Don Horsley, said his goal was to create a commission that reflects the county's diversity.
The commission is made up of a group of 8 men and 6 women, ages 23-73, who are ethnically diverse and from communities throughout the county.
"The next step is to invite all residents, regardless of age or immigration status, to participate in the process and contribute to our future," Canepa said in a statement. "The destination of those lines helps ensure that everyone has an equal voice."
The current district map is available online at https://bos.smcgov.org/.
For more information or to receive email updates about the District Lines Advisory Commission, visit https://cmo.smcgov.org/districtlines.
Pleasanton Police held a press conference where Pleasanton Police Lt. Erik Silacci made it known that A volunteer found, around 2:30 p.m., a body matching the characteristics of mountaineer Philip Kreycik, who had been missing in Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park since July 10 and whose wife reported him missing to authorities when he did not return home.
"We are unable to confirm the identity of the person located at this time," a news release states. "At this preliminary stage of the investigation, the cause of death of the individual is unknown and the Alameda County Coroner's Office will work to identify the decedent."
Today, authorities announced that after nearly a month of searching, a body matching the mountaineer's physical description was located. The family does not lose hope of finding Philip after his disappearance on July 10 and his car was found near the regional park with his belongings, including his phone and wallet.
Allison Rogers indicated on the Facebook page Find Philip Kreycik that, despite not having any more information indicating that Kreycik has been found, he extends his thanks to the people involved in the search for him and asked the community to wait for updates from the authorities.
The search was officially suspended after five days, so the search for Kreycik had to be resumed by volunteers. Although the climber was reported to be in good health, conditions for the hike into the hills were adverse as California faced a heat wave and Pleasanton was more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit - 38 degrees Celsius - complicating the ground search.
Over the past few days, helicopters were deployed to scour the area for the 37-year-old analyst who worked for PG&E, as well as ground elements, drones and specialized rescue hounds. The doctor Gustavo Bernal, of Mexican origin with experience in emergency and rescue, joined the search efforts in its probable route and indicated that the area of Pleasanton presented an arid environment and with practice of mountaineering "high risk" not only by the weather, but by the fauna that can put at risk the lives of people.
The Pleasanton Police Department clarified that Philip Kreycik's disappearance "is an ongoing investigation and anyone who may have seen Philip Kreycik on the day of his disappearance is asked to contact the Pleasanton Police Department at (925) 931-5107."
With the care of a mother attending her child, Felipe Garcia gently places a baby tamarind into a small clump of soil, where the sapling will be nurtured and slowly take root before being returned to the forest. At the edge of the Amazon, this one life-giving act stands out amid the backdrop of a nation wracked by decades of war and violence.
If the rivers and waterways of Colombia are its arteries, the forest is its beating heart, its fate intertwined with the future of a country grappling with the legacy of its tormented past.
“This is a form of resistance,” says Garcia, 30, gently patting down the soil as he reaches for another sapling, part of a small but growing nursery intended to help restore the surrounding forest.
Felipe Garica, 30, gently adds a sapling to a small but growing nursery of native Amazon trees at Escuela Bosque in Caquetá, Colombia. (Photo by author)
Colombia’s forests are among the world’s most biodiverse, home to more bird, amphibian, and plant species than almost anywhere else on the planet. The Amazon, which blankets much of the country’s southern region, plays a key role in regulating global weather patterns. Its survival — uncertain amid ongoing threats caused by deforestation and a warming planet — is key to avoiding the worst outcomes of climate change.
Rising rates of poverty and social inequality, which triggered nationwide protests in April, complicate efforts to protect these vital resources. But here, under the canopy of the world’s largest rainforest, where the shadows of Colombia’s half-century long armed conflict continue to loom, Garcia is part of a small team helping to sow the seeds of a more prosperous and equitable future, one tree at a time.
n 2019, Rozo, who is 40, embarked on a 400 km trek across Caquetá, earning him the moniker “Forest Gump of the Amazon.” The journey was an opportunity to immerse himself in a region known today more for its sprawling cattle ranches, a backbone of the local economy and also a
In 2019, Rozo, 40, embarked on a 400km trek through Caquetá, earning him the nickname the "Amazon Forest Gump." The trip was an opportunity to immerse himself in a region known for its sprawling cattle ranches, the backbone of the local economy, and key driver of forest loss. But it was also a publicity stunt of sorts, an effort to draw attention to the plight of Colombia’s Amazon and to the opportunity it presents for Caquetá and the country.
Julio Andres Rozo founded Escuela Bosque after a 400km trek through Caquetá, earning him the nickname “Forest Gump of the Amazon.”(Photo: Manuel Ortiz)
“We Colombians have not been able to apprise ourselves of the treasure that we have in the Amazon,” insists Rozo. “It has not been a priority for us.”
Deforestation in Colombia rose sharply following the signing of the peace accord with leftist FARC guerillas in 2016 as areas once off limits due to the conflict became open to rampant land grabbing. Caquetá and neighboring departments have seen some of the highest rates of deforestationin the country. While a slowing trend appears to be emerging , significant challenges remain, including illegal mining, narcotics, and an expanding agricultural frontier.
Turning that around requires education, a key component of Escuela Bosque’s mission, says Rozo, pointing to various structures across the property which in time will serve as classrooms, workshops, and lodging. Rozo envisions similar projects in other regions of the Colombian Amazon where visitors and local farmers alike can come to experience and learn about the forest’s role as a source of both life and livelihood.
Garcia peels back the cover on a beehive, one of close to a dozen that serve as educational tools for visitors to Escuela Bosque. (Photo: Manuel Ortiz)
“Education helps to raise awareness. But the kind of education we are aiming for inspires action. If I want to teach sustainability, I can’t be a normal teacher. I have to be a sustainable entrepreneur.”
Pointing to a row of beehives that line a nearby hillside, Rozo says the honey they produce is, like all aspects of Escuela Bosque, an educational tool demonstrating the vital role bees play in the local ecosystem and, critically, their potential to generate a sustainable income for families.
“That is the other half of the battle,” Rozo says. To bring projects like Escuela Bosque to scale, sustainability needs to be economically feasible for local families. “My biggest challenge is not so much engaging with my neighbors here but getting consumers in Bogotá and beyond to recognize their role in preserving these forests.”
EII Colombia Coordinator María Adelaida Fernández has spent the past several years working with local stakeholders and the regional government in Caquetá on the design and implementation of a low-emission, forest-friendly development strategy .
“Sustainable development is a long process. It doesn’t happen overnight,” says Fernández. “We are building a foundation, but to strengthen it we need greater access to national and global markets.”
Large swaths of cleared forest are part of the landscape in Caquetá, where an expanding agricultural frontier threatens the long-term health of Colombia’s Amazon. (Photo: Manuel Ortiz)
Fernández and her team are currently involved in several projects in Caquetá, all designed to bring more resources to the region by increasing the value of standing forests. These include efforts to improve access to credit for local cattle ranchers who are transitioning to more sustainable business models, as well as gaining deforestation-free certification for sustainable cacao producers. The latter would ensure access to key markets that are now considering policies to limit their exposure to commodities linked to forest loss.
Fernández is also coordinating a project that aims to help the regional government in Caquetá become eligible to sell carbon credits on the rapidly expanding global carbon market, potentially generating valuable incentives to keep forest standing.
“Right now, the forest does not provide economic opportunity. This is all people can count on to feed their families,” says Fernández, pointing to Caquetá’s seemingly endless expanse of cattle pasture. “They are doing what they know they can to put money in their pockets every day.”
Cattle ranching is the backbone of the economy in Caquetá and a major driver of forest loss. (Photo by author.)
Ascending a long flight of stairs Garcia disappears into the wall of trees that surrounds Escuela Bosque. Minutes later, sweat falling from his brow, he is crouched over a small sapling, which he carefully removes from the soil and places in a nearby container for transplant to the nursery below.
Under normal conditions saplings must wait for larger trees to fall, creating an opening in the canopy for much-needed sunlight to reach the forest floor, before they can grow. Garcia is accelerating this process, nurturing the saplings before replanting them in previously degraded or cleared forests, bringing life where once death prevailed.
With the right support, Garcia and Rozo maintain Escuela Bosque’s model offers as an alternative model to the business-as-usual approach of trading in natural resources for quick injections of cash, a tempting and perilous option as Colombia confronts an array of social and economic challenges.
“There used to be just one house there,” Garcia says, pointing to a small cluster of homes at the foot of the hill below Escuela Bosque. “Now there are 10.”
In Colombia and across much of Latin America, COVID-19 drove thousands to flee their homes in the city, arriving in rural areas like Caquetá where the weight of pandemic restrictions was lessened by greater access to fresh food, open space, and clean air. Patches of cleared forest surround the newly built homes while in the distance a narrow column of smoke rises toward the sky as felled trees are burned to create new pasture.
Standing over the nursery, Garcia tends to what will in time replenish what has been lost. “I feel tranquility here, and for me tranquility is happiness.”
By Pamela Cruz. With information from Eduardo Paz and Paola Ricaurte.Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
Nearly a year and a half after the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world, misinformation about the virus and the vaccines that have been developed to stop it is growing.
Flooding and spreading through instant messaging apps like Telegram and Whatsapp, groups like "Doctors for Truth" encourage conspiracy theories and influence the most vulnerable, to instill their misconceptions about COVID-19 and vaccines.
According to a P360P investigation by the Doctors for Truth network, carried out with the support of the Silicon Valley Community FoundationThe study, in which journalists and data scientists Eduardo Paz -Mexico- and Paola Ricaurte -Ecuadorian with studies at Harvard- have collaborated, identified five messages that during the month of June 2021 obtained more views and were more disseminated through Telegram.
The first is related to the denunciation of the circulation of materials that disseminate information associated with the group "Doctors aligned with the "plan-demic", using the name and logo of the group Doctors for the truth, where they mention that the battle against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is "a spiritual war".
The second message reports an experiment by Andreas Kalcker, presenting the results of an analysis of three vaccines, without mentioning exactly which ones, in which he apparently obtains magnetite residues, indicating that it can be manipulated by electromagnetic fields.
Andreas Kalcker, who presents himself as a scientist, so far unproven, is one of the main promoters of the consumption of chlorine dioxide to "eliminate" COVID-19 from the human body.
The analyses indicate that the image and videos of "Doctors for the truth" have been promoted by an evangelical network in Mexico.
However, social networks like Facebook and streaming platforms like YouTube have put a stop to this type of misinformation by closing the accounts -considering only the main one- of said group, for violating the rules of both channels.
The third message is associated with a series of images that apparently show a microscopic analysis of a person's blood before and after being vaccinated.
This message reports that the blood has been altered and nanoparticles can be observed. The text asserts that the life expectancy of people who have been vaccinated is two years and denounces the vaccine as genocide and a war on human blood.
The fourth message is a video in which "evidence" is apparently presented against virology, for not being scientific. Thus, based on a false reasoning, it is argued that a pandemic cannot be thought to exist just because multiple people present symptoms simultaneously.
The fifth message alludes to a fake news story about a Lisbon Court ruling that there are fewer coronavirus deaths than officially verified, however, the story on the Trikooba portal appears retracted according to data analysts.
The narratives that have spread through Telegram during the month of June reach as far as Patagonia, as the data verified by the two important analysts reveal that in terms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the main points that this type of group spreads are:
- In Argentina and in the world they are now admitting that the famous virus was designed in a laboratory".
- "The vaccine is not the end. The virus will mutate and this vaccine will be useless in the middle of 2021".
- Health situation caused by an alleged virus to make people believe that this "preparation" manages to immunize. That it does not immunize is evident".
- "Deaths and hospitalizations from infection by Covid-19, also known as PCCH virus, have tripled in the United States among those fully vaccinated."
On vaccine-related issues, the main narratives are:
- "There is definitely research to be done on this. The peak protein in the COVID vaccine 'travels' from the injection site and can cause organ damage."
- Professor 54 years old, healthy, without pathologies. He was vaccinated on the 28th with the second dose of AstraZeneca. He laughs at the injection. Suddenly dies".
- "Eric Clapton. The famous guitarist tells how the experimental vaccine has affected his immune system".
- "They have already reported several thousand deaths from the vaccine and more than 200,000 serious adverse effects."
COVID-19 disease is also mentioned with reasoning such as:
- Graphene is the magnetic material inoculated in Covid vaccines".
- Nanoparticles in COVID vaccines".
- "Covid. It's not pandemic, it's plandemic."
- "WHO does not recommend that vaccines be given to children."
- I HAVE BEEN VACCINATED AGAINST COVID. 7th June: his sister dies "unexpectedly", he announces that her funeral will be on 18th June".
Disinformation such as this has had the same speed as the virus to spread, and is also capable of producing death, as many are those who believe and encourage such theories, which are far from reality and science.
The international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world, Global Exchange is calling for participation in a petition calling on U.S. President Joseph Biden to end the "misguided" trade embargo on Cuba.
According to Global Exchange, Cuba has been at the center of global debate following recent protests over "widespread food and medicine shortages"; however, they point out that the U.S. government, led by Joe Biden, "turns a blind eye to the brutal 60-year economic war."
"The U.S. blockade against Cuba is designed precisely to create the shortages Cubans are experiencing and to foment social unrest on the island," Global Exchange declares while pointing out that such an economic strategy is akin to that of former President Donald Trump.
Biden has shown his concern for the crisis situation in Cuba, but this only reaches the level of social networks, so Global Exchange said that "if Biden really cares about the Cuban people, ending the severe shortage of food and medicine should be his top priority.
The crisis situation in Cuba has worsened with the arrival of COVID-19 that also affected the island, which brought protests in early July 2021 over the embargo that sustains the U.S. the Cuban government.
Faced with such a scenario, Global Exchange opened a form to ask U.S. President Joe Biden to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba and end the embargo.
According to Global Exchange data, the Donald Trump administration included more than 200 new sanctions toward Cuba and the new Biden administration has "added some of its own" including travel restrictions to Cuba and inclusion on its list of terrorist countries. "These sanctions are making life more difficult for Cubans, especially now that the coronavirus pandemic threatens the health of Cubans and the Cuban economy," Global Exchange says.
