"Alive they were taken, alive we want them!" is the demand one year after the forced disappearance of four activists. Alberth Centeno Tomas, Suami Mejía García, Gerardo Rochez Cálix and Milton Martínez Álvarez were deprived of their liberty on 18 June 2020 by individuals dressed as members of the Police Directorate of Investigations (DPI) in the indigenous Garífuna community of Triunfo de la Cruz, located in the department of Atlántida, Municipality of Tela, Honduras.
These activists are members of the Honduran Black Fraternal Organization (Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña -OFRANEH) and the Honduran authorities have not given any details or clues as to their whereabouts.
OFRANEH is responsible for protecting the economic, social and cultural rights of the Garifuna communities.
The human rights organization Global Exchange joins OFRANEH and the Committee for the Investigation and Search for the Disappeared of Triunfo de la Cruz -SUNLA, a word of Garifuna origin- "to tell the families of the disappeared and the entire community of Triunfo de la Cruz that they are not alone".
The search for Snider, Suami, Milton and Gerardo must continue. The Honduran State must investigate the circumstances that led to their disappearance and find their whereabouts.
Full support to OFRANEH and SUNLA in the struggle for justice and truth about the forced disappearances and the continued killings and criminalization of the Garifuna people in Honduras.
That the State of Honduras immediately execute the full sentences of Triunfo de la Cruz and Punta Piedra as ordered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Global Exchange is one of the many organizations that joins the demands of other international organizations such as Amnesty International, the United Nations, through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Honduras, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR).
Redwood City police arrested a 27-year-old man Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in an attempted jewelry store robbery on June 13.
The Police Department said the suspect, Angel Vera Galeana, entered Adriana's Jewelers, located at 2315th El Camino Real with a semi-automatic pistol.
Vera Galeana threatened the victim with the gun and demanded the safe and the items in the display case. He then struck the semi-automatic pistol several times and tried to pull the trigger, but it did not work, police said in a statement.
He added that after the gun misfired, the subject broke the glass display case with his right hand and ran out the door.
The suspect subsequently fled in an orange 2016-2021 Toyota Tacoma on Hancock Ave.
Finally, on Tuesday, July 20, detectives obtained multiple search warrants in Redwood City and Menlo Park after identifying Vera Galeana as a possible suspect in the jewelry store robbery.
Detectives arrested him for attempted armed robbery, possession and attempted use of a stolen firearm, and burglary.
Authorities have asked anyone with additional information about this incident to contact Detective Brian Luo at (650) 780-7619 or the Police Department Redwood City at (650) 780-7110.
The Delta variantthe highly transmissible and infectious strain of the coronavirus, now accounts for 83 percent of all sequenced COVID-19-positive cases in the United States, representing a "dramatic increase" in numbers since the beginning of the month, when it became the leading variant in the country.
So said Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCThe percentage increases in places where vaccination is still very low, he said.
During a Senate health committee hearing Tuesday, she said that while nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated, in fact, only less than half of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated.
The lowest vaccination rates are found in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and consequently infection rates are among the highest in these states.
Alabama ranks last in vaccination rates, with only 42.4 percent of its adult population fully vaccinated, while Vermont ranks first with 77.3 percent.
Walensky also detailed that COVID-19 deaths have increased by nearly 48 percent over the past week to an average of 239 deaths per day.
"Every death is tragic and even more heartbreaking when we know that most of these deaths could be prevented with a simple and safe vaccine," he said.
Two-dose vaccines have been shown to be effective against the Delta variant, but doubts remain about Johnson & Johnson's single-dose regimen against the Delta variant.
During the last two weeks, the rate of COVID-19 infection in the country has increased by 195 percent. While the national vaccination campaign has decreased significantly, after the country administered 521 thousand doses daily, which means a decrease of 85 percent since April when 3.38 million doses were administered daily.
Just last week, Walensky said that "this is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated. We're seeing outbreaks of cases in areas of the country with low vaccination coverage. Communities that are fully vaccinated are generally doing well.
Currently, the Delta variant represents a major challenge to controlling the epidemic worldwide. While the U.S. has a large number of vaccines, the real challenge is getting people to want to be immunized.
For his part, the director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned of the possible emergence of new variants of the virus that could be "even more dangerous than Delta".
"The more transmission, the more variants will emerge with the potential to be even more dangerous than the Delta strain that is causing so much devastation now. And the more variants there are, the greater the likelihood that one of them will evade vaccines and take us all back to square one," the official said Wednesday in a speech at the 138th session of the International Olympic Committee.
«Sin preguntas. Sin estigmas. TODOS los niños de California tienen acceso a comidas gratuitas en las escuelas», tuiteó el gobernador del estado, Gavin Newsom, para dar a conocer esta medida que cambiará la vida de miles de pequeños.
And that's because the state of California will begin providing free school meals on a permanent basis. The measure, which will begin this fall, has been praised by advocates as a big step toward ending food insecurity.
State officials said this action is the first of its kind in the U.S.: making free meals permanent for all public school students, regardless of their family's income.
Until before the pandemic, more than 3.6 million California students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school. That was nearly 60 percent of the state's entire student body.
Parents seeking to qualify their children for the federal free lunch program had to list their income and immigration status. However, when the pandemic hit, the federal government eliminated the income requirements for free meals, allowing schools to offer meals to anyone in need.
So starting this fall, everything will be different for millions of parents and students, as breakfast and lunch will be completely free without a single question.
According to School Meals for All, right now, nearly 20 percent of all California households, 27.3 percent of Latino households with children, and 35.5 percent of African American households are food insecure.
"This is double the pre-pandemic rates, which affect an estimated 8 million Californians," the organization said in a June communiqué.
In addition, universal free lunch programs ensure that no one is left behind and eliminate the stigma associated with qualifying for free or reduced-price meals because of household income, said the coalition of more than 200 organizations representing health, education, labor, agriculture and food banks.
Kathy Saile, director of No Kid Hungry, said, "For millions of California students, the breakfast and lunch they receive at school are the only meals they get. The pandemic has highlighted the incredibly important role that daily, nutritious school meals play in the fight against childhood hunger and food insecurity.
The state of California will invest $650 million in ongoing funding in fiscal 2022-23 to support universal free school nutrition, and $150 million to improve kitchen infrastructure and nutrition training, the governor's office said in a statement.
In addition, AB 130 legislation, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, will also reverse:
3 billion to convert thousands of school sites into full-service community schools, with more learning time, family engagement, and comprehensive health, mental health, and social services.
1.8 billion in continued funding for summer and extended day (after school) programs for all those serving the most vulnerable students with $5 billion by 2025.
2.9 billion to match well-prepared teachers with the most vulnerable students, including $500 million in grants for teachers who commit to high-need schools and $250 million to attract expert teachers to high-poverty schools.
A continued increase of $1.1 billion to improve staff-to-student ratios in all schools serving the highest concentrations of vulnerable students, including up to five counselors, nurses, teachers, or for additional educators in each school.
490 million to support construction and renovation of state preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten facilities, culminating in $2.7 billion in ongoing funding from 2025-26 to achieve universal prekindergarten for all four-year-olds.
More than $1.5 billion in ongoing, one-time increases to fund special education, including $260 million for early intervention for preschool-age children.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday provided support to local small food businesses facing economic hardship as part of a $2.8 million COVID-19 aid package.
The package includes new emergency support for small food businesses such as food truck operators and other businesses affected by the pandemic.
The Board also launched a pilot program for home-based chefs to prepare food in their own kitchens to sell directly to consumers.
It should be noted that this is the first time the county has specifically targeted assistance to "micro food business" operators.
"What we are doing today provides new economic opportunities for those who need them most, including women, immigrants, and people of color," said Board Chairman David J. Canepa.
He also assured that "this modest investment will make a difference for the hard-working families who happen to be excellent cooks and at the same time stimulate the local economy".
The food service industry was hard hit by the pandemic's confinement, which meant a death sentence for many small business owners.
"Supporting San Mateo businesses like food trucks and carts, and incubator kitchens are a means for entrepreneurs to create lasting businesses," Supervisor Dave Pine said. "Helping these small businesses will benefit our local economy now and in the future."
Thus, the supervisors approved three grant programs, one open to any eligible small business and two targeted to the food service industry.
First, the Board launched the Micro Food Enterprise Grant Program, which will distribute a total of $500,000 in grants to cottage food operators, caterers, food truck and food cart operators, commissary or incubator kitchens.
Applicants must have a small food service business legally operating in San Mateo County by January 1, 2021 and meet the requirements. Businesses that received assistance from previous programs are not eligible.
In addition, the Board approved the establishment of the Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operator Ordinance, the Pilot Program and the Grant Program with $238,000 in seed money.
Within the framework of the pilot programmeIn California, home chefs may legally prepare and sell limited amounts of food directly to consumers. The county is one of the few jurisdictions in California that allows home kitchens for microbusinesses.
Meanwhile, chefs who receive operating permits from the county's Environmental Health Services division will be able to apply for grants of up to $2,500 each.
Finally, the Board appropriated $2 million for the 2021 SMC Strong Small Business Assistance Program, which provides a new round of funding for local small businesses impacted by the pandemic that did not receive previous county, state or federal assistance.
In that regard, applicants must meet certain requirements for grants of up to $10,000 that can be used for past-due rent, operating expenses, and other needs.
Funding for all three programs will come from the federal American Rescue Plan or other state or federal aid programs.
They alert aggressions by the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad -Esmad- towards the civilian population during the peaceful day.
Update: According to the first reports, clashes are reported in Usme, locality number 5 of Bogota.
In Puerto Resistencia and Loma de la Dignidad and in a large part of Cali, the Esmad has responded with violent attacks against the civilian population with gunfire and tear gas that have left one person dead and one injured.
Likewise, in Bogota, the number of injured people is reported to rise to more than 10.
The organization Global Exchange published an open letter addressed to the President of the Government of Colombia, Ivan Duque, and the commanders of the National Police of Colombia before the celebration of the 211 years of the Independence of Colombia. The national strike Committee urged sectors of the population s mobilize in the streets to continue the protests arising from the national strike that began on April 28. Since the early hours of Tuesday, demonstrations have been held at strategic points of the country.
In this sense, the letter signed by the executive board of Global Exchange, refers that "social organizations, free citizens and young people" promised to protest peacefully on an important date in the history of Colombia as a nation. Therefore, Global Exchange urged "the Colombian government and local authorities to respect the constitutional rights" of freedom of expression, freedom of movement, the full right to demonstrate, "but above all the right to life, integrity and dignity".
However, local media reported riots in Puerto Resistencia and Loma de la Dignidad by the Esmad -Escuadrón Móvil Antidisturbios- in Cali with the use of tear gas at 16:40 local time. The Colombian Government Secretariat justified the acts by alleged attacks on the facilities of Portal Américas, which resulted in a confrontation between Esmad and members of Primera Línea.
It is unfortunate that the same old people are sabotaging a day that has passed peacefully in all localities.
The intervention of the police is necessary to protect the Portal of the Americas. pic.twitter.com/n6HyRSHWRrr
- Luis Ernesto Gómez👟 (@LuisErnestoGL) July 20, 2021
In addition, users on social networks report as a balance, a person killed by shooting and one injured by the police forces of Colombia in the neighborhood of Los Alcazares in Cali.
At the same time, Ivan Duque said on his Twitter account: "We pay tribute to the families of our heroes and those of all Colombians who have lost loved ones to the pandemic and violence".
We pay tribute to the families of our heroes and those of all Colombians who have lost loved ones to the pandemic and violence. Today we must be more Colombian than ever, to find solutions that will make us greater as a society. #LibertadQueUnepic.twitter.com/GN3awcBfHf
In which he also showed his support for the Colombian Armed Forces and the National Police: "Colombia must reject violence, wherever it comes from. And we reiterate that our #FuerzaPública is subject to the highest human rights standards. Therefore, we support it, we strengthen it, and we also demand it. #ColombiaNoSeDetiene," he said.
Colombia must reject violence, wherever it comes from. And we reiterate that our #PublicForce is subject to the highest human rights standards. That is why we support it, strengthen it and also demand it. #ColombiaNoSeDeStienepic.twitter.com/uvQQJrJALbf
The protests originated when the president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, announced a new tax reform that would strongly impact the economy of the disadvantaged classes of the nation, which led young people, peasants, indigenous, and Afro-descendants to demonstrate in different parts of the country to demand better living conditions for the economically vulnerable sectors of Colombia who demand equal access to education, quality health services, and decent jobs.
These demonstrations turned violent when the government of Iván Duque ordered the Colombian police force to repress the protests by using weapons against the civilian population; according to the organization Temblores.Since April 28th, there have been 228 situations in which the Colombian National Police have used their weapons against the demonstrating population, so now, in the protests, the Duque government is also demanding justice for the victims whose human rights have been violated by the state in which many people have lost their lives or have been left with life-long injuries.
In the face of violence by Colombian police forces, Global Exchange reports, protesters have had to rely on "the use of protective gear such as helmets, gloves, goggles and shields" to protect themselves; however, the National Police prohibits the wearing of these items during protests.
Finally, Global Exchange recognizes that the police forces under Duque's command have generated "multiple victims and complaints" brought to local, national and international authorities about excessive use of force and alleged accusations "that attempt to criminalize social protest".
Police arrested a 38-year-old man for probable auto theft early Saturday morning in Redwood City.
Around midnight officers responded to a call at 1405 Marshall Street. The suspect named Gerardo Santana approached the passenger and with a gun forced the driver out of the vehicle and then drove away southbound on Chestnut, the Police Department said.
The vehicle was located at 2:46 a.m. behind a building at 3698 Haven Avenue, where the suspect fled on foot. Officers from the Redwood City and Menlo Park police departments searched the area and a nearby homeless encampment to find Santana hiding under a trailer.
Police arrested him on suspicion of grand theft auto and drug possession.
Authorities advised anyone who may have additional information about this incident to contact Detective Sergeant Nick Perna at (650) 780-7672, or the Redwood City Police Department tip line at (650) 780-7110.
As wildfires rage and drought grips Northern California, San Mateo County officials are promoting a "know your zone" campaign so residents can learn a short code to help save lives in an emergency.
Emergency responders will use the code to direct evacuations or issue shelter-in-place orders for specific areas of the Peninsula. And with lessons learned from last year's CZU Lightning Complex fire, local officials are looking to avoid tragedy.
"Know your zone", that's how it works:
Emergency managers have divided the peninsula into more than 300 zones on a map available online, supported by Zonehaven, a California-based company. Each zone is assigned a short code and any resident can access to know their area.
For example: "SMC-E001" is the San Mateo Highlands, "MP-E008" is approximately Belle Haven of Menlo Park, and "DC-E004" is an area of Daly City near San Francisco.
Why approximately? Because the zones may not follow traditional neighborhood or even city boundaries. Instead, the zones are optimized for the best evacuation routes to avoid confusion over arbitrary boundaries.
In the event of an emergency, first responders will issue evacuation or other orders and warnings based on zones. This information will be sent through the media, social media such as Twitter, emergency alert notifications and other platforms.
"When it comes to emergency response every minute counts," said San Mateo County Supervisor Don Horsley, whose District 3 includes the coast from Pacifica to the Santa Cruz County border.
"Zonehaven gives emergency services the ability to develop perfectly localized evacuation plans quickly and collaboratively, and that can be shared with the public immediately," he added.
The Zonehaven platform can also be quickly updated with emergency shelter locations and other vital information if needed.
Emergency officials noted that last year's CZU Lightning Complex fire, the largest and most damaging in the county's recorded history, and the early start of the 2021 fire season make clear the need for all residents to "know their zone."
What should be done?
First, all San Mateo County residents should know their home, work and school zones, and then write those codes down in an easily accessible place.
In the event of an emergency, the Zonehaven platform is updated with real-time evacuation routes. Fire departments and other first responder agencies throughout the county will update the platform so that evacuation routes and other information is timely and localized.
As part of the "know your area" campaign, officials have urged residents to follow local emergency services on social media platforms in real time and sign up for SMC Alert, a free service that sends emergency text, voice and other messages to email accounts; cell and smart phones, tablets, landlines, home and work phones.
With additional information from Sunita Sohrabji. Video and photographs by Manuel Ortiz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
YREKA, California - More than 600 Hmong Americans from across California and as far away as Milwaukee and Minneapolis rallied Saturday at the Siskiyou County Courthouse in Yreka to demand a federal investigation into the June 28 fatal shooting of a Hmong father of three by law enforcement.
According to Mai Vang, a Sacramento councilmember who spoke at the July 17 rally, the protest has made this sparsely populated county in the foothills of Mount Shasta the new focus of Asian-American resistance to the rise of anti-Asian violence in the state.
In this case, the targets are Asian-Americans of Hmong, Cambodian, Laotian and Chinese descent who have settled in growing numbers in the county, many of them to grow small plots of cannabis in much the same way as their families did in Laos and Cambodia. The shooting intensified growing racial tensions between county authorities and cannabis growers. Although cannabis is legal in California, outdoor cultivation is prohibited in Siskiyou County. Growers are allowed to grow up to 12 plants indoors.
The shooting victim, identified as Soobleej Kaub Hawj, 35, allegedly turned the wrong way at a checkpoint on the A 12 near Weed during a mandatory evacuation order of the region in the early hours of the Lava fire. His wife and three children were in a second car behind him.
Law enforcement says he was turning back toward the evacuation zone when he was stopped, and that he was pointing a semi-automatic handgun.
Community activists differ, saying it was too dark to see inside the truck. A photo taken by an eyewitness shows the sides of the truck riddled with 21 bullet impacts and both side windows blown out. Activists also say an eyewitness video records the sound of at least 40 to 60 bullets being fired.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Department did not issue a formal statement, but posted a response on its Facebook page: "Officer-involved shootings are complex investigations that take time to thoroughly investigate. There are certain details surrounding this incident that have not been made public as the investigation is ongoing; however, a comprehensive incident report will be made public in the future once the investigation is complete."
Zurg Xiong - a 33-year-old local activist who began a hunger strike on July 9 to demand justice for Hawj - was at the center of the July 17 rally. In a letter to Siskiyou Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue and the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors, which was circulated among the protesters, Zurg reiterated his demands: the release of all video camera footage, an official investigation into the shooting, and an end to racial discrimination against the Hmong community, including restrictive water regulations that activists say target Hmong farmers.
Surrounded by family members keeping a constant vigil, Zurg told the protesters that he was prepared to die if justice was not served.
Many elderly protesters, including Vietnam War veterans dressed in military fatigues, expressed a sense of betrayal at the county authorities' characterization of Hmong farmers as the "Hmong Cartel."
"Why do they hate the Hmong?" asked Dr. Lee Yao Pang of Sacramento, who was referring, like many at the protest, to the volley of bullets fired at Hawj's car.
"We served US forces in the secret war in Laos, rescued US pilots, lost over 35,000 lives supporting the U.S. Now we are accused of running a secret war on drugs here."
"What would a cartel be doing calling for dialogue and peacefully protesting like this?" asked Ed Szendrey, former chief investigator for the Butte County prosecutor's office, who has helped secret war veterans since the 1990s and came to the protest from Chico. He said the county's water regulations were so restrictive that they were driving Hmong farmers out of the county.
"It's as if they assume that every drop of water goes to cannabis cultivation, but people need water for cooking, for bathing, for living. Old couples now have to go to the stream for water.
Six Asian Americans filed a lawsuit on June 4, 24 days before Hawj was killed, seeking a temporary restraining order barring the Sheriff's Office from monitoring water delivery trucks in the Mount Shasta Vista area, where Hmongs make up the majority of residents. The plaintiffs claimed their water rights were violated in an ill-conceived plan to curtail marijuana cultivation. Read the lawsuit here: https://ecf.caed.uscourts.gov/doc1/033112450266
In their answer to the complaint, the defendants noted that thousands of pounds of illegally grown marijuana, with a street value of between $59 million and $179 million, had been seized in the area: https://ecf.caed.uscourts.gov/doc1/033112458714
The county regulation also prohibits pipes carrying more than 100 gallons of water, which activists say leads to racial discrimination against any Hmong who drive a truck with water. "People don't just lose their water, they lose their trucks," Szendrey said, "Alfalfa and wheat farmers use infinitely more water, and they're not stopped or questioned about their water use."
The water restrictions are on certain roads that cover much of the Hmong community, he said. "Even if it's not explicitly stated, this makes it a racist issue. There is a strong social group that wants to drive the Hmong out."
Szendery and other supporters of the Hmong community are calling for a Justice Department investigation into the Hawj shooting.
Mary Ly, a 20-year-old wife and mother of two, moved to Siskiyou from Denver last year to care for her mother. Since the water ordinances were passed, she said, she has experienced increasing animosity directed at herself and anyone who looks Hmong.
"After the regulations were passed, cars followed me home. People would take my picture and bother me. I'm a young Asian American girl, what if this happened to my mother? I'm scared of my mother going to the grocery store." Ly works in retail and says she sees how clerks disrespect Hmong elders. "I've never experienced racism like this before," she says.
Amid chants of "Shi lou, Shi pa" - love one another, help one another - speakers and protesters stressed that, in addition to seeking justice for an unexplained death, their goal was to seek dialogue with the authorities.
"We want to show the sheriff that we are strong and we have a voice," said Peter Thao, one of the organizers of the event. "We want to make sure the investigation moves forward and that they release the images of the body. But here's an opportunity to get to know each other and open a dialogue, and if law enforcement needs to be taught our culture, we're open to that."
John Thoa and his wife run a nonprofit for seniors in Fresno and have made the trip to Yreka because "this is a dialogue we need to have - among all our Asian groups - to express our concerns about what's going on here."
Nhoua Xiong, a Chico State student who grew up in Milwaukee, was inspired to join the protest by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s call that "injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere."
We have put aside tribal issues - we have 18 clans - and we are learning, after only 50 years of being in America, what it means to be an American: "to have the right to disagree.
But the optimism and call for dialogue is tempered by despair at the daily cruelty the Hmong say they experience. Among the demands in Zurg Xiong's letter to the sheriff and the Board of Supervisors is that Hawj's dog, Silk, who was also shot, be immediately released to the family. Silk was picked up by law enforcement officers the night of the shooting and will reportedly be "adopted."
