Blog - Page 325 of 399 - Peninsula 360 Press

Colombia's President denounces attack on helicopter in which he was traveling

Pamela Cruz

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2021.06.30

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

The President of Colombia, Ivan Duque, denounced that the helicopter that transported him along with other officials was attacked with firearms on Friday.

According to data from the Ministry of Defense, the ship was heading from the municipality of Sardinata, department of Norte de Santander, to the city of Cucuta.

The officials accompanying President Duque were Diego Molano and Daniel Palacios, Ministers of Defense and Interior, respectively.

In addition, the governor of Norte de Santander, Silvano Serrano, was also in the aircraft.

"Here they do not intimidate us with acts of terrorism," said Duque himself in a video he posted on social networks.

"I want to inform the country that after fulfilling a commitment in Sardinata, in the Colombian Catatumbo and approaching the city of Cucuta, the presidential helicopter was the victim of an attack ... Both the aerial device and the capacity of the aircraft prevented something lethal from happening," he said hours later in an official statement from Cucuta.

The president did not specify the time of the attack or its possible perpetrators.

Duque described the act as "cowardly" and assured that this will not make him give up the fight against drug trafficking, terrorism and "organized crime operating in the country".

"IT WAS THE POLICE," Colombia's cry for those killed in protests

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.06.30

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"It was the police", Colombia's clamor for those killed in demonstrations

By P360P Editor

On April 28, thousands of people took to the streets in dozens of Colombian cities to protest against a tax reform bill. The government withdrew the proposal a few days later, but the demonstrations continued for underlying reasons such as economic inequality, police violence, unemployment and lack of public services. Because of these demonstrations dozens of Colombians did not return home, they were killed, "IT WAS THE POLICE".

Police have repeatedly dispersed peaceful demonstrations arbitrarily and with excessive and often brutal use of force, including the use of lethal ammunition.

The organization Human Rights Watch -HRW- has documented numerous direct police killings, as well as violent beatings, sexual abuse and arbitrary arrests of protesters and bystanders.

This is the story of 6 young people who were killed for raising their voices in the face of injustice.

The loved ones of Kevin, Santiago, Nicolas, Nicolas, Yinson, Edwin, and Marcelo have a hole in their souls, a piece of their lives was taken from them. Their voices today cry out and cry out for justice for those who will not return.

Kevin Antoni Agudelo

It was May 3, 10:15 p.m. when Kevin Agudelo, a 22-year-old warehouseman, was shot. He was in Cali, department of Valle del Cauca.

Agudelo had been participating in a "velatón," a candlelight vigil, for people injured in previous protests, two witnesses told Human Rights Watch.

Protesters were peacefully blocking traffic at a roundabout when officers from the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) began firing stun guns and tear gas, according to three witnesses. Several protesters responded by throwing stones.

One said he heard shots that sounded like lethal ammunition. He noted that Agudelo, who had been hiding behind a pole, ran towards the witness along with another protester. The witness saw a policeman shoot Agudelo from close range. The other protester was also wounded, the witness said.

According to HRW, which had access to three videos that appear to match the witness' account of Agudelo lying next to the other injured protester, it also had access to a photograph of Kevin's body.

The photograph shows wounds to the chest and arms that forensic experts from the Independent Forensic Experts Group (IFEG) said were consistent with wounds caused by lethal munitions fire.

A judicial authority with knowledge of the case stated that preliminary evidence indicates that the police were allegedly responsible for the shooting.

Santiago Andrés Murillo

Santiago Andrés Murillo, a 19-year-old student from Ibagué, Tolima department, was shot at about 10 p.m. on May 1 while walking home from his girlfriend's house, according to his girlfriend and Murillo's mother.

In one video, several protesters are shown assisting Murillo as he lies on the ground. HRW also obtained photographs of the body, with wounds to the left armpit and chest that IFEG forensic experts say are consistent with having been caused by lethal ammunition.

Military justice officials arrested two police officers on murder charges in this case on May 6 and released them on June 2. A prosecutor asked the Constitutional Court on May 11 to rule that the investigation should be conducted solely by the Prosecutor's Office, not the military justice system. The court has yet to issue a verdict.

Nicolas Guerrero

Nicolás Guerrero, a 26-year-old graffiti artist, died from a gunshot wound to the left side of his head at approximately 1:00 a.m. on May 3 in Cali, Valle del Cauca.

The organization said Guerrero had been assisting injured protesters during a protest in the Calima neighborhood, a witness said, and joined the front row of demonstrators minutes before he was shot.

Some of the protesters had been throwing rocks at the police. The witness heard a single shot fired as he was walking away and, turning around, saw that Guerrero was wounded.

He said that the shot was fired by the police, as they were the only ones in front of the front row of demonstrators. He also said that he had already seen police officers open fire on them that night.

The photograph of Guerrero's body shows the head wound. A judicial authority with knowledge of the case indicated that preliminary evidence suggests that the shot was fired by a police officer.

Yinson Andrés Angulo Rodríguez

At approximately 16:40 on May 1 in Cali, Yinson Andrés Angulo Rodríguez, was killed, died from a gunshot wound.

The 23-year-old electrician had been walking with a friend, watching the demonstrations, and then stopped at a park in the Calimio neighborhood, his friend told HRW.

There were protesters throwing stones, and the police responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Two stun grenades hit protesters on the front line, the friend said, and as everyone ran he heard several shots. He turned around to look for Angulo but couldn't see him. He approached a group of people who were shouting "get him out, they shot him. It was Angulo's limp body.

HRW detailed that a judicial authority with knowledge of the case said that Angulo died from the impact of a lethal ammunition and that preliminary evidence indicates that the bullet belonged to the police.

Edwin Villa Escobar

Edwin Villa Escobar, a 38-year-old gas technician, died in Cali on April 30.

Villa was preparing a "sancocho" for other demonstrators during a protest in the Diamante neighborhood when, at about 4:30 p.m., police tried to disperse the demonstration, according to a relative of the victim.

Some protesters threw stones at police and officers began firing lethal ammunition, according to videos corroborated by HRW. Villa was injured. A protester took him to a local hospital, where doctors referred him to a clinic for emergency surgery.

Edwin died a few hours later. Doctors told the family that he had received a gunshot wound to the left ear. A judicial authority with knowledge of the case told the organization that the evidence points to the police.

Marcelo Agredo Inchima

He was only 17 years old. Marcelo Agredo Inchima was a student. He died while participating in a demonstration in Cali on 28 April.

Around 3:30 p.m., police dispersed a demonstration in an area of the city known as Puerto Rellena, said a relative of Agredo's who was with him at the protest.

Agredo and other protesters began running, one witness said, toward Mariano Ramos, a nearby neighborhood. There, Agredo kicked a police officer in the back, according to video footage corroborated by HRW. The officer turned and shot Marcelo as he ran away.

The relative said he heard several shots and people shouting "they killed him, they killed one of them!

When he approached, he found the young man Marcelo with a head wound. Judicial authorities with knowledge of the case indicated that he had been shot with a firearm. On 12 May, the Public Prosecutor's Office arrested and charged the officer with aggravated homicide in connection with the case.

These stories, all collected by HRW, tell of the hundreds of deaths that have occurred in the demonstrations, many of them due to police abuse.

The stories continue to appear and continue to be written in different neighborhoods of Colombia. The voices of thousands continue to cry out "IT WAS THE POLICE".

You may be interested in: Colombian government opts for force instead of dialogue as protests continue

At least 30 Latin Americans missing after Miami building collapse

USA USA and World

Pamela Cruz

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2021.06.30

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At least 30 Latin Americans missing after Miami building collapse

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

After the early hours of Thursday morning an apartment building in the community of Surfside, Miami, South Florida, partially collapsed, consulates of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Colombia reported that at least 30 nationals are missing.

According to local media, there are nine Argentines, six Paraguayans, six Colombians, six Venezuelans and three Uruguayans.

So far, more than 80 rescue units have responded to the disaster, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue reported. The cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, and investigations and rescue efforts will continue.

At least four people are known to be dead and 159 are missing after the 12-storey building collapsed.

In statements to the newspaper 'The Miami Herald', the spokesman for emergency services, Ray Jadallah, confirmed that about 55 apartments collapsed early Thursday morning, around 1:30 local time, leaving a large mountain of debris in the Surfside neighborhood.

Most residents in the building, called Champlain Towers South, were asleep when the incident took place.

The rescue could take weeks

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the site Thursday afternoon and called the collapse "truly dramatic," and reported that the Red Cross is placing victims in hotels.

Equipment was brought to the area, but Surfside Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer said search and rescue operations could take days, according to NBC News.

"It could be weeks before we really know who is under the rubble, who survived, who did not survive," as the thunderstorm that has fallen in recent hours caused an interruption of the work, which also involves a special team of search dogs, he said.

Several Latinos in the collapse

The Paraguayan Foreign Ministry reported that at least six Paraguayans were in the building when it collapsed, including Sophia Lopez Moreira, sister of the first lady, Silvana de Lopez Moreira.

The Colombian Foreign Ministry also confirmed that six Colombians were residing in the property, and it is still being verified whether they were in the place at the time of the events.

On the other hand, sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina said, in statements to the agency Télam, that 10 Argentines were in the apartments, although one of them was rescued; the rest are still missing.

For his part, U.S. President Joe Biden said the government is prepared to intervene in the area, so it is expected that today is declared a state of emergency in Florida, which would release funds for aid.

"I tell the people of Florida that the federal government can give them all the help they need," the president said at a press conference.

Subsequently, the governor of Florida declared a state of emergency because of the event, as the mayor of Miami-Dade had requested, so now she will be able to receive help from the federal government.

With information from CNN, NBC News and Europa Press.

Hand, wrist, neck pain: your devices could be the cause

Pamela Cruz

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2021.06.30

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Hand, wrist, neck pain: your devices could be the cause

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

Advances in technology, confinement due to the pandemic, and the increasing use of technological devices have made musculoskeletal injuries increasingly common.

According to Mauricio Ravelo Izquierdo, an academic at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Quervain's tendonitis and text neck or neck pain from texting, which due to the discomfort and inflammation they cause can be extremely disabling.

He explained that the first symptom is mild pain, which if left unattended can become intense, to the point of immobilizing the inflamed area and cause an increase in temperature and discoloration.

In the case of the hand, the discomfort can go from the thumb to the middle part of the forearm, and in the neck from the nape of the neck to the back of the shoulders; in some cases it causes lesions in the nerve endings that emerge from the cervical spine.

Quervain's disease, said the professor of the degree in Physical Therapy, is an injury that occurs basically by inflammation of two tendons that go to the thumb: the extensor pollicis brevis and abductor longus.

However, he said, these conditions can be avoided if the cell phone is used wisely: for periods no longer than 30 minutes, and leave it aside for at least an hour and a half to rest the hand and neck.

For her part, Dr. Tamara Rozental, an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hand, wrist and elbow disorders at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said the repetitive motions of texting and typing can cause widespread hand pain due to underlying osteoarthritis -- the wearing away of cartilage in the joints.

"The use of these devices does not cause osteoarthritis, but if you are prone to osteoarthritis, it can increase your symptoms," the specialist said in an article issued by Harvard Medical School.

He explained that while typing on a laptop or desktop keyboard does not cause carpal tunnel syndrome -- a condition in which the median nerve is compressed as it passes through a small area in the wrist known as the carpal tunnel -- it can highlight symptoms of the condition, such as pain, tingling and numbness in the thumb, index finger, middle finger and inner half of the ring finger.

He added that too much leaning on the elbows can worsen cubital tunnel syndrome, in which the ulnar nerve is compressed where it passes through tissue near the elbow called the cubital tunnel. Symptoms include pain, numbness or tingling in the ring or little finger.

Neck and back pain

Looking at an electronic device for long periods of time can cause neck and back pain.

"You're stretching the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the neck and upper back," explains Dr. Andrew White, an orthopedic surgeon and co-director of the Spine Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "It's the posture and the amount of time in that posture that matters."

The expert stressed that this type of pain is temporary and will not cause permanent back or neck problems. "But it's uncomfortable and can also irritate the occipital nerve where the spine connects to the base of the skull, which can cause headaches.

Hand and wrist corrections

Treatments for hand or wrist conditions include taking a break from offensive activity; splinting; short-term use of over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol); exercises to stretch the tendons; and sometimes steroid injections.

The way you use electronic devices will also need to change. If texting with your thumbs causes pain, you may need to use other fingers or a stylus.

"If you have pain or deformity in the hand, use voice commands or use a thicker stylus to put less stress on the thumb joint," Rozental said.

To relieve carpal tunnel pain you should set up your workstation so that your forearms are parallel to the floor, your wrists are straight and in line with your forearms, and your elbows are relaxed and bent at a 90-degree angle at your waist.

"Using a vertical mouse puts your hand in a less stressful position. And keep the mouse in front of you, not to the side," suggests the expert.

Back and neck corrections

To alleviate back and neck pain, posture should be adjusted when using a device. "Keep your gaze parallel to the floor instead of down," suggests Dr. White.

It's helpful to raise your computer monitor so it's at eye level. And you can do the same with handheld devices by propping them up on pillows.

It also urges you to prevent pain by exercising and strengthening the core muscles that support the spine.

"If you're in good physical shape," Dr. White stressed, "it's been shown that you're less likely to develop neck or back pain."

East Palo Alto Safe Parking Program helps residents in search of housing

Pamela Cruz

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2021.06.30

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East Palo Alto Safe Parking Program helps residents in search of housing

By Pamela Cruz / Bay City News

When Lupita Lara became homeless a decade ago, she had to deal with the problem on her own. Now, as a case manager for WeHOPE, an East Palo Alto nonprofit that serves people who are homeless or living in their vehicles, she's providing the help she never received.

The high cost of rent sometimes pushes low-income people out of their homes, out of state or onto the streets. In 2019, 1,512 people in this county were counted homeless in San Mateo County.

Since that same year, WeHOPE has operated a secure RV parking program at 1798 Bay Road. The parking lot provides a safe place for up to 20 RVers to park their vehicles for free. Residents also receive free services and meals so they can save money for future housing.

Half of Bay Area renters are rent-burdened. They spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, according to the Bay Area Equity Atlas, a regional data center that analyzes data and reports on inequality trends.

Of those, 494 lived in mobile homes, had to park on the streets and deal with city laws that might prohibit parking in certain areas or at certain times.

Rising rents pushed Maria Elena Vasquez and her husband to move into an RV, where they now live in WeHOPE's safe parking program. Vasquez has lived for the past two years at the Bay Road site, where she feels safe and secure after living on the streets.

"It's ugly to live on the street," Vasquez said in an interview. "Here we feel protected."

After Vasquez's landlord doubled the rent on their Menlo Park studio - they would have had to pay more than $3,000 - Vasquez's husband bought a mobile home for a one-time cost of about $4,000.

Buying the trailer was cheaper than paying monthly rent. But living on the street brought its own challenges.

"We would park wherever we could find a spot," Vasquez said, adding that she worried she would be robbed or that "someone was going to shoot me because I worked nights and got home early in the morning."

In the secure RV parking program, residents receive free water, electricity, showers, daily meals and 24-hour security. Renting a spot in some private RV parks can cost $80 per night or more than $1,000 per month on the Peninsula.

"Thank God they haven't charged us anything since the day we moved here," Vasquez said. "All of that helps us save the little money we receive... We have a lot of help from the program, but it's not enough because we want to have a place to live."

But the search for permanent housing has been long and fruitless so far. Vasquez, unemployed because of the pandemic, said she has filled out multiple applications but hasn't heard back from any of them. The waiting list for affordable housing can be months, sometimes years.

A "ladder" out of homelessness

Since the program's inception in 2019, WeHOPE has helped 34 of its last 73 clients move into permanent housing, which is their ultimate goal. This May, the park was full, with five people on the waiting list.

As WeHOPE's lead case manager, Lara helps connect residents with health care, housing applications or life logistics, such as getting a license, for example.

"I advocate for them as much as I can," Lara said. "My clients know they can call me whenever they want ... I work eight to five, but I'm always there for them."

His proudest moment was when one of his clients bought his own house with the money he saved while living in the park.

"A lot of customers say I'm a little strict, but in the end they thank me," Lara said.

There are also two modular homes on the Bay Road site that offer temporary housing while families seek permanent housing. Modular homes are prefabricated steel units complete with bedrooms, kitchen space, common spaces and amenities.

For the Samaniegos, a family of four, moving from their mobile home to the three-bedroom modular home in April has given them much-needed space.

"We are very grateful... We have more space to cook and our own rooms. We are more at peace," said Teresa Samaniego.

Their sons, high school students Edwin and Jose Samaniego, said moving into a house means they'll have their own space to play video games and enjoy their mother's home-cooked meals.

The modular homes are a project of United Hope Builders, a nonprofit organization that builds modular steel homes to help create affordable housing.

Pastor Paul Bains, founder, president and CEO of WeHOPE and United Hope Builders, said they plan to produce three to four modular homes each year.

As for the parking program, Bains said WeHOPE initiated the RV parking program in partnership with the city of East Palo Alto to create a safe place for families to live. The program has about $374,000 annually.

Most of the families living in RVs in the city are working families, Bains said, not people trying to cause trouble.

During the pandemic, demand for their services has increased. They had to add hand-washing stations to accommodate the pandemic because public restrooms and libraries, places where people who need access to water would normally go, were closed, she added.

Bains and Lara emphasized that the program is not a permanent place for people to stay, but a "ladder" to get them out of the cycle of homelessness.

Residents in the safe parking program must participate in cooking, financial literacy or anger management classes, and meet with case managers regularly to remain in the park.

Breaking new ground in the midst of deep-seated inequality

East Palo Alto was the first city in San Mateo County to create a safe parking program for RV residents, and led the way for other cities to do the same.

Redwood City started its own program in October 2020. Its program can support about 40 RVs and is run by LifeMoves, a Silicon Valley nonprofit dedicated to finding solutions for the homeless.

LiveMoves Vice President of Programs and Services Brian Greenberg said the creation of parking programs like those in East Palo Alto and Redwood City are a response to the growing number of homeless people over the past two years.

"A lot of cities have been interested in creating safe parking programs," Greenberg said. "Both East Palo Alto and Redwood City took a leadership role in setting this up and not looking to push people to the next community, but to work with them in their own communities."

Researcher David Grusky, a professor of sociology at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, applauded programs like these, but said systemic change is needed to address inequality in the country.

"We have to fight on two fronts," Grusky said. "One, is to try to bring about big systemic change, which would mean more redistribution, providing basic services to people who can't afford them, and reorienting our labor market institutions."

While Grusky noted that there is a movement to make those systemic changes, the RV safe parking program helps "plug the holes" by directly supporting people in need.

Redwood City, all "hell" has broken loose

Pamela Cruz

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2021.06.30

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Redwood City, all "hell" has broken loose

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

One of the worst heat waves in recent years continues to stalk the state of California. Millions around the world have experienced the ravages of extreme weather, which is becoming more frequent due to climate change. Hell has broken loose and is claiming lives.

The warmer days and nights bear the imprint of global warming and may offer a glimpse of the fate that lies ahead for California: as greenhouse gas emissions overheat the planet and action is not enough to slow it down.

During the recent heat wave, which particularly affected the southwest of the country last week, temperatures in excess of triple digits were recorded, and some of them have even broken some historical records.

An example of this is what happened on June 16 in Death Valley, one of the hottest areas of the planet and is located in the state of California, when it recorded a temperature of 129 degrees Fahrenheit (over 53 degrees Celsius).

The highest temperature observed in that area had been 134° F in 1913. Death Valley also approached this record when it reached 130° F in August of last year.

While on June 17, the National Weather Service in the San Francisco Bay Area noted that at least 7 record high temperatures were broken in the area.

In Redwood City, the thermometer reached 103° F degrees that same day, surpassing the 100° F record set in 1945, more than 75 years ago.

But that's not all, in addition to havoc such as floods and fires, a recent study revealed that about 5,500 Americans die annually because of the phenomenon known as heat wave.

For Dr. Kristie L. Ebi, a professor at the University of Washington's Center for Health and the Global Environment, "Higher temperatures kill. But almost all of those deaths are preventable.

So "the concern for the future is that as temperatures continue to rise, mortality will continue to increase during the summer," he said during a press conference held by Ethnic Media Services.

For her part, Aradhna Tripati, associate professor at UCLA's Institute for Environment and Sustainability, the high price of climate change has already begun to be paid with the loss of loved ones in natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and fires.

"So we're already experiencing it. And the people who are affected will carry the scars of that for the rest of their lives."

Close to home, a Fonda

Anna Lee Mraz Bartra

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2021.06.30

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You push open the glass door of the Fonda and a familiar warmth invades you, followed by the aroma of home-cooked food and your stomach immediately gurgles with excitement.

Someone greets you at the door, perhaps recognizing you from the many times you've been there, and offers you a table depending on the number of people that accompany you.

Mexican fondas are a wonderful creation. They offer homemade food from breakfast to dinner. food (which in Mexico is not lunch, lunch time(but at 3:00 in the afternoon and our most important meal of the day). The dishes at fondas are generally balanced and are the closest thing to home cooking that a Mexican can find outside of the home.

Luis Santos and his brother Alfredo came to Redwood City 14 years ago. They are originally from Ecatepec de Morelos, State of Mexico, very close to Mexico City. When they first arrived they noticed a culinary void in the area, and it still shows, because many times what looks like Mexican food is not really Mexican.

Large food chains in the United States that sell themselves as Mexican food may fool the unwary and inexperienced about the complexity of this Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, but they will never satiate the palate of those of us who have been fortunate enough to experience authentic Mexican cuisine.

The fondas are precisely a daily tasting of the complexity of the dishes offered by the different areas of the country.

After sitting down at the table you find a small piece of paper printed on the same day. The title of the place reads all the way to the top. After the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 and the advance of technology, there is no more printed paper, but a QR code stuck in the middle of the table. Scanning the code takes you to the menu of the day: There are three times with dishes to choose from, the first two only offer two choices most of the time:

Primer plato, sopa de pasta o alguna sopa/crema de verduras a elegir según el día.

First course

Pasta soup or some vegetable soup/cream of your choice depending on the day

Segundo plato

Rice or Salad

The menus are fixed, but the ingenuity of the cooks allows for daily variety. The menu of the dayor the potluck. You can eat at the same fonda every day of the week and never repeat a single dish.

Third course...

The list goes on long enough to give you options of chicken, fish or red meat. Sometimes liver encebollado or a more elaborate special like Chiles rellenos or huauzontle in pasilla sauce can surprise you.

The waiter or waitress comes, greets you with familiarity, makes small talk and anticipates your requests. He or she assumes, but asks first, that your rice will have a fried egg on top, maybe a banana, as you often request.

In the San Francisco Bay Area the vast majority of Mexican restaurants are taquerias. It is the export dish par excellence, after the Caesar salad invented in Tijuana, of course.

"When we lived in Mexico, my mom had a taco stand. But we wanted to put out handmade quesadillas and pambazos, gorditas and other antojitos. We've always wanted to do different things," says Luis when he refers to the Food Truck located at 2907 Camino Real, his first business.

Luis and Alfredo have just opened a beautiful fonda with beautiful talavera mosaic tables and walls decorated with Mexican artwork painted by family members.

Luis Santos in front of his work; woman making dough for tortillas.

"People are surprised when we bring the soup to the table," says Luis, a smile appears as soon as they taste it, "it makes them feel at home and reminds them of the soup their mother or grandmother used to make. That's the idea. I'm a food lover and I like it to transport me to another place. We want them to feel like they are in Mexico when they taste our food.

Luis also says that, although it is difficult to have a fonda, more work and not always find all the ingredients, he prefers to pay a little more to have quality products. And it shows. After eating several times at "Fonda Los Carnalitos" at 820 Veterans Blvd, Suite B in Redwood City, I can assure you that I haven't tasted anything closer to Mexican food in this city than what they offer here. The deep dish of blue talavera with pasta soup always arrives early and the specials vary from day to day.

"I hope people will come and try authentic Mexican food. We make it with heart, with the same passion with which we have always done everything," invites Luis.

The cochinita pibil is served in a casserole armed with banana leaves. I wrap the cochinita inside the handmade tortillas that are brought to us warm and the flavor invades me from the first bite.

Cochinita pibil servido en una cazuela armada con hoja de plátano.

I recommend the meatballs that sit atop their red sauce, with just enough spice to tingle the tongue, but never too much. Even though I'm Mexican, I don't tolerate a lot of chili, but these suit me just fine.

I just tried purslane in salsa verde and was grateful to have the taste of home so close, so I miss it a little less.

You may be interested in: Do you like authentic barbecue tacos?

America has been and will be a nation of immigrants.

Pamela Cruz

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2021.06.29

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*June, Immigrant Heritage Month

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

This Wednesday marks the end of Immigrant Heritage Month, which is a reminder that America is, has been and always will be a nation of immigrants. That was the premise of the founding of the nation; it is reflected in the Constitution, and it is engraved on the Statue of Liberty: "from her hand as a beacon shines the world's welcome.

Nearly 11 million people in this country are undocumented, "and it's time for Congress to act by passing the American Citizenship Act of 2021, the immigration reform plan I put forward on the first day of my presidency," Joe Biden said during the proclamation of June as Migrant Heritage Month.

In that sense, he said the plan would provide a path to legal permanent residency and citizenship for these undocumented immigrants, including Dreamers, people with temporary protected status, farm workers and other essential workers who contribute to the country every day.

"We reaffirm and draw strength from that enduring identity and celebrate the history and achievements of immigrant communities across our nation," he said.

Biden recalled that throughout every generation and throughout the nation's history, "wave after wave of immigrants have enriched our nation and made us better, stronger, more innovative and more prosperous.

"American history includes the story of courageous families who ventured here, whether centuries ago or this year, from all over the world to seek new possibilities and help forge our Nation," he said in his statement.

The President recognized all of the workers, many of whom are immigrants, who have contributed to the food security, health and safety of all Americans during this challenging year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and every year.

"We honor the sacrifices made by immigrants who serve on the front lines as health care providers, first responders, teachers, shopkeepers, farmworkers, and other essential workers."

He pointed out that it was these same immigrant families and communities of color that were disproportionately affected by the virus.

"In California, we understand that our strength is in our diversity," said California Governor Gavin Newsom, who noted that "the economy, our universities and our communities are stronger and more vibrant because of the nearly 11 million immigrants who call California home, roughly a quarter of all foreign-born people nationwide."

It is worth noting that half of all children in California have at least one immigrant parent.

While it is the end of this month dedicated to the importance of the work and contribution of millions of migrants in the country, it is also the beginning of starting to push for inclusion, non-discrimination and the necessary reforms that will allow all these immigrants to be citizens with all the rights that this implies.

SFMoMa will be home to Diego Rivera's fresco "Unidad Panamericana".

Pamela Cruz

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2021.06.29

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SFMoMa will be home to Diego Rivera's fresco "Unidad Panamericana".

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

Ten years after his first stay, Diego Rivera returned to San Francisco in June 1940 to headline the main fine arts exhibition at the Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island.

Thus, after more than 80 years, in partnership with City College of San Francisco -CCSF-, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art -SFMOMA- presents the Panamerican Unit, by Rivera at the Roberts Family Gallery.

Beginning this Monday, June 28 and continuing through the summer of 2023, the work will be on view on Floor 1 with free access to the public. The mural will then return to CCSF to be installed in a new performing arts center.

It was in 1940 when the great Mexican muralist worked on scaffolding in an airplane hangar before a live audience. The formal title of the piece is "The Marriage of Northern and Southern Artistic Expression on this Continent", however, it is commonly known as Pan American Unity, his last mural done in the U.S.

The fresco depicts in colorful detail a past, present, and future that the artist believed were shared in North America, calling for cultural solidarity and exchange during a time of global conflict.

Completed with the support of local artists and assistants, with scenes of the Bay Area as a backdrop, the mural celebrates the creative spirit through portraits of artists, artisans, architects and inventors who use art and technology as tools to shape society.

After the fair, "Pan American Unity," which measures twenty-two by seventy-four feet and weighs over sixty thousand pounds, was moved to the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) campus.

This was possible because Rivera painted this fresco not on a wall, but on ten steel-framed cement panels.

"I think that to make an American art, a true American art, this will be necessary, this mixture of the art of the Indian, the Mexican, the Eskimo, with the kind of impulse that makes the machine, the invention on the material side of life, which is also an artistic impulse, the same impulse mainly but in a different form of expression," said Diego Rivera during an interview in 1940.

Two men arrested for manufacturing and distributing explosives

Pamela Cruz

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2021.06.29

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Two men arrested for manufacturing and distributing explosives

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

Two men were arrested by detectives with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) for manufacturing and distributing explosive devices.

The suspects were identified as Raymond Chan, a Burlingame resident, and Jeffrey Bernaldez of Daly City.

CSU detectives identified two residences - one an apartment building - in Millbrae and Burlingame where the devices were being manufactured.

Approximately 15 pounds of illegal explosives and specific materials used to manufacture them were seized.

At the time of their arrest, Chan and Bernaldez were also found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine. Both subjects were booked into the San Mateo County Jail.

Meanwhile, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Bomb Unit is conducting an additional investigation regarding criminal charges of manufacturing explosives.

The sheriff's office detailed in a statement that there have been numerous complaints about the use of illegal fireworks this year, so it continues to work on ways to deter the sale and use of them in our communities.

Through criminal investigations and promoting community awareness, the Sheriff's Office hopes for a safe Fourth of July where fireworks are left to the professionals.

In that regard, he reminded that "ALL fireworks are ILLEGAL in unincorporated San Mateo County, as well as in cities and towns contracted by the Sheriff's Office," while fines can be up to a thousand dollars.

"Don't call 911 to report fireworks; instead, call our non-emergency line at 650-363-4911. Don't take chances! Keep your family and community safe!" he stressed.