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Casa Círculo Cultural, even closer to the community

Pamela Cruz
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Casa Círculo Cultural, even closer to the community
Carlos Bolaños, San Mateo County Sheriff.
By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360]

Casa Círculo Cultural (CCC) took a big leap forward and is now even closer to the community it has served for over 12 years in San Mateo County. 

On Wednesday, July 14, amidst applause, Mariachi music and cheers, CCC opened its new facility in the heart of North Fair Oaks at 3090 Middlefield Rd. in Redwood City, CA. 94063.

Casa Círculo Cultural is a community organization that, through art and culture, painstakingly provides tools for a better life to families in San Mateo County's most disadvantaged communities, including Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven and East Palo Alto. 

San Mateo County Sheriff Carlos G. Bolaños cut the ribbon during the inauguration of the new headquarters. 

"We are proud to serve the community that lives and works in these areas by offering cultural programs and working closely with volunteers, community leaders and experts," said Sheriff Bolaños.

For her part, the Consul of Mexico in San Francisco, Remedios Gomez Arnau, one of the great guests at the ceremony, noted that CCC has become the center of the Mexican community in San Mateo County.

"It is not only a house where you can find educational, cultural and artistic programs; it is very important because the community can be educated and feel comfortable learning new things, but above all, where Mexican culture is preserved," said Gomez Arnau. 

"It is important as Mexicans living abroad, not to forget our roots and our origins, and the way not to do that is to continue learning about our culture, whether through cooking, dancing, music or art. That is going to enrich us, and it is very important that we can pass it on to our children so that they feel very sure of themselves and the identity they have," she said.

Carlos Bolaños (left) and Verónica Escámez (right) director and founder of Casa Círculo Cultural.

East Palo Alto Mayor Carlos Romero said that venues like CCC are very important because they complement formal education, which often does not delve deeply into cultural issues.

"This venue, to me, is almost sacred, in the sense that there are few places where people can come to see artwork, to see art, to work in the arts and dance. To have this community resource in Redwood City is fabulous, I wish someday we could have some of the CCC events in East Palo Alto to try to spread Latino culture and culture in general," she said.

CCC offers multiple bilingual programs, including technology, martial arts, cultural arts, youth and women's empowerment. 

Importantly, CCC will expand its service to the community by sharing its programs with community organizations such as CARON Community Partnership and Sheriff's Activities League. 

Diane Howard, Mayor of Redwood City, applauded the new facility's location in the heart of the community and close proximity to public transportation, and said she was happy for the community CCC will serve, as the accessibility will allow it to reach more children and youth.

Redwood City Vice Mayor Giselle Hale highlighted the importance of the location of CCC's new headquarters, noting that the new facility is very accessible to the public, which helps people get involved in the project and new cultural endeavors.

In addition to those mentioned, happy Bay Area personalities such as businesswoman Florence Fang; Parks and Recreation Department Director Chris Beth; as well as Redwood City Councilmembers Alicia Aguirre, Michael Smith and Jeff Gee, a member of the CCC Board of Directors along with Christina Corpus, Connie Guerrero, Adam Alberti, Chris Blom; as well as the CCC Executive Board attended the event.

New facilities, Casa Círculo Cultural.

Some highlights of activities at Casa Círculo Cultural include:

● Technology Lab. With school modules and extracurricular technology and communication activities that provide educational support to low-income and underserved families to help them achieve academic success, especially during distance learning due to COVID-19.

● Economics and Business Program, which organizes an annual children's fair, where students learn the principles of a business plan, including marketing, product development and sales.

● Social and cultural initiative, which promotes personal and community enrichment through art, theater, music, poetry and the organization of the Day of the Dead celebration in downtown Redwood City.

● The award-winning martial arts program, which seeks to teach discipline and personal strength to disadvantaged youth while preparing them to compete in tournaments that will give them skills to meet school and work challenges in their future lives.

● Women 's Social Lab. A collaborative and supportive workspace that benefits local girls and women by sharing collective experiences.

In addition, the CCC publishes books in Spanish and English, organizes a scholarship program each year, and presents a variety of family and community activities to reinforce the concept of "family" in the community.

To check the new class schedules for children from 5 years old to 100 years old, please go to the Casa Círculo Cultural website: www.casacirculocultural.org

Weekly Summary of July 12-19, 2021

Peninsula 360 Press
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Weekly Summary of July 12-19, 2021

Cristian Carlos. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

This week, in different parts of the country, he has called on the population to monitor their well-being due to two important factors: the COVID-19 pandemic, y the dry climate that prevails in the state of California; en "To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? When love is greater than fear".The vaccine is useful, it helps and allows you to move forward," says Elvira Colín, a Mexican immigrant living in Chicago. "Getting vaccinated is for chingones.

On the other hand, also in California, the adverse dry weather and high temperatures give way to new fire seasons. Local authorities called to be prepared for possible fire emergencies in areas of the Bay Area, such as San Mateo County, in the coming days. We invite you to read the recommendations in the note.

And with the increase in active cases of COVID-19 infection in San Mateo County and other parts of the state of California, the use of face masks has been re-imposed in closed places.The new alert, which was released through Peninsula 360 Press, also includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Sonoma and Berkeley counties, is being issued in response to a spike in cases caused by what is believed to be the aggressive Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, which is affecting both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Details of the alert, which was released through Peninsula 360 Press, also include Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Sonoma and Berkeley counties.

Gun crimes on the rise in San Francisco: Mid-year crime statistics showed that for the first six months of 2021, gun violence and homicides have increased in San Francisco, rising from 22 in the same period in 2020 to 26 in this first six months, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Police Chief Bill Scott announced. In that report, the numbers for robbery with violence and assaults are up. And although rape is a crime that deserves all the attention to its victims, it has shown a slight decrease from previous years.

Unfortunately, on 16 July we presented the independent research works of Philip KreycikThis time, accompanied by Gustavo Bernal, who shared with Peninsula 360 Press the search strategy and possible theory of what might have happened to Kreycik the morning of July 10 when he left his home for the Pleasanton Hills on his mountaineering routine. "A group of us folks found ourselves today searching the areas where there is speculation that Philip may have been," Bernal stated. "His parents, his children and his friends want to see him back home." 

At Colombia 360a Peninsula 360 Press space dedicated to following the victims of aggressions by armed forces in Colombia during the National Strike, Yor PL said that in the marches there are different lines ready to fight repression. Yor assures that Colombia is living a stage of social repression where the police are hated by many in the community. We invite you, of course, to read the article, or if you prefer, watch the video that is available on our YouTube channel.

In addition, sociologist Manuel Ortiz talks to us in this week's podcast about his trip to Colombia to meet, first hand, the victims of forced disappearances, repression against demonstrators -resulting in facial injuries- and above all, to meet the parents who have suffered the loss of their children by execution at the hands of the public forces -National Police and the Esmad-. In the same sense, the lawyer and coordinator of Primera Línea Jurídica, Rubén Darío, pointed out that the constant state of war in which the Colombian government is involved, gives way to the justification of arbitrary acts against its society. We invite you to listen to the program through Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

To prepare for possible fires in San Mateo

Pamela Cruz
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To prepare for possible fires in San Mateo
Photo: CalFire San Mateo-Santa Cruz
By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

Local authorities called to be prepared for possible fire emergencies in the Bay Area, such as San Mateo County, this Sunday and Monday.

The San Mateo County Department of Emergency Management and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, better known as CalFire in its San Mateo-Santa Cruz division, and the Sheriff's Office, warned of this after monitoring the weather and drought conditions in the area, a situation that has raised alarms for the authorities themselves.

And that's because the possibility of lightning sparking new wildfires has put the National Weather Service on fire alarm for parts of the Bay Area.

The weather watch covers the North Bay Mountains, East Bay Hills, Diablo Range and Santa Cruz Mountains.

It should be noted that a weather watch is different from a red flag warning. The weather watch comes first and, if conditions become more severe, a red flag warning is issued.

The weather agency said there is a slight, or "minimal" chance of thunderstorms occurring, and "it's not a shock by any means, but the impacts could be large if lightning occurs."

CalFire Deputy Chief Jonathan Cox noted via his Twitter account that the warm, dry weather means a higher risk of wildfires this weekend.

In that regard, he called for assembling an emergency supply kit that remains accessible.

But what should you have in an emergency kit? 

CalFire suggests at least one gallon of water per person per day, enough for at least three days.

If you have pets, bring extra food and water; a first aid kit; sanitation items such as garbage bags and wet wipes; a radio to keep you alert and aware of what is happening in the area; canned and long shelf life or non-perishable food; and can openers and basic eating utensils.

In addition, always allocate a supply of medication if someone has a prescription; and last but not least, essential documents and copies either digital or paper and cash. These should be kept in a small bag within easy reach of those responsible for making sure everyone is safe.

Taking the necessary protections and precautions can save lives. 

With information from Bay City News

Solidarity

Raul Romero
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Solidarity
Raul Romero.
By Raul Romero. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

In the 1990s my parents set up a grocery store in a semi-urban neighborhood in what was then Mexico City, now Mexico City. I had to help in various ways in the family business: accompanying my father to the Central de Abastos to stock up, taking inventory or attending to the business in my spare time.

In honor of my grandmother, the store was called "Abarrotes Carmelita". It wasn't a big business, in fact it barely helped to get through the week. I remember that many people came to borrow money, the paycheck wasn't enough and the family had to be fed.

Always supportive, my parents adopted the notebook, a little notebook where several people wrote down the products they asked for: loose diapers, a liter of milk, a kilo of rice, eggs, beans or sugar, oil and even a cigarette "to calm the nerves" were adding to the list of customers who, almost always, came to pay as soon as the fortnight arrived. It is unthinkable that this type of solidarity practices are given today in the Oxxo, Seven Eleven or other companies. 

Solidarity practices in the neighborhoods of Mexico City are many. There is the batchfor example, which allows savings and helps those who choose the first numbers to get out of trouble. There is also that of pass the passThe "Transit fare," which allows passengers who have boarded full public transport to make their payment and also to receive their change. Not long ago I learned that it is still alive too. to help pour the castingThe list is long, it would be worthwhile to make an inventory. The list is long, it would be worthwhile to make an inventory.

The social response to the 1985 and 2017 earthquakes in Mexico City hold an important place in the collective memory of Chilean solidarity. The first one I knew more through family stories and literature. The second, I saw and lived it directly: that Tuesday, September 19, 2017, thousands of people of all ages and trades overflowed with solidarity in the City and its surroundings. Many stories of that day are being told and will continue to be told.

The fact is that, far from this selfish individualism that seeks to impose itself as the norm of life, there is in many neighbourhoods of the city a principle of solidarity, of community, of mutual help. I am sure that it will be this being in common that will pull us out of the abyss.

Raúl Romero is a sociologist, Latin Americanist and academic technician at the Institute for Social Research at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. UNAM.

You may be interested in: Another future

Masks Return to San Mateo County

Pamela Cruz
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Masks Return to San Mateo County
By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

After COVID-19 positive cases have increased locally in recent days, and the Delta variant has gained traction because of its high transmissibility, San Mateo County health officials have recommended a return to wearing facemasks indoors.

This recommendation covers all groups of people regardless of their vaccination status.

In that regard, health officials are asking businesses to respect the mandatory and universal use of facemasks when entering their spaces, as well as encouraging employees who are fully vaccinated to wear masks indoors if they are unaware of the vaccination status of those around them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCThe San Mateo County community has been placed at a "moderate" level of community transmission after the percentage of positivity over the past seven days showed a marginal increase of 0.89 percent compared to the previous week.

However, the increase in hospitalizations for COVID-19 grew 140 percent in that same period, meaning 12 people were admitted due to the virus.

According to the CDC, 70 percent or more of the population eligible for immunization has at least one dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

It's worth noting that the measure on re-masking indoors is not just in San Mateo County: officials in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Sonoma and Berkeley counties issued the same "precautionary" advisory, but have yet to issue a new masking mandate for shared indoor spaces such as grocery stores and retailers. 

The same health officials recalled that those who are fully vaccinated are highly protected both from contracting the virus, including the currently observed variants, and from becoming seriously ill or dying.

Recently and at a press conference, CDC officials called to maintain health measures such as social distancing, not going to crowded places, wearing masks in enclosed places and constant hand washing.

It is also important that all people who do not yet have their vaccine, go to health centers to get information and access the necessary doses for protection.

Mexican doctor joins search for Philip Kreycik

Peninsula 360 Press
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Mexican doctor joins search for Philip Kreycik

Christian Carlos. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Philip Kreycik
Photo: Manuel Ortiz

On Saturday, July 10, 37-year-old Philip Kreycik, a resident of Berkley, California, told his wife that he would be heading out that morning to the Pleasanton Hills to complete his mountain climbing routine.

With his disappearance, rescue teams were deployed to the area, off-road vehicles and aerial equipment - including drones - have patrolled the area.

Among them is now Mexican-born doctor Gustavo Bernal, who has experience in emergency and rescue services, who says that the official search for Philip Kreycik lasted only five days, and then the authorities consider him missing indefinitely and cease the search.

"A group of us fellows found ourselves today searching the areas where there is speculation that Philip might be," Bernal stated. "His parents, his children and his friends want to see him back home." 

For the past six days, the jogger's whereabouts have been unknown. Philip Kreycik's wife alerted authorities when Kreycik did not return home that evening. "He may be hurt and disoriented."The APB, which authorities subsequently released, asks the public to please check security camera footage as well as their property. To offer any information leading to the whereabouts of Philip Kreycik, please contact with the police at (925) 931-5107.

Doctor Gustavo Bernal is hopeful that the group of volunteers will find Philip Kreycik alive. He said the Pleasanton area, at this time of year, presents an arid environment and "high-risk" mountaineering due to the poisonous wildlife in the area. "If you are going out, take precautions, stay well hydrated and use fluorescent clothing or whistles," Bernal said.

Sudden Spike in COVID-19 Infections Blamed on Unvaccinated: Experts

Pamela Cruz
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Sudden Spike in COVID-19 Infections Blamed on Unvaccinated: Experts
By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

After a decrease in COVID-19 positive cases in previous months due to mass vaccination, infections have shown a considerable increase in the last few days, mostly due to people who have not been immunized.

The situation could result in an increase in hospitalizations and possible deaths, which may well have been preventable.

So said experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), who in a session with the media organized by Ethnic Media Services, agreed that if this situation continues, the pandemic could again spiral out of control.

And is that yesterday, July 15, 33 thousand new cases of COVID-19 were detected, while the average in the last seven days is around 26 300 cases, representing an increase in the number of infections of almost 70 percent of the average compared to the previous week.

The arc of inpatient admissions is about 2,790 per day, an increase of 36 percent from the previous seven-day period. This represents an increase of 26 percent per day with 211 cases per day.

"It's clear to many of us that this is becoming a pandemic of unvaccinated people, who are responsible for most of the new infections and hospitalizations," detailed Dr. Jose T. Montero, director of the CDC's State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support Center.

The expert detailed that people who are not vaccinated account for the majority of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths. "I have seen outbreaks of cases in different parts of the country, especially in those places with low vaccination coverage because unvaccinated people are at risk, while communities that are fully vaccinated are doing much better," he said.

He recalled that while it is true that in January the country had an average of 200,000 daily cases, and the 33,000 yesterday did not reach that high figure, there is a significant increase in COVID-19 infections week after week, as in the last 7 days there was an increase of 70 percent.

"It's pretty clear that this pandemic is not over. The good news is that if you are vaccinated you have good protection against COVID-19 and possible hospitalization, and you are protected against the variants that are circulating in the country today," he stressed.

In that sense, Dr. Montero recalled that the Delta variant has increased transmissibility, which basically means that the virus can spread easily between people. 

That strain is estimated to be the most prevalent variant in the United States, accounting for more than 57 percent of the samples sequenced nationwide, compared with only 26 percent in mid-June.

Montero said the data suggest that the Food and Drug Administration-licensed vaccines being administered in the country - Pfizer, Moderna and J&J - protect against the Delta variant and others. 

Infection curve is changing 

In this regard, epidemiologist Lauri Hicks, from the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, explained that the country is experiencing a process of change in the decrease of cases.

"We are in a process of change. We are seeing an increase in COVID-19 infections in areas where people are not vaccinated," he said.

In this regard, he reiterated the importance of get fully vaccinatedAccording to CDC data, there is an extraordinarily high rate of protection for people who have been fully immunized with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines that require two doses, even better than other vaccines that also require more than one dose, such as those for hepatitis or varicella.

"I want to reiterate that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are most effective when given in two doses in a series. Both vaccines provide effective protection after two weeks from the second dose with each vaccine 90 percent effective against COVID-19, including severe infections."

"Not completing the series again puts people at risk of disease, including the highly contagious Delta variant. We know that getting vaccinated three to four weeks after the first vaccination can be difficult, but after noticing an increase in variants we want to encourage people to get vaccinated on time," he stressed.

In this sense, the specialist stressed that you should not restart the series if you receive the second dose late, even if it is after the recommended three or four weeks. 

On the other hand, the immunologist said that certain communities, regardless of geography, are also experiencing lower vaccination rates, coupled with those of greater vulnerability, where gender, age of the population, education, social and economic status, and access to health care are involved. 

Thus, adolescents represent the most effective strategy to prevent infection and control the pandemic, so they encouraged this sector to be vaccinated as soon as possible, because in addition to being at risk of infection, they put their family, loved ones and community at risk.

Trust, the key in the great challenge of vaccination for all 

It is important to note that reaching all unvaccinated people is a major challenge, as there are a number of factors and barriers for some communities, where trust in vaccines is key.

"We're really working on increasing confidence in vaccines. We know that providers are the most trusted source of information, so we want to make sure they have the information and can inform and educate patients," Hicks said.

He stressed that the CDC is working with a number of different medical, community, clinical and faith-based organizations to reach the most vulnerable and under-vaccinated communities, including support for the National Resource Center for Refugees, Immigrants and Migrants.

Back to masking?

Experts agreed that declines in the number of people getting vaccinated are once again leading to places where immunization has been advanced to have to use masks again.

However, they stressed that preventive measures have not gone away, and that on the contrary, should be maintained, such is the case of the use of masks, avoiding crowded or closed places, social distancing, and hand washing.

So far, 336 million 604 thousand 158 doses of one of the vaccines approved by the country have been administered in the country. Thus, 185 million 424,899 people have at least one dose of the inoculation, while 160 million 686,378 people are fully immunized, which means only 48.4 percent of the eligible population. There is a long way to go to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this pandemic and getting vaccinated is the way to attack it. 

You may be interested in: To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? When love is greater than fear

State investment of $26.5M to new arts center in SF's Chinatown

Pamela Cruz
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State investment of $26.5M to new arts center in SF's Chinatown
Chinatown, San Francisco.
By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press / Bay City News

Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, announced Thursday $26.5 million in state funding for a new arts and media center in Chinatown.

Ting, chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, announced that the new arts center, which will be called the Edge on the Squarewill be a destination for visitors and tourists to learn about Asian and Pacific Islanders in the arts, education, social change and technology sectors.

The new arts center in Chinatown will be located at 800 Grant Avenue, one block from the iconic Portsmouth Square. The center will feature exhibitions, performances and presentations, according to Ting.

"The alarming increase in hate incidents against members of the AAPI community tells us that we must invest in ways to educate people by promoting this sector's many contributions to the fabric of California and this country. Edge on the Square will be a place to learn and open minds, while providing our AAPI community with a safe space to be seen and heard," Ting said in a statement.

Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, applauded the measure.

"As the oldest Chinatown in the United States, San Francisco's Chinatown has been the social and cultural capital of our Chinese community," Chiu said. "After years of discussion, I'm thrilled that Edge on the Square I'm going forward to make Chinatown come back stronger after the pandemic, the recession and the anti-Asian hate. 

The Assemblyman detailed that this project will celebrate equity, inclusion and social justice, while ensuring that Chinatown will be a beacon for generations to come.

The new funding will allow Chinatown Media and Arts Collaborative, a partnership of several local organizations including the Chinese Historical Society and the Chinese Cultural Center, to purchase the site and oversee the development of the project.

«Edge on the Square will be a new icon for the city and a strong Asian-American voice that is inclusive and transformative," said project leader Mabel Teng.

The new centre is expected to open in 2024.

You may be interested in: San Francisco Airport to Offer Free COVID-19 Vaccination

In Colombia, young people are killed for their ideals, but their dreams don't die

Pamela Cruz
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In Colombia, young people are killed for their ideals, but their dreams don't die
In Colombia, young people are killed for their ideals
"Yor PL", a 27-year-old member of the "Front Line".
By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360]

Almost three months since the protests and the national strike in Colombia began due to a protest against a tax reform bill, hundreds of young protesters have been killed allegedly by the police and the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (Esmad), however, their dreams and ideals are still there, alive and united with those of thousands who seek a better country.

This is how "Yor PL" narrated it, a young man of 27 years old, part of the "First Line" made up of young people who are at the front lines ready to fight repression, with the hope that things will improve for all of Colombia.

In an interview with Peninsula 360 Press, Yor PL said that in the marches there are different lines ready to combat repression. 

"In a few words, the first line are the young people or people who are there to defend the protest. Because whenever there is a social protest and the masses advance, there are the Esmad forces, which are the riot police. These people are there to, according to them, prevent disturbances from forming, but without the need for that, they enter to repress in order to prevent the marches from advancing, as was seen on April 28 in Cali," Yor said.

In the second line, there are young people who return gas and carry stones in a defensive way, not as an attack but as a method of defense. Third line, they are with lasers and other forms of harassment so as not to be attacked, in addition to carrying dairy products - milk - to avoid the burning sensation generated by tear gas.

Recalling the first attacks by the authorities on the demonstrators, he stressed that there was a lot of damage to public property, caused by the indignation of a people.

"I'm not saying that we are to blame for everything, but when the masses rise up many who come out with the desire to leave their message, many come out with aerosols to write signs like "narco-state", "killer police", "Esmad murderer", "Duque murderer", and the cause of everything is the bad government that we have lived for many years."

Throughout these months, Yor assures that Colombia is going through a period of social repression where the police are hated by many in the community.

"I am a young man who, personally, does not feel like attacking the police, does not feel like attacking the Esmad. When I go out to the front line I don't go out to fight, I go out to resist, to resist that repression. I am the bearer of a voice that fights for love.

Yor made it clear that the struggle will not become an armed struggle "for anything in the world," since the young people are only looking for opportunities to fulfill their dreams and become entrepreneurs, students, workers, parents and children who can give something to their parents.

"They repress us because we are standing up against processes such as the tax reform, because we are fighting against rights violations such as the beatings of young people when they are captured, beatings that are not only carried out during protests, but during all these years, the police abuse their power. They repress us because we stood up against the health care reform, against the labor and pension reform," he said.

Love is the strength of our struggle 

"I am not here out of hatred. I am here for love, for love of justice, for love of prosperity, for love of children, for love of our dreams: to be able to buy a house, to be able to live with dignity, to be able to die and know that we left something to the generations that come after us.

However, things have not looked good in several ways, young people that Yor knew on the front line have been disappeared or killed. The authorities label them as guerrillas, vandals, destroyers, a situation that has divided society and turned many against them. 

If only we could all die of old age and not from a bullet.

"I am preparing for death," Yor replies. "If I am alive it is by the grace of God, but many comrades have fallen in combat, and how sad to know that at 27 years of age or younger young people are prepared to die, and not even by a natural death, but by one provoked by the public forces".

"If I'm afraid of dying, I can't describe it, I can't answer that question as such, but my answer is: I'm preparing for when it's my turn. We all go out not knowing if we are going to return to our homes. Death is inevitable, but I wish we could all die of old age and not be killed by a bullet.

Resisting for change. The outpost.

For Yor PL everyone is waiting for a change, the fight is for it. The resistance is for it. Even though their spirits have often fallen, the thought of real change fills them with energy and motivation to not give up and to leave a better country for future generations. 

Faced with the situation, all the front lines of Colombia are preparing an advance guard that will leave from the extremes of the country, and that will seek to travel through every town and city along its main roads in order to gather the demands of each place and take them to the capital, Bogota, where the political powers are gathered. 

Without guarantees of security or that things will go as they plan, they do not intend to advance the idea or their ideals of changing the country.

"We have no guarantors. Nothing guarantees that they are going to let us get to Bogotá alive because the government here is genocidal and oppressive, the truth is that they are murderers first hand and it doesn't hurt them to kill people after they are given an order. So we have no guarantees to make this advance because we could be massacred on the road because they label us as guerrillas.

Yor is well aware of what it takes to fight for these ideals. The situation and the dozens of disappeared people have forced them to cover their faces so as not to be one more of those who are detained and never heard from again, or who wake up in bags on the side of the road. They try not to be a "military target.

The front lines expect around 5,000 people to participate in the advance, but at this point and with the imminent dangers, nothing is certain.

"We know that if we don't finish this struggle and we don't achieve justice, all of us who are part of the protests will be killed and persecuted, they will want to raid us and they will want to disappear us. We are young people with dreams," Yor said in tears.

The advance party intends to deliver three petitions upon arrival in Bogotá:

The first is to be able to open dialogue tables with the national government to reach an agreement where all the territories and localities of Colombia are attended to through demands.

The second is to request the resignation of the president, Ivan Duque, and that the elections be brought forward by 3 months.

And the third, to reach zero impunity and demand justice for the murdered, where the full weight of the law falls on those who gave the order to execute the hundreds of young people who demonstrated.

Yor, with a firm voice, asks international organizations and the international community not to abandon them and to accompany the peaceful protests. 

To the international media "that they dare to continue interviewing the people who are in the middle of the framework, that they can cover the national advance because it is really something that we want to do, and we are going to do it, with or without guarantors: we are going to take the risk because we have nothing to lose here.

Yor does not say goodbye without first reminding the people of Colombia that "do not give up, do not stop dreaming of a just country, with a social change that is necessary, with a dignified life. Don't stop uniting, don't be afraid because we are on the right side.

This July 28th will mark 3 months since the movement began, and for Yor the end is uncertain and undated.

"I follow my struggle, but if you talk to me about a socio-political struggle, I don't see myself as a politician. I have dreams, I want to be an artist and I'm always going to defend the issue of the community through art and culture. I'm willing to keep fighting on the front line until the end. Until when? Until victory, until where? Until death if necessary.

"I am one of those who think that by changing a mind and a heart, I have made a revolution".

You may be interested in: "IT WAS THE POLICE," Colombia's cry for those killed in protests

Stanford engineers develop autofocus lenses

Josué Karim Moreno
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Stanford engineers develop autofocus lenses
By JOsué Karim. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

Using eye-tracking technology to automatically control focus, Stanford University engineers created a prototype of "autofocal" lenses for people who would normally need progressive lenses.

Presbyopia, the gradual age-related loss of the ability to focus on near objects, is a vision defect that affects most people over the age of 45. 

For some people, reading glasses are enough to overcome this difficulty, but for many people the only solution, short of surgery, is to wear progressive lenses.

So the engineers at Stanford are testing a pair of smart glasses that can automatically focus on whatever the eyes are looking at. 

"More than a billion people have presbyopia, and we've created a pair of autofocal lenses that could someday correct their vision much more effectively than traditional glasses," said Stanford electrical engineer Gordon Wetzstein.

For now, the prototype looks like a virtual reality glasses, but the engineering team hopes to optimize later versions.

Autofocus lenses can prevent accidents

Wetzstein's prototype glasses, called autofocal, are intended to solve the main problem with traditional progressive lenses, which require the wearer to move his or her head to focus properly.

Likewise, with progressive lenses there is little or no peripheral focus, making it impractical to drive a car and have to look at the side mirror to change lanes.

Progressive lenses can also make it difficult to navigate the world: "People who wear progressive lenses have an increased risk of falling and injuring themselves," said Robert Konrad, co-author of a paper describing autofocal lenses, published June 28 in the journal Science Advances.

So "this technology could impact the lives of billions of people in a significant way that most technological devices never will," he said.

How do they work?

The Stanford prototype works much like the human eye, with fluid-filled lenses that thicken and thin as the field of view changes. 

It also includes eye-tracking sensors that triangulate where a person is looking and determine the precise distance to the object of interest. 

Although the team did not invent these lenses or eye trackers, they developed the software system that leverages the eye-tracking data to keep the liquid-filled lenses in constant, perfect focus.

Nitish Padmanaban, a graduate student and first author of the paper, said other teams had previously tried to apply autofocus lenses to presbyopia, but without the guidance of eye-tracking hardware and system software, those efforts were no better than using traditional progressive lenses.

The next step will be to reduce the size of the technology, and while Wetzstein believes it may take a few years to develop glasses that are lightweight, energy efficient and stylish, he is convinced that autofocals are the future of vision correction.

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