Costa Rica Leads Afro-descendant Forum Creation at the U.N.

Aug 09, 2021

Dear Readers,

Under the leadership of Costa Rica and Chad, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution to create the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent on August 2.

Vice-President of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell Barr, tweeted that "its main functions will be to contribute to the full political, economic and social inclusion of people of African descent and to provide expert advice to the Human Rights Council, the General Assembly, United Nations bodies, programs, funds and agencies." She also highlighted Costa Rica's leadership on this initiative.

The news coincides with Black History Month in August in both Costa Rica and El Salvador. AFROOS, an organization working for the recognition, resistance and struggle of the Afro-Salvadoran population, has planned many online talks and documentation to learn about Afro-Salvadoran roots and people. Afro-Salvadoran authors are also speaking up to have the population's rights and history recognized in the country, which has historically tried to erase them. You can learn more in the newsletter below!

Salú,

Melissa

Costa Rica's Vice-President Epsy Campbell Barr speaking at the U.N. earlier this month

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Headlines

Migration

📰 Texas: A federal judge blocked Texas governor Greg Abbott’s order that banned the transportation of undocumented migrants who crossed the border. // Migrant shelters in Texas prepare to operate without state oversight and licensing after Abbott’s executive order, which will put them at risk of violating legal requirements.

📰 Border Patrol: Several detained families and children reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 after leaving Border Patrol custody. // The U.S. government will outfit Border Patrol agents with body cameras.

📰 Title 42: After the Biden administration renewed Trump administration's Title 42 COVID-19 restrictions on asylum, immigrant rights groups are requesting that a federal judge order the Biden administration to lift these restrictions at the border.

📰 Fort Bliss: A federal watchdog is investigating claims about poor conditions for migrant children detained at the Fort Bliss army base.

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Central America

📰 Corruption: US State Department announced visa actions towards “Supporting Democracy and Combating Corruption” in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. They believe one of the root causes of migration is corruption within these countries and removing visas will help mitigate both of those.

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Belize

📰 Belize's Birthday: The upcoming September Celebrations in Belize with have a theme celebrating Belize's 40th year of independence from the UK, with the slogan "Belize at 40: Hopeful hearts, steady hands, together we rise."

📰 Emancipation Day: Belize joined the Caribbean basin in celebrating Emancipation Day for the first time on Aug. 1. Emancipation Day was established to recognize the emancipation of enslaved Africans in the British colonies.

📰 COVID-19: Belize is now requiring that all incoming travelers must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 96 hours of travel.

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Costa Rica

📰 United Nations: Under the leadership of Costa Rica and Chad, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution to create the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent on August 2.

📰 False Security: Costa Rican health officials have relaxed pandemic restrictions across the country but warn residents not to fall into a sense of “false security” because of an increase in vaccinations. Severe cases are still being treated in hospitals above capacity. Meanwhile, health officials negotiate another purchase of Pfizer vaccines.

📰 Styrofoam Banned: The government enacted a law banning the importation, sale and use of expanded polystyrene containers, also known as styrofoam, by commercial businesses. Starting Aug. 7, residents can file a complaint about a company using the product to the Ministry of Health.

📰 Space Exploration: The Costa Rican Space Agency’s board of directors held its first meeting on Aug. 5. They discussed opportunities for projects that include research and innovations with a focus on solving humanity’s problems in terms of generating scientific space knowledge and resource management on and off the planet.

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El Salvador

📰 COVID-19: The Ministry of Health reported 76 deaths related to COVID-19 in the first week of August. This comes just after the confirmation of the delta variant within the country. // Three men with COVID-19 symptoms stated that they visited multiple hospitals, reported their symptoms but were turned away and not tested.

📰 Detained Politicians: Relatives of former Minister of Health, Violeta Menjívar (FMLN), claim that she isn’t receiving the proper health treatments while being held in prison despite presenting lung problems. The Office of Attorney for the Defense of Human Rights has been asked to investigate the alleged violations against Menjívar and other detained FMLN officials. However, the Penal Center’s General Directorate denied these claims and stressed that the detained officials were receiving medical treatment.

📰 Tourism: Morena Valdez, the Minister of Tourism, revealed that El Salvador has exceeded recovery expectations due to the influx of tourism. // The Minister of Public Works, Romeo Rodríguez, recently announced that the first viewpoint for Surf City is about to begin construction.

📰 Violence: According to a study by Fusades, domestic violence within the country increased by 20.4% in 2020 during the COVID-19 home quarantine period. // Journalist Association decries 167 press freedom violations in El Salvador this year.

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Guatemala

📰 #ParoPlurinacional: The national strike continues, demanding the resignation of President Giammattei and Attorney General Consuelo Porras. Protestors are exasperated with the management of the pandemic, corruption, and impunity. The National Civil Police tried to evict and intimidate protestors.

📰 Rafael Curruchiche: Attorney General Consuelo Porras appointed Rafael Curruchiche as head of anti-corruption body FECI. Curruchiche’s appointment is met with concerns regarding his objectivity and impartiality as he is allegedly part of Porras’s inner circle and has been accused of corruption. The United States stated that this latest decision “does not add confidence” in FECI’s ability to investigate and prosecute corruption cases.

📰 Consuelo Porras: New documents published by El Periódico coincide with Juan Francisco Sandoval’s claims that Consuelo Porras tried to obstruct investigations on multiple occasions. // The recent capture of Otto Pérez Leal, former mayor of Mixco and son of ex-President Otto Pérez Molina, in relation to 2015 electoral crimes causes speculation online whether it is an attempt to divert attention away from Consuelo Porras.

📰 COVID-19: Several hospitals are expected to run out of space and supplies to treat patients with coronavirus as a daily increase in cases continue. Health authorities reported an estimated 34,424 active cases and 10,714 deaths as of Aug. 7.

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Honduras

📰 Human Rights: Human rights and environmental defenders of the Reitoca community were released after being imprisoned by police and military officers for protecting Lenca territory from the installation of a hydroelectric dam.

📰 Berta Cáceres Trial: Prosecution asked for the maximum penalty of 25 years for David Castillo for the murder of Berta Cáceres.

📰 Elections: 1.7 million national identity cards have not been handed out to the population, despite the elections nearing in November. This puts people at risk of not being able to exercise their right to vote, as identity cards are mandatory to vote.

📰 COVID-19: Authorities in charge of the Triage Center in La Ceiba fired health staff after they protested peacefully for several weeks due to failed payments of their salaries.

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Nicaragua

📰 Elections 2021: Political parties tried to register their lists of candidates for the 2021 elections on Aug. 2. Less than a week later, the Citizens for Liberty (CXL) party was banned from the elections following a complaint about their legal representative for having a dual nationality. This same party participated in the 2019 regional elections in the Caribbean, without any complaint on the same situation. Milton Arcía, candidate of Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC), resigned after PLC filed the complaint against CXL. FSLN is the only party who made public their candidate list.

📰 Diplomacy: The RENACER act has been approved by the US Senate and now it’s waiting for the approval of President Biden. This new law will enforce sanctions on Nicaraguan officials, including the army, to pressure for “fair and free elections”. The law requests a review of the Free Trade Agreement between US and Nicaragua. // The US Secretary of State declared that the next election has “lost all credibility”. // The European Union sanctioned 8 public officers and allies of the government, including Vice-President Rosario Murillo.

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Panama

📰 Economy: The plenary session of the National Assembly approved Bill 185 to increase fines from 10,000 to 15,000 dollars to penalize companies that practice the hiring of foreigners without proper documentation.

📰 Covid-19: 93,000 Panamanians are not receiving the Vale Digital under the new regulations for Covid-19. The “Vale” is a economic stipend card with monthly funds, and it’s available to citizens who have lost their jobs during the pandemic.

📰 Migration: Testimonies were taken from immigrants who crossed the Darien, a jungle region between Colombia and Panama.

Black History Month in El Salvador

✨Black resistance: In this piece, Yohalmo Cabrera discusses the struggle that Afro-descendants face when it comes to recognition in El Salvador and their resistance. (ReverdES)

🎙️ Rewatch: Historical evidence of the African presence in El Salvador, a conversation between Roberto Ramirez and Yohalmo Cabrera. (Afroos - Facebook)

📅 Celebrating Afrodescendencia in Salvi Food: SalviSoul and AFROOS Director Ana Yency will hold a Zoom event on August 15 where they will discuss the Afro roots present in Salvadoran cuisine. Proceeds from this event will benefit AFROOS’ work in El Salvador. RSVP here!

✨ Historical series on Afro-Salvadorans, by Danielle Parada, PhD, and Breena Nuñez.

Afrodescendientes Organizados Salvadoreños @afroossv

Les compartimos la esta Serie Historial de Afro-Salvadoreños Parte I: Ancestros Originales Los afro-salvadoreños han sido parte de la historia de El Salvador desde que los españoles invadieron la región por primera vez, 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿

Good Reads

📌 Suicide Squad: The film's shooting locations and plot is an allegory to Panama's struggles with governmental control and its troublesome relationship with the U.S., argues Kohn. (Indie Wire)

📌 Gang control?: Avelar and Janowitz report that having more soldiers has not diminished the actual control of gangs in Salvadoran neighborhoods of Soyapango. (Vice)

📌Guatemala: Despite protests, Guatemala’s President may be stronger than ever, argues O'Boyle, thanks to his relationships with the military, business, and congress. (America’s Quarterly)

📌Zedes: In Honduras, the Economic Development and Employment Zones (Zedes) continue to expand across Honduras, despite strong citizen discontent. What's up with the latest ZEDE in the south of the country? (Contracorriente)

📌 Water: John Cavanagh, co-author of the book The Water Defenders: How Ordinary People Saved a Country from Corporate Greed, discusses in this radio interview about his book how local activists in El Salvador protected the country’s water from multinational companies. (WORT FM)

Reuniting families

In Guatemala, a lawyer rides through remote parts of the country to reunite families with the children separated from them by the Trump administration. (The Washington Post)

Photo of Eriberto Pop and his motorcycle.

Central American Wins

✨ Sports: Former Panamanian baseball league player for the Philadelphia Phillies, Carlos "Calicho" Ruiz, will be inducted into the Baseballtown Hall of Fame. Ruiz was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. (TVN Noticias)

✨Bicentenario: A Honduran artist won a contest for the Antología del Bicentenario de Centroamérica. (Honduras.com).

✨ Publication: Gema Madai Zepeda Mancía, a 9-year-old girl from El Salvador who migrated to Canada in 2016, recently released her first children’s book that details her life in Canada. (El Diario de hoy)

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