By Deborah Charnes Vallejo PUEBLA — Mexico has long been a magnet for tourists from Canada and the United States. The coastal resorts seem to always be flooded with the vacationers, even in slow seasons. Over the years there has been an increase in direct flights and charters to the Mexican Riviera, and these beaches [...]
Guatemala: Carlos Castresana: ” I cannot do anything more for Guatemala”
By Mayra Beltran de Daetz GUATEMALA CITY — Carlos Castresana Fernandez, Director of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG by its acronym in Spanish), resigned his position on June 7, 2010. What motivated his resignation? Threats and the systematic attacks by groups belonging to organized crime. Castresana took the position in September 2007 [...]
Puerto Rico: Media fights for the right to preserve Freedom of the Press
By Natalia A. Bonilla-Berrios LatinaLista SAN JUAN — More than ten media outlets and organizations have pledged to defend their constitutional right to freedom of the press after the unprecedented closure for two days of the Senate floor to reporters and the general public. Newspapers such as El Nuevo Dia, Primera Hora, Vocero and organizations [...]
Puerto Rico: Human trafficking not recognized as a crime on island
By Natalia A. Bonilla-Berrios SAN JUAN — He sold drugs and robbed people of their social security checks. He dropped out of school after earning from $80 to $120 dollars a day — as a victim of human trafficking. The problem was he didn’t even know he was a victim. How could he? He [...]
U.S.-Peru: Sharing a meal creates a lasting souvenir
By Deborah Charnes Vallejo PERU РSometimes, the best travel souvenirs are not what you buy or what you visit, but rather, the people you meet and the experiences you share. With three hours to kill, I went to eat lunch at an informal oceanfront caf̩ in a small town four hours south of Lima, Peru. [...]
Cuba: The “Cuban Dream” includes squatter’s rights
By Sandra Vigil Fonseca HAVANA — I arrive at my flat. There is my mom, who is old, and then here is July, her niece. She has 3 kids and is pregnant again. I leave my keys, which I don’t want to lose, in a small pot. I need water. It’s a million degrees [...]
