Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

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Jorge Ramos’s “racial war” rhetoric

Jorge Bonilla reports that Univision’s open borders advocate is kicking it up a notch,

Ramos, the journalist that Trump booted from a press conference nearly a year ago, claims that the hatred, racism and intolerance that were the hallmarks of the Republican’s campaign have already caused a racial war.

“It’s war. We are in a pitched battle between those who defend immigrants and the anti-immigrant. Since all these immigrants are without protection, the mayors of big cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Denver, and several universities, just to name a few, have decided to take charge of immigrant defense”, he says.

…

“The country is totally divided, full of hatreds, resentments, a very dangerous desire for vengeance, and with very little tolerance. What is being discussed here is how to resist Trump”, he added.

“Racial war” may not be a good idea to promote by the whiter-than-white Ramos.

But then we’re talking about the guy who wanted to convince his audience that Jeb! is Latino.

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Mexico: $27 billion in remittances UPDATED

While Mexico’s oil industry generated US$18.7 billion and tourism $17 billion in 2016, remittances reached $27 billion.

95% of those remittances come from the U.S.

Remittances to Mexico Hit Record $27 Billion in 2016U.S. President Trump said during his campaign that restrictions on remittances could be used to pressure Mexico into paying for a border wall

The money that Mexicans send home also supports domestic consumption, which was the main driver of the country’s 2.3% economic growth last year. Industrial production was virtually flat, and exports of manufactured goods fell 1.2% in the full year.

In other news, Mexico Says Nafta Negotiations Should Start in May

UPDATE

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Our Ladies of Perpetual Outrage™

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This constituency most likely include people who think Meryl Streep was brave for wasting a lifetime achievement speech by ranting about Donald Trump; who approve of women who reduce themselves to their private parts and wear ridiculous hats and costumes while littering and vandalizing the Mall and the largest building complex privately built, owned, operated and maintained entirely by women in the world; who think obstructing airports over an executive order they haven’t even read is a good idea; who see nothing wrong over an entertainer vowing to “punch people [he doesn’t agree with] in the face” with “soul, heart and joy“; and who don’t realize that parroting talking points convinces  no one.

Read my post here.

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El Salvador: MS13 and Barrio 18 responsible for most forced displacements

At InSight Crime:
El Salvador Gangs Responsible for 84% of Forced Displacement: Report

According to the report by the Civil Society Roundtable Against Forced Displacement by Violence and Organized Crime in El Salvador (Observatorio de la Mesa de Sociedad Civil contra el Desplazamiento Forzado por Violencia y Crimen Organizado en El Salvador) — which is comprised of ten non-governmental organizations — the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) was responsible for about a third of the forced displacements caused by the gangs, while their rivals in the Barrio 18 accounted for another third.

In many cases, however, it appears that researchers were unable to determine the gang responsible or the victims were unwilling to provide that information.

The police accounted for six percent of the displacements, followed by the military with two percent.

In what has become Latin America’s most violent country, InSight crime states, the MS13 and Barrio 18 have engaged on turf wars for several years, and

In recent years, the police and the army have joined in that fight. And increasingly vigilante groups are becoming important actors in this multifaceted conflict.

Read the full article here.

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Chile: Land on fire

The worst forest fires in Chile’s history have now destroyed more than a million acres of land, leaving at least 11 dead.

Here’s a roundup from international media,

Huge planes help fight Chile forest fires

AP PHOTOS: Chile Continues to Battles Its Worst Wildfires

Russian plane combats forest fires in Chile

Deadly wildfires continue to ravage Chile

In pictures: Raging wildfires in Chile lead to mass evacuations

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Brazil: Eike Batista arrested

Eike Batista, who once was Brazil’s richest man, was arrested after returning from New York (emphasis added),

The entrepreneur, who for a brief period was Brazil´s richest man, is accused of paying $16.5 million in bribes to the former governor of Rio de Janeiro state, Sérgio Cabral, according to a police spokesman. The alleged payments were made from 2007 to 2014, while Mr. Cabral was in office, according to police officials.
. . .
Mr. Batista and his lawyer, Fernando Martins, said the businessman left Brazil for business reasons Tuesday night, two days after police sought to arrest him, and didn’t know an arrest warrant was about to be issued.

Batista is in deep trouble; in addition to the above mentioned bribery charges,

Brazilian prosecutors said in September that Mr. Batista paid bribes of $2.35 million to the presidential campaign of former President Dilma Rousseff in 2010. The prosecutors, who are leading Brazil’s so-called Operation Car Wash investigation centered on embezzlement at state oil company Petróleo Brasileiro SA, said Mr. Batista came forward in June to offer them the information.

Prosecutors filed no charges against Mr. Batista at the time and said they were investigating the alleged payment.

Mr. Batista also was indicted for financial crimes related to the failure of OGX, the oil company he created, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2013.

O Globo (link in Portuguese) reports that Batista negotiated with federal authorities the terms for his return, since they regarded him as a fugitive. However, according to O Globo, the authorities did not make a formal request to the U.S. for Batista’s arrest.

Sometime between his departure and return to and from NYC, Batista shaved his head, which has caused quite a buzz in Brazil,

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