Sheinbaum presentó este domingo su esperado plan de incentivos fiscales para la industria del cine. “Queremos que se filme más en México y además que las producciones independientes tengan más salida”, dijo la presidenta en un acto celebrado en el Palacio Nacional, acompañada de la jefa capitalina, Clara Brugada, la secretaria de Cultura, Claudia Curiel, y la actriz Salma Hayek. Sheinbaum, que tiene una sólida trayectoria de apoyo a la industria cinematográfica mexicana durante su mandato como jefa de Gobierno capitalina, busca combinar regulación y estímulos económicos para mejorar la competitividad del sector audiovisual.

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El agua llega cada vez más alto en la casa de Wendy López, en el pueblo caribeño de Nariño (Lorica, Córdoba). Las piedras que la mujer utilizó en la última semana para elevar su nevera y sus muebles ya quedaron obsoletas. El agua llega a la entrepierna y quienes entran a la casa se hunden aún más en el piso de tierra, que se ha convertido en barro. Dormir es un peligro. “Si me agarra el sueño, puedo despertar y encontrar todo flotando”, dice Wendy, que tiene 32 años y se dedica a tareas de aseo en otras viviendas del pueblo. Luego de una semana, ya no aguanta más. “Mi casa es inhabitable, hoy tenemos que salir”.

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En el número 244 de la helada calle Grand, en Williamsburg, nada parecía haber cambiado el pasado miércoles. A las tres de la tarde, María Antonia Cay abrió su bar como siempre hace: con calderos de arroz, habichuelas y algún guiso. La comida es gratis, solo hay que pagar la bebida: tres dólares por una cerveza. Como de costumbre, Cay tomó asiento en uno de los taburetes mientras contaba billetes sobre la barra con sus manos repletas de los anillos gigantes y coloridos que ya la caracterizan. Por un momento, pareció un día cualquiera. Pero no lo era. Menos de 72 horas antes, Cay, mejor conocida como doña Toñita, la jefa del Caribbean Social Club, estuvo sobre la tarima más importante de Estados Unidos como invitada del espectáculo de intermedio de la Super Bowl de Bad Bunny.

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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Feb. 13, 2026: When American electronic dance music and DJ group Major Lazer stepped forward with a $10,000 donation to support the Jamaican bobsled team at the Winter Olympics in Milan, the gesture represented more than financial help. It underscored the enduring bond between Caribbean culture, diaspora success and national pride on the global stage.

The internationally acclaimed music collective – whose roots are deeply intertwined with Jamaican sound system culture – did not just support athletes. They reaffirmed a cultural lineage that continues to propel Jamaica beyond geographic and economic limits.

For a tropical island nation with no natural winter sports infrastructure, Jamaica’s continued presence in Olympic bobsledding has always been a symbol of resilience, ingenuity, and belief. Since the team’s historic debut at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics – later immortalized in the film Cool Runnings – Jamaica’s bobsledders have come to represent the audacity of small nations to compete in spaces never designed for them.

Major Lazer’s donation arrives at a critical moment, as the team prepares to compete once again against countries with far greater funding, facilities, and institutional support.

Walshy Fire, a Chinese-Jamaican member of the group, has long emphasized that Major Lazer’s creative DNA is rooted in Jamaican culture. That connection reflects a broader truth: the Caribbean diaspora has become one of the region’s most powerful global assets.

From music stages to Olympic tracks, diaspora success is increasingly feeding back into national advancement. This act of support highlights an evolving reality – Caribbean athletes and cultural ambassadors are no longer operating in isolation. They are part of a growing ecosystem where diaspora influence, cultural capital, and global visibility converge to create opportunity.

The Jamaican bobsled team’s continued journey at this 2026 Olympics is not simply about medals. It is about visibility, identity, and defying expectations as they get ready for their heats on Feb. 16th in Milan.

And Major Lazer’s contribution sends a clear message: Caribbean excellence does not stand alone. It is powered by a global community that understands its value – and is willing to invest in its future.

ABOUT THE GROUP

Major Lazer maintains a deep, foundational connection to Jamaica, blending dancehall, reggae, and soca with electronic beats. Founded in 2008, the group often collaborates with Jamaican artists, headlines local shows, and has recently added British-Jamaican artist America Foster to its lineup. Their 2025 project, Gyalgebra, continues this Caribbean focus. 

By Ron Cheong

News Americas, TORONTO, Canada, Sat. Feb. 14, 2026: Barbados PM Mia Mottley’s third consecutive electoral victory is more than a domestic political milestone. It marks the consolidation of a distinctive model of leadership – one that has amplified the voice of Barbados and, by extension, the wider Caribbean and small island states far beyond the constraints of geography or GDP. In an era defined by geopolitical fragmentation and climate precariousness, her leadership has fused moral clarity, institutional strategy, and rhetorical precision into a form of influence that has reshaped global conversations.

A Clarion Voice From The Caribbean

From her earliest addresses on climate justice to her interventions at the United Nations, Mottley’s voice has been unmistakable: measured yet urgent, dignified yet unyielding. She has positioned Barbados not as a supplicant small state seeking assistance, but as a principled advocate exposing structural inequities embedded in the global financial order.

The world has taken note of her clarity – whether speaking on climate finance, debt vulnerability, or development disparities. She reframes these issues not as abstract policy debates but as moral imperatives: Who bears responsibility? Who pays the price? Who writes the rules? By casting small-island concerns as universal ethical questions, she has elevated regional vulnerability into a global accountability.

This is transformational leadership in practice. Rather than operating within the confines of status quo assumptions, she has sought to shift the paradigm itself – articulating coherent alternative frameworks that have prompted intellectual and institutional reconsideration at the highest levels of international governance.

Advancing Barbados, The Caribbean, And Small States

Domestically, her tenure has included Barbados’s transition to a republic, symbolically completing a post-colonial arc and reinforcing a narrative of sovereign self-definition. The move resonated well beyond the island’s shores, signaling to other Caribbean nations that constitutional evolution can be affirming rather than disruptive -forward-looking rather than destabilizing.

Regionally, she has helped reposition the Caribbean’s global image – from one defined primarily by tourism dependency and climate vulnerability to one grounded in moral authority on development and environmental justice. By building coalitions that extend beyond the Caribbean to other small and developing states, she has constructed alliances that transcend geography.

Several qualities underpin her outsized influence: cognitive agility, disciplined composure, and moral conviction tempered by pragmatism. A trained lawyer with formidable rhetorical skill, she moves fluidly between legal reasoning, economic architecture, and historical narrative. These strengths have enabled a country of fewer than 300,000 people to shape discussions on climate finance and sovereign debt restructuring – demonstrating that within multilateral systems, intellectual coherence and moral authority can, at times, offset limited material power.

Challenges Ahead

A third term, however, does not arrive without formidable tests.

Domestic pressures remain paramount. Economic resilience in a climate-vulnerable, tourism-dependent economy demands constant adaptation. Transformational international advocacy must translate into tangible domestic gains.

Geopolitical fragmentation presents another challenge. Her leadership model relies on functional multilateralism. Should global institutions weaken further or great-power rivalry eclipse climate cooperation, the leverage of small-state coalitions may diminish.

There is also the question of durability. Transformational leadership can be intensely leader-dependent. For her reforms to endure, they must be embedded within bureaucratic practice, regional institutions, and international norms. Succession planning and the cultivation of new leadership will determine whether her agenda becomes a durable doctrine or remains closely associated with her personal authority.

A Voice Larger Than The State

History occasionally produces leaders whose influence transcends the scale of their nations. What distinguishes Mottley is not charisma alone, nor rhetoric alone, nor policy fluency alone – but the integration of all three into a coherent moral and strategic framework.

She has demonstrated that small states need not possess small voices. Through clarity of message, institutional ambition, and disciplined advocacy, she has reshaped how the Caribbean is heard in global forums. Her third electoral mandate suggests that her domestic constituency recognizes both the symbolism and the substance of that role.

In a century defined by climate disruption and deepening inequality, her voice – clear, Caribbean, and unapologetically global – remains one to be reckoned with.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ron Cheong, born in Guyana, is a community activist and dedicated volunteer with an extensive international background in banking. Now residing in Toronto, Canada, he is a fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto. His comments are his own and do not reflect those of News Americas or its parent company, ICN.

RELATED: Donald Trump And The False Assumption Of Coherence

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Sat. Feb. 14, 2026: In a digital age driven by innovation and adaptability, continuous learning has become essential including for Caribbean and Latin American nationals. Free Online Courses give learners the freedom to acquire new knowledge at their own pace, without the pressure of high tuition fees or rigid schedules. 

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your résumé, explore a new field, or simply feed your curiosity, online learning has become one of the most accessible paths to personal and professional development.

The rise of accessible education

Traditional education can be costly, time-consuming, and geographically limited. For many adults, especially those balancing work, family, or other responsibilities, returning to a classroom simply isn’t realistic. That’s where online education shines. It removes the barriers of time and place, offering learning experiences that are as flexible as they are valuable.

Unlike conventional institutions, online platforms are open around the clock. Learners can study early in the morning, late at night, or during lunch breaks. This accessibility is one reason why millions are turning to online courses to sharpen their skills and stay competitive.

Designed for adult learners

Flexible learning platforms for adults are built with real-life needs in mind. The best programs understand that adult learners value efficiency, clarity, and relevance. Course modules are structured to deliver content in digestible formats, using short videos, quizzes, summaries, and practical activities.

Many learners also appreciate the ability to pause, rewind, or revisit lessons as needed. This not only supports retention but also allows people to learn at a pace that works best for them. Unlike traditional classrooms where everyone moves together, online learning respects individual rhythm and comprehension levels.

What skills can you learn online?

The range of topics available is almost limitless. From career-focused content to creative pursuits, online courses cater to all interests and skill levels. Here are a few popular areas where learners often begin:

• Business and entrepreneurship: Gain insights into managing a startup, developing business plans, or improving customer service.
• Technology and programming: Learn coding, web development, cybersecurity, and data analysis.
• Design and creativity: Explore graphic design, photography, writing, or digital illustration.

Many platforms also offer soft skill development, including leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence, attributes highly valued in any workplace.

Real benefits with no cost

Online learning isn’t just about knowledge. It’s also a practical strategy for improving job prospects and expanding career options. Certificates of completion, though not equivalent to a degree, show initiative and ongoing education, something employers often look for.

Better still, free online education makes this possible without the burden of student debt. For people in underserved communities or in countries where education is costly, these platforms level the playing field. They open doors that were once locked by geography or economics.

Motivation and self-growth

Learning independently teaches more than just course material. It builds discipline, time management, and self-reliance. These habits can transfer into other areas of life, from career planning to personal finance.

Many learners report feeling more empowered and confident after completing an online course. Whether it’s finishing a project, earning a certificate, or mastering a new skill, each success builds momentum. What begins as a small goal often grows into a larger transformation.

Connecting through community

Despite being digital, online learning is far from isolating. Most platforms include forums, group chats, or peer review systems where learners connect, collaborate, and exchange feedback.

These spaces foster a sense of community, where learners can ask questions, share insights, and celebrate milestones together. In some cases, learners even form networks that lead to mentorship, freelance opportunities, or long-term collaboration.

Why Polisura leads in this space

Polisura is redefining online education by making it both accessible and impactful. Their free learning platform is tailored specifically for adults who want to build practical skills without navigating a complex system. Courses are clearly structured, regularly updated, and easy to navigate regardless of your tech experience.

They cover a wide spectrum of topics, from digital skills to professional development—all at no cost. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to deepen existing knowledge, Polisura offers a supportive environment with real value.

What sets Polisura apart is its focus on usability. You don’t need prior knowledge to get started. Their courses walk you through each step, and the learning environment is designed to reduce stress and boost motivation.

The next step is yours

Online learning is more than a trend. It’s a gateway to opportunity. With no cost, no travel, and no rigid schedules, it places the power of education directly into your hands. Whether you’re looking to transition careers, level up your current role, or simply try something new, there’s never been a better time to explore what online education can do for you.

Start with one course. Set a goal. Stay consistent. The benefits will follow and so will the confidence to keep going. The future of learning is here, and it’s waiting for you to take that first step.

La polvareda levantada por el despido del polémico Marx Arriaga, responsable de los libros de texto en la Secretaría de Educación (SEP), ha tenido incluso respuesta por parte de la presidenta, Claudia Sheinbaum. Ante las denuncias de una supuesta “privatización de la educación” y un giro en los materiales de texto lanzadas por Arriaga tras la notificación este viernes de su despido, la mandataria ha asegurado que los libros de texto “no van a cambiar”.

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I’m writing this post from a hotel, which is not unusual since I’m a travel editor. I’m on an open signal that anyone in the 400+ rooms here can access without a log-in, as can any random person here for a conference, a meal, or a drink. If I opened up my travel itinerary...

The post Protect Your Personal Data from Cyber Threats in Hotels appeared first on Luxury Latin America Blog.

Bogotá, Colombia – On January 30, the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, announced an amnesty proposal to release hundreds of political prisoners in the country. 

During her speech, she also stated there are plans to close the infamous prison known as El Helicoide in Caracas. 

“We have decided that the installations of El Helicoide, which today are used as a detention center, are going to be transformed into a sports, social, cultural, and commercial center for police families and neighboring communities,” confirmed Rodríguez during her speech.

Over the last few years, this giant building in Caracas has been implemented as the headquarters of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and the Bolivarian National Police (PNB).

Following the recent announcement regarding the “rebranding” of the country’s most feared prison, a deeper debate has emerged: can a place related to systemic torture be redefined?

An open wound

Prisons, pain, and a tireless struggle for justice have marked Andreina Baduel’s life. In 2021, her father, the General and ex-minister of Defense, Raúl Isaías Baduel, passed away inside the cold walls of El Helicoide. 

“He died under state custody at that place due to a lack of medical attention that was  denounced and simply ignored,” she told Latin America Reports.

General Baduel became the first Hugo Chávez ally to rebel against his policies. After being considered a hero and serving as Minister of Defense, he spent years being hunted and targeted as an enemy, spending his final days without any chance to recover his freedom.

“The most painful part is that he died in the arms of my brother, Josnars, who was also detained and remains in custody (he was transferred from El Helicoide to El Rodeo l in 2024). It’s an open wound… My brother has spent over four years in arbitrary detention, and he has been a victim of physical and psychological torture,” said Andreina Baduel.

Andreina is one of the leaders of the Committee for the Liberation of Political Prisoners (Clippve), and her story is not the only one related to this prison; dozens of families are suffering as they walk the same as hers.

A 2022 Human Rights Watch report detailed how prisoners in El Helicoide were subjected to torture, including electric shocks and waterboarding. Further findings from Venezuelan NGO Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón (JEP) highlighted that in April 2025, dozens of detainees with serious health conditions were still being denied adequate medical attention.

 During the past years some survivors of the giant prison shared grim stories of their experiences.

“It makes you want to die; it makes you want to cease to exist, because you are nothing,” Víctor Navarro, a Venezuelan activist detained in 2018 and later released, told CNN. “You’re there, and you know that… you’d prefer to be dead than still there.“

“A direct mockery”

Delcy Rodríguez’s proposal to transform the prison into a mall, a sports stadium or a cultural center is also being rejected by activists and students across the country.

“El Helicoide will pass into history as the most terrifying torture center in the country’s history; that place represents terror, fear, evil, and death. And we will always remember it as a place that should have never existed,” said Octavio González, one of the leaders from the Student Movement at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV).

Instead of a commercial hub, Gonzalez is advocating for a complete transformation of the site: “I believe that the building must be destroyed and replaced with some kind of tribute to those who perished there… A memorial, something that represents the dignity of the people who were detained or died behind the bars of that place.”

Gonzalez’s call for a memorial aligns with Andreina Baduel’s perspective; she also argues that “El Helicoide can only take on a new meaning if it truly becomes a site of historical memory – a place where what happened is acknowledged and due to that, precisely, never happens again.”

The latest decisions announced by Delcy Rodríguez could be considered an important step in the Venezuelan healing process, in a country where many claim that repression often overrides the common good.

However, this particular building remains the living image of a pain that is still present and will remain for decades to come. 

“When we hear these proposals about turning it into a mall or a cultural center, we see it as a direct mockery of the victims. You can’t just put a colorful facade over walls that still hold the screams of those who were tortured”, concluded Baduel, “For us, that building isn’t about architecture; it’s the place where they took a loved one away from us.”

Featured image description: Helicoide prison.

Featured image credit: Damián D. Fossi Salas via Flickr

The post Can Venezuela’s infamous torture center be repurposed after Maduro’s fall? appeared first on Latin America Reports.

An alliance of progressive advocacy groups announced on Thursday their intention to organize a humanitarian aid flotilla – named the Nuestra América Flotilla – to Cuba next month amidst increased economic pressure on the island by the United States. 

The announcement comes just after various airlines cancelled flights to Cuba due to insufficient jet fuel available on the island. Canadian airlines Air Canada, Air Transat and Westjet have halted all Cuba-bound flights. Rossiya and Nordwind, two Russian carriers, have also suspended flights. 

Read more: First airlines begin cancelling flights to Cuba following jet fuel shortage announcement

Cuba’s acute fuel shortage has been caused by the recent ratcheting up of economic sanctions on the nation by the U.S. Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order labelling Cuba a threat to national security. The order imposed tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to the nation.

Since the capture of Venezuelan President and Cuban ally Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces and the consequent economically debilitating loss of the Venezuelan oil supply to the island, U.S.-Cuba tensions have risen significantly as Washington has consistently threatened regime change on the island.  

As a result, various countries have started warning their citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Cuba, including the UK and Germany. 

The economic crisis transcends fuel shortages; a humanitarian crisis is unfolding on the island as hospitals are postponing surgeries, medicines and food are starting to run low and energy rationing appears imminent. 

Some governments are seeking to alleviate the humanitarian pressure: both Mexico and China have sent the island humanitarian aid, and Chile said it would also send aid via the United Nations. The Nuestra América Flotilla, however, is a non-governmental venture made up of activists and advocates from all over the world. 

Read more: Chile to send $1 million in aid to Cuba amid economic crisis

The project has reportedly been inspired by the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a collection of humanitarian aid flotillas which sailed to the Gaza Strip to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian territory. One of the Cuban flotilla’s organizers is David Adler, who helped organize the Sumud project. 

According to the flotilla’s official website, the group will soon “set sail from across the Caribbean Sea in solidarity with the Cuban people … [to] break the siege, save lives and stand up for the cause of Cuban self-determination”. 

Despite the inspiration by the Sumud project, the Mexican and Chinese deliveries of aid suggest that there is currently no indication that the U.S. would use its military to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the island; Israel’s navy, conversely, intercepted the GSF before it reached the Gazan coast.  

Major groups participating in the flotilla include Progressive International, an international left-wing activist organization, and Code Pink, a female-led grassroots peace and social justice group.  

The flotilla’s mission has been endorsed by a variety of leading international figures, such as Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, member of Colombia’s Chamber of Representatives María Fernanda Carrascal and U.S. Congresswoman Rachida Tlaib. 

Prominent left-wing American streamer Hasan Piker has confirmed his participation in the project. It has also been speculated that prominent Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg will take part. 

Dr. Stephen Wilkinson, one of the UK’s leading experts on Cuba and U.S.-Cuba relations and Chairman of the International Institute for the Study of Cuba at the University of Buckingham, endorsed the flotilla’s mission in conversation with Latin America Reports. 

“It’s imperative that people support the flotilla. Anything that can be done to raise public awareness of what is being done is essential. The term ’Gazafication’ is not an exaggeration when used to describe what the US is doing”, Dr. Wilkinson emphasized. 

“The [American] policy [of increased sanctions] is deliberately leading to famine in Cuba. The flotilla is a noble action because the people of the U.S. will be tainted forever with the guilt of a crime that will never be absolved … If Cuba falls they will lose their nation but the U.S. will lose its soul”, he concluded. 

The Flotilla will host its first international assembly on Sunday to coordinate logistics, participation and the acquisition of humanitarian supplies. 

Featured Image: The logo of the Nuestra América Flotilla

Image Credit: Progressive International via X

License: Creative Commons Licenses

The post Cuba-bound humanitarian aid flotilla organized as economic sanctions tighten  appeared first on Latin America Reports.

Pam Bondi gets the award for coming up with the worst excuse ever made in all of history. At the hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, various Democratic Representatives asked her if she would apologize for the Justic Department’s failure to redact names of Jeffrey Epstein victims who were sitting just in back of her. She shouted back at the Democrats asking ‘have you apologized for the criminal charges you leveled against the greatest president in U.S. history for supposedly attempting to rig the 2020 presidential elections?’ Anybody who doesn’t see the pathetic nature of Bondi’s response, let me recommend an undergraduate course in “Introduction to Logic.”

A large fire broke out on Friday at the Ñico López refinery in Cuba’s capital, sending a thick column of black smoke into the sky that was visible from multiple points around Havana Bay. Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the blaze or the extent of any damage, while emergency crews remained on scene.

The United States is shifting the USS Gerald R. Ford, its largest aircraft carrier, from the Caribbean Sea to the Middle East in a move that would place two US carrier strike groups in the region as President Donald Trump presses Iran to reach a deal over its nuclear programme.

The post Brazil warns citizens against joining foreign armies amid rising death toll appeared first on Latin America Reports.

The post Brazil Supreme Court justice recuses himself from fraud case following revelations of ties to bank president appeared first on Latin America Reports.

Chile’s government announced on Thursday that it will send humanitarian aid to Cuba in response to the serious economic crisis facing the Caribbean country.

The total amount delivered will be $1 million, which will be provided through the “Chile Against Hunger and Poverty” fund and delivered through the United Nations, with the goal of ensuring that it reaches the civilian population, explained Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren  during a press conference.

According to the foreign minister, this method of aid is standard practice for the Chilean Foreign Ministry in such contexts.

Resources will not be delivered directly to the Cuban government, but will be used to finance humanitarian projects on the ground.

The Foreign Ministry points out that this is a practice that has already been used in a similar way to support crises such as those in Gaza and Ukraine.

The announcement comes amid heightened tension in Latin America related to Cuba after US President Donald Trump threatened sanctions on countries providing oil to the island. 

Minister Secretary General of the Government Camila Vallejo had previously commented on the decision in statements to Radio ADN, noting that Chile had evaluated the measure based on available resources and humanitarian needs. 

Vallejo stressed that this type of support is based on humanitarian reasons and that there are no political commitments.

The announcement also comes amid great internal pressure within the political spectrum, after the Communist Party demanded active collaboration on the Cuban situation from its colleagues in government.

“As a country, as the left and as a party, we have to take a leap forward in terms of quality and quantity in international solidarity, in all the dimensions that this can take,” said Lautaro Carmona, president of the Communist Party of Chile.

The measure has divided opinion within political sectors. While some support it on humanitarian grounds, others question backing a regime they consider authoritarian and argue that the government should prioritize local emergencies.

Cuba is currently facing major economic and energy supply difficulties, which have been intensifying following recent sanctions and restrictions imposed by the United States, affecting access to fuel and basic services on the island.

This situation has also led other countries, such as Mexico and China, to send humanitarian and political aid to the island.

Featured image: Chile’s humanitarian aid to Cuba will be carried out through a donation to UNICEF.

Image credits:  T13 via x

The post Chile to send $1 million in aid to Cuba amid economic crisis appeared first on Latin America Reports.

By Ernesto Castañeda

Bad Bunny’s halftime performance showed how much Latinos love America, even if some parts of America do not love them back. Performed mostly in Spanish, it showed the reality that Latinos and Spanish are part of America’s culture: its history, its present, and its future. As the performance’s references to salsa and Ricky Martin’s participation in it reminded us, Latinos’ contributions to U.S. and global culture are not a new phenomenon.

Performances like this weaken MAGA’s ideological project even without any direct references to the current administration. Most importantly, they are a reminder of what most people can see: that Latinos, Asians, and Africans are part of U.S. communities, schools, labs, and the art and music scenes.

That is why most people in the U.S. were against ICE and mass deportations before the Super Bowl halftime show. But the humanization of Puerto Ricans and brown people could have reached and created empathy or even admiration among some people who were on the fence, do not follow the news, or live in areas with few immigrants.

When Bad Bunny was announced, some said they would boycott, that ICE would be present and carry out mass arrests, that people would not watch the show, or that it would go badly. None of that happened. The hate and fearmongering just made Bad Bunny’s performance even more special and powerful.

The performance’s positive message about love and inclusivity is a strong antidote to the fear created by ICE operations and the hatred induced by anti-immigrant, anti-Latino, and anti-black discourse. As a Puerto Rican, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, is a U.S. citizen. However, like many other minorities, on the street, he is racialized and treated as having fewer rights and valid political claims than white citizens who speak English as their first language.

Trusting his team to catch him after he fell backwards from the roof of the casita is a good metaphor for how he knew that Puerto Ricans, Latinos, immigrants, and Americans would have his back, despite the death threats against him that forced him to wear a bulletproof vest during the Grammys ceremony. The community was able to celebrate with him and through him as they watched the Super Bowl during a challenging time. Thus, in his own eyes, his music, lyrics, and his political statements against colonialism, calling Puerto Rica trash, and the dehumanization of people of color and the risks this entails, are worth it.

The halftime show made Latino kids and teenagers feel proud of who they are. It also made many Latinos and non-Latinos, whether they speak Spanish or not, proud of their musical tastes. Some of their parents or grandparents may not have known Bad Bunny’s music, but his fans are not alone. Bad Bunny recently won the Grammy for Album of the Year. He is the most-streamed artist globally on Spotify and other platforms, and the Super Bowl halftime show was enjoyed by over 130 million live viewers, plus over 80 million replays on the NFL YouTube page. This is as close as any cultural act can come to entering the U.S. and global mainstream. 

That is why the NFL selected the world’s leading artist. Bad Bunny is popular worldwide, singing in Spanish. He has no shame about his native language, accent, lingo, or culture. He is proudly Puerto Rican, which makes him emblematic of this multicultural reality.

MAGA proposes that these types of performances threaten US culture. But the USA is stronger than MAGA thinks. It is strong because of its diversity and its mixing of elements from around the world into new, creative products that sell very well. 

As I told Univision News, soon after Bad Bunny was announced as the performer for Super Bowl LX, and after he had hosted SNL and addressed the controversy the announcement caused, sending ICE to the Super Bowl would not have changed our multicultural reality; though it would have represented the fact that ICE and CBP act as if immigration equals crime. Santa Clara, California, is in the San Francisco Bay Area, where many residents were born abroad and work at Silicon Valley’s corporations. Thus, it would have been very difficult for ICE to patrol the streets around the Levy Stadium. Furthermore, it would have been economically and politically expensive if a large ICE operation in or around the stadium had caused the Super Bowl to start later or be severely understaffed. 

When criticized by conservatives for being selected, Bad Bunny defended himself. In doing so, he also indirectly defended other Latinos who are not as famous as he is, but who also contribute in their own way to daily life in the U.S.A. 

The U.S. continues living a practical contradiction on the one side being dependent on immigrant labor for affordability and economic growth but also complains about people arrivie to work and study. On the one hand, we have ICE detaining people for speaking Spanish, for being Latino, and hundreds of thousands of deportations happening. On the other hand, we have Latinos, the majority of whom are American citizens. Latinos are part of the economy, of culture, and of music. In the case of Bad Bunny, they make America great. 

All Puerto Ricans are citizens because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. Nevertheless, many assume that being American means being white and speaking English without an accent, which is not true. There are U.S. citizens of all origins, races, skin colors, faiths, and mother tongues. This Super Bowl halftime show was a celebration of that diversity, which makes us strong. Bad Bunny was not out of place in the Super Bowl, but much discrimination against Latinos includes the belief that Latinos are not one hundred percent American.

The upset from MAGA spokespeople is because they do not have control over popular culture. They would like corridos and songs in all genres to be written in celebration of Trump. However, with a few rare exceptions, this is not the case. 

People vote every few years, but they listen to music every week. The “culture wars” are not what Fox News says they are. Fox and other right-wing organizations politicize social issues that are at the early stages of the popular opinion shifts that ultimately lead to social change. No cultural product is loved by one hundred percent of the public. Culture is about practice, consumption, and remixing. People choose what type of food, music, and movies to consume time and time again. In recent years, Pedro Pascal, Diego Luna, Oscar Isaac, Benicio del Toro, Marcelo Hernández, Zoe Saldana, Ana de Armas, Rosario Dawson, Sofia Vergara, to name a few, have played key roles in some of the most popular movies and shows. 

The takeaway is that Latinos are an important part of the United States and make cultural contributions that benefit the whole world. Besides many transnational influences, collaboration with other artists based in the U.S. and throughout the Americas creates a new cultural reality. This cultural reality is a blend of contributions from Latinos and other U.S.-based artists. Together, we are all stronger, and our music is more universal, as the broad national and international appeal of Bad Bunny’s performance clearly shows.

Ernesto Castañeda is a political, social, and cultural analyst.

President Gabriel Boric’s government said on Thursday it will send humanitarian aid to Cuba, as the island faces a deepening economic and energy crisis.

A magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck northern Chile on Thursday morning, with the epicentre in the Coquimbo region. Chile’s National Seismological Center (CSN) said the event occurred at 10:34:30 local time, locating it 13 km west of Punitaqui at preliminary coordinates of latitude -30.781 and longitude -71.613, with an estimated depth of 54 km.

By Dr. Isaac Newton

News Americas, NY, NY, Thurs. Feb. 12, 2026: Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has done it again. Another election. Another complete sweep of Parliament. No opposition benches filled. No rival voices seated across the aisle. It is a political achievement of rare magnitude.

Many will call it honey sweet. And in many ways, it is.

A clean sweep signals trust. It reflects a population that, for now, prefers continuity over experiment. It affirms the Prime Minister’s command of message, machinery, and momentum. On the regional and global stage, she has become one of the Caribbean’s most commanding figures. Her speeches on climate justice and global finance carry moral clarity. Her interviews are sharp and informed. Barbados, through her, is not whispering in world affairs. It is speaking boldly.

Yet democracy is not measured only by the size of victory. It is measured by the strength of its institutions and the confidence of its people in the process.

Concerns that some voters’ names were left off the electoral list cannot be brushed aside. Even if small in number, such reports matter. Democracy depends on trust. Every eligible citizen must feel counted. Every election must feel clean. Transparency is not optional. It is oxygen.

Then there is the deeper issue. A Parliament without opposition may reflect the weakness of alternatives. The opposition was divided. It failed to inspire. It did not present a unified, compelling vision that made people rejoice. The electorate made its judgment.

Still, even a weak opposition plays a vital role. Debate sharpens ideas. Scrutiny improves policy. Dissent, when constructive, protects the nation from blind spots. A few credible voices across the aisle are not a threat to stability. They are a safeguard for it. Power, no matter how well intentioned, benefits from accountability.

In her acceptance speech, Prime Minister Mottley pledged to eradicate poverty and protect democracy. These are not mere words. They are tests.

Eradicating poverty must mean more than improved statistics. It must mean change that families can feel. It means jobs that pay living wages. It means training young people for a digital and green economy. It means supporting small businesses with access to capital and markets. It means housing that restores dignity and healthcare that is accessible and preventative. Poverty is not only about income. It is about opportunity, ownership, and hope.

Protecting democracy must also move beyond words. It means strengthening electoral systems so that errors are rare and trust is high. It means empowering independent institutions to function without fear or favor. It means welcoming criticism, not resisting it. Democracy is not weakened by questions. It is strengthened by honest answers.

The global context raises the stakes. The world is unsettled. Economic pressures persist. Climate threats loom. Debt burdens weigh heavily on small states. The Prime Minister’s international profile gives Barbados influence. But global applause must translate into local advancement. Roads must improve. Schools must modernize. Communities must feel progress, not just hear about it.

So is this victory bitter sweet or honey sweet?

It is honey sweet if bold rhetoric becomes measurable reform. If poverty truly declines. If institutions grow stronger. If citizens feel heard even when they disagree. If power remains humble.

It becomes bitter sweet if dominance dulls urgency. If development feels distant. If accountability fades in the absence of formal opposition.

A clean sweep wins seats. It does not guarantee legacy.

The electorate has given extraordinary trust. The responsibility that follows is equally extraordinary. History will not remember the margin of victory as much as it remembers the depth of transformation.

Barbados now stands at a defining moment. The sweetness of triumph must be matched by the substance of change. Only then will this victory be remembered not merely as decisive, but as destiny fulfilled.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Isaac Newton is a globally experienced thought leader, Harvard, Princeton and Columbia -trained strategist, and advocate for social justice and leadership excellence. With over 30 years of expertise in bridging cultural, economic, and ideological divides, he brings a nuanced perspective to complex issues shaping global and regional landscapes.

RELATED: When Skills Matter More Than Passports: A Caribbean Reckoning

By Keith Bernard

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Feb. 12, 2026: The recent report regarding Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s denial of UNC interference in the upcoming Barbados elections is more than a simple political rebuttal; it is a signal of a deepening fracture in our regional diplomatic fabric. The narrative unfolding here suggests a shift from mutual respect to a more interventionist style of Caribbean politics. When allegations arise that a governing party in Trinidad and Tobago is actively backing a specific side in a neighbor’s election – particularly just forty-eight hours before the polls opened on February 11th – it casts a long shadow over the sanctity of sovereignty.

This pattern of alleged cross-border political interference echoes troubling precedents from other regions that should serve as cautionary tales. Consider Russia’s documented interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election through disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks- operations that fundamentally undermined public trust in American democratic institutions and poisoned relations between Washington and Moscow for years to come. Or examine China’s increasingly assertive influence operations across the Pacific Islands, where Beijing has allegedly used economic leverage and political donations to sway electoral outcomes in nations like the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, effectively reshaping regional alliances and threatening the traditional influence of Australia and the United States.

Even within democratic blocs, such interference creates lasting damage. The European Union has grappled with accusations that Hungary and Poland have attempted to influence each other’s domestic politics through coordinated media campaigns and financial support for allied parties, weakening the union’s cohesion at precisely the moment it needs solidarity to address migration crises and security threats from Russia. In Latin America, Venezuela’s alleged support for sympathetic political movements in Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador during the height of the “Pink Tide” era created a polarized hemisphere where accusations of foreign meddling became routine, making genuine regional cooperation nearly impossible.

The creation of a dangerous precedent is perhaps the most worrying aspect of this unfolding story, as the lines between national interests and regional “bloc-building” are becoming dangerously blurred. If we allow the perception to take root that political machinery can be exported across waters to sway local outcomes, we risk turning our neighbors into proxies. This doesn’t just threaten the immediate peace between Port of Spain and Bridgetown; it sets a template for a future where the wealthiest or most organized regional parties can dictate the leadership of smaller nations.

The consequences of such precedents extend beyond bilateral tensions to fundamentally destabilize regional security architectures. When Saudi Arabia and Iran engaged in proxy political warfare across the Middle East – supporting opposing factions in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Bahrain – the result was not merely diplomatic friction but actual armed conflicts that have cost hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions. The Sahel region of Africa offers another stark example: external powers including France, Russia, Turkey, and Gulf states have all sought to influence the political trajectories of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger through combinations of military support, political backing, and economic inducements, contributing to a cycle of coups and instability that has made the region a breeding ground for extremism.

Furthermore, we must consider the heavy cost of distrust and the resulting erosion of the CARICOM spirit. Integration depends on the firm belief that each nation’s democratic process is its own, yet by the time a Prime Minister has to issue a “categorical denial” of meddling, the seeds of suspicion have already been sown. History demonstrates how quickly such suspicions can unravel decades of cooperation. The African Union’s effectiveness has been repeatedly undermined by accusations that larger powers like Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt use their economic weight to influence the domestic politics of smaller member states, making collective action on issues like the Libya crisis or conflicts in the Horn of Africa nearly impossible to coordinate. ASEAN’s principle of non-interference has been tested to breaking point by allegations that Thailand and Cambodia, or Vietnam and the Philippines, have supported opposition movements in each other’s territories, paralyzing the organization’s ability to present a united front on critical issues like the South China Sea disputes or the Rohingya crisis.

The economic consequences alone should give us pause. When members of the Gulf Cooperation Council – supposedly one of the world’s most integrated regional blocs – accused Qatar of political interference in their internal affairs in 2017, the resulting diplomatic crisis and blockade cost the regional economy billions of dollars, disrupted trade networks built over decades, and weakened the GCC’s collective bargaining power vis-à-vis Iran and global energy markets at a critical moment.

Our region cannot afford a narrative of interference; we face collective threats – economic volatility and climate change—that require absolute unity. The stakes for the Caribbean are existential in ways that dwarf even these examples. Small island developing states facing rising sea levels, hurricane intensification, and economic marginalization in global trade systems simply cannot afford the luxury of political division that larger regions might weather. When the Pacific Islands Forum nearly collapsed in 2021 over accusations that Australia and New Zealand were manipulating the selection of the Secretary-General to serve their interests rather than those of smaller island states, it paralyzed the organization’s climate advocacy at precisely the moment when COP26 required maximum Pacific unity. The Caribbean cannot repeat such mistakes when our very existence as viable nations may depend on presenting a coordinated front on climate finance, debt relief, and preferential trade access.

To see our leaders embroiled in accusations of electoral tampering suggests we are looking inward and backward, rather than moving forward as a unified community. The lesson from every region that has traveled this path is clear: once the poison of interference takes hold, it requires years or even decades to restore trust – time we simply do not have.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Keith Bernard is a Guyanese-born, NYC-based analyst and a frequent contributor to News Americas.

RELATED: CARICOM’s Animal Farm? – Why The Caribbean Is United in Rhetoric, Divided In Reality

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ordered the removal from active duty of Brigadier General Edwin Masleider Urrego Pedraza, who had been serving as police commander in Cali, after accusing him of involvement in an alleged attempt to sabotage Petro’s recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

By Danjha Leon Martinez

Peru has become one of the top destinations for Venezuelan migrants, second only to Colombia, with close to a million Venezuelans now calling it home. The Venezuelan diaspora started their mobilization journey after being forcibly displaced due to the socio-political situation in their home country.

Most migrants are young adults aged 18 to 34. About half hold technical or university degrees. Despite this, they had been encountering difficulties finding enough opportunities suitable for their professional or occupational credentials. In terms of resettlement, Peru still faces challenges in delivering the social services needed for effective migrants’ social integration. Specifically, the Peruvian system does not expedite their access to primary services such as documentation, healthcare, housing, and education during the early stages of their integration into the country. Thus, Venezuelans find themselves working in the informal economy as street vendors, construction workers, or housekeepers, taking any opportunities that they can find.

For many migrants, the choice to settle in Peru isn’t random. They are drawn by the country’s steady economic growth and its notable progress in reducing poverty. Others come to reunite with family or because Peru’s legal migration procedures are comparatively easier than those of other nations.

Diego: When I arrived in Peru, I said ‘Vaya! Hay Audis, Mercedes Benz, Starbucks…’ In Peru, I found opportunities… I was able to open a barbershop and take a loan to buy a car.

Venezuelan arrivals have put a slight increase in demand on Peru’s public services, with hospitals, schools, and social programs. But a growing population will grow the economy and produce more opportunities for all in Peru. Locals have noticed more competition for low-wage jobs, fueling worries about unemployment and sparking some anti-immigrant attitudes that are tied to xenophobic sentiment.

Given the high degree of informality in Peru’s economy, migrants can find work quickly, and open migration policies have made it easier for them to get temporary permits. Still, Venezuelans in Lima, the capital of Peru, face hurdles in getting formal jobs, leaving many with higher education degrees to work as street vendors, housekeepers, and in small trades just to get by.

For this reason, Venezuelans heavily rely on transnational and local social networks, which provide crucial support, including information about job opportunities, housing, and other resources that aid economic survival.

Pedro: (former employee at PDVSA, Petróleos de Venezuela): During the first three months that I was here in Peru, I could not find a job. I survived only with the support of my countrymen. 

Despite issues such as job precariousness and limited rights, Lima offers better economic opportunities than other potential destinations in Peru’s main cities. 

Saul: I feel like I really prospered. When I arrived, the challenges were overwhelming, but the benefits I gained from it are invaluable. Now I can give stability to my family, and I own a business which I’m proud of.

Jose (Venezuelan mechanic who moved to Lima in 2018): “The minimum wage here in Peru… it’s not feasible for a Venezuelan to live with dignity because the rent prices and groceries cost basically the whole salary.” 

Despite the funding and technical support from several international NGOs to implement humanitarian assistance, there has been a disconnect between the results of these initiatives and the intended outcomes. Almost 70% of the Venezuelan community still need to accelerate their migration process and acquire a formal status, requiring international protection. Coping strategies for financial survival include juggling multiple informal jobs, entrepreneurial activities, and sharing housing to reduce living costs, often under precarious conditions. Venezuelan migrants who plan for a future in Peru balance hopes for stability with the need to adapt to informal economic contexts and local cultural idiosyncrasies.

Peru’s political will towards the integration of the Venezuelan diaspora could be reflected by future policy frameworks that help secure legal immigration statuses and access to social programs with fewer bureaucratic hurdles. Even after facing a difficult journey, Venezuelan migrants have significantly contributed to Peru’s economy and society. They have filled critical labor gaps in sectors such as construction, food services, and informal vending, thereby driving economic growth, particularly in low-wage jobs. Many have also opened small businesses, diversifying local economies and creating jobs.

Overall, migration brings development opportunities to a country. As of now, the Venezuelan diaspora is still in the process of integration and organizing mutual support. Given the diaspora’s positive impact on the country’s development and Peru’s long-standing history of economic growth driven by the arrival of diverse migrant clusters, it would be beneficial for both the vulnerable community and the host country to advocate for the protection and effective integration of the Venezuelan diaspora.

Danjha Leon Martinez is a Research Assistant for the Immigration Lab at the Center for Latin American & Latino Studies. She is a Development Management graduate student at American University with a focus on humanitarian aid and global migration.

Edited by Ernesto Castañeda, Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS) and the Immigration Lab, Katheryn Olmos, Research & Data Coordinator, and Vincent Iannuzzi-Sucich, Research Intern at the Immigration Lab.

Football teams have 22 players in addition to punters and kickers. Of those 22, one player, the quarterback, gets 60 % of the attention and credit (and blame) for a team’s performance. Five other players (the backs and the two ends) get 35% (in other words each get 7%) of the attention. The remaining 5% goes to the 11 members of the defensive team (that is, each get less than a half of 1%). The 5 members of the offensive line (excluding the ends) get 0%. Why is that? The performance of the defensive line can get measured by the number of tackles, sacks and fumble recoveries. But all the offensive line does is block. How can you measure that?

Caracas, February 4, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Chavista supporters filled the streets of Caracas on Tuesday to demand the release of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady and Deputy Cilia Flores. The rally marked one month from their kidnapping on January 3 as part of a US military attack against Venezuela. Heavy gunfire erupts near Presidential […]

The post Venezuela stages Massive Rally demanding Maduro Liberation & Return to Caracas appeared first on New Jetpack Site.

Bolivia will honor lithium agreements concluded by the previous government with Russia and China if the integrity and transparency of those deals are confirmed, President Rodrigo Paz said. The deals will be reviewed and made public to allow proper scrutiny, Paz told the Financial Times in an interview published Tuesday. Bolivia controls the Price of […]

The post Bolivia to honor transparent Lithium Deals with Russia & China appeared first on New Jetpack Site.

The luxury resort scene in Los Cabos keeps getting more heated all the time. This has clearly become the go-to spot for high-end hotel chains to make their mark in Mexico. The home-grown Mexican companies are no slackers, however, and Grand Solmar Land’s End is worth considering for its impressive pool complexes, large rooms,...

The post Tour Grand Solmar Land’s End at the Tip of the Baja Peninsula appeared first on Luxury Latin America Blog.

by Jonathan Valenzuela

During President Trump’s first term (2017-2021), a variety of immigration policy changes were implemented, which contributed to a shift in migration from Central America away from the United States and towards Europe. Now, in his second term more extreme anti-immigration policies alongside the rollback of Biden-era practices, such as the ending of the CBP One app, similar shifts of destination countries for Central American immigrants may continue. In 2023, it is estimated that there are about 4.3 million Central American immigrants in the United States, and 323,000 Central American immigrants in Spain.  

Migration of Central Americans to the United States and Europe began during the armed conflicts of the 80s and 90s. It marked the start of a migration pattern which has only continued to grow. The most recent wave of Central American migrants to Europe began with Nicaraguan women in the mid-2000s to the early 2010s. 

The largest Central American population is in Spain, with Hondurans most prevalent in Catalonia, Nicaraguans in the Basque Country, and Salvadorans in Madrid and increasingly in Seville. These populations have concentrated in these regions primarily because of established immigrant communities, strong labor markets, and an unmet need for labor in sectors such as elder or childcare. Notably, the population of Central Americans in Europe is composed primarily of Hondurans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Nicaraguans. Costa Rican and Panamanian immigrants remain at a smaller number than those from the other four countries.

The outlook of Central American immigrants in Spain is both different and like those in the United States. On one hand, many female members of both communities work in domestic jobs such as childcare or housekeeping, but a main difference is that the Central American home in Europe is headed by the women of the household, who struggle less to find jobs than men do.  

The acceleration of Central American immigration to Europe has notably grown because of the increased militarization of the United States’ southern border and policy changes since the first Trump administration. The increased difficulty of migrating to arrive to the United States made Central Americans seek other destinations. Spain is a solid option because of the ease of entering the country due to a lack of visa requirements, a perceived welcoming environment, an easier immigration process, a shared language, and similar cultural elements. From 2021 to 2024, the number of Central American immigrants in Spain grew by some 60,000. 

The United States is the preferential destination for most Central American as it is the home of the largest diasporas. Experts agree that increased hostility on the Mexico-U.S. border, especially during the first Trump administration, is tied to the increase of Central American immigration to Europe. Through increased collaboration with Spain, the United States seeks to reduce the flows of immigration from the region towards itself, but not necessarily to stop it altogether. 

Now, it is only a matter of time until this pattern further evolves with the second Trump administration, which has signaled its desire to further deter immigrants from entering the country. Regardless of the paid ads or policy changes the administration pushes, people will continue to immigrate.  

Spain has continued to receive immigrants from Latin America and is considered to have “solved” immigration and it has the fastest growth of any European economy thanks to immigration. However, with anti-immigration protests in the country and throughout the world, the question remains whether these deterrent efforts will successfully push Central American immigrants to other destinations? And how long will these destinations such as Spain remain open to Central Americans before they decide to implement stricter migration policies as well? Or whether we are starting to see an equilibrium between the people needing to leave Central America, the people settling in other countries in the region, Mexico, the United States, and Spain, and the decrease in gang violence and economic opportunities in Central America.   

Jonathan Valenzuela Mejia is a Guatemalan-American legal professional based in New York City. He completed a B.A. in Global Studies and a B.A. in Public Affairs with a minor in Central American Studies from UCLA. 

Edited by Ernesto Castañeda, Director of the Immigration Lab and the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies. 

Tras más de una decena de aplazamientos, el juicio por el asesinato del activista Samir Flores arranca este 16 de febrero. Según confirma a EL PAÍS el equipo legal que acompaña a la familia, se han programado cuatro sesiones, lo que hará que el proceso vaya hasta el 20 de este mes, justo el séptimo aniversario de su muerte. El juicio es contra el único detenido del caso, uno de los supuestos autores materiales del homicidio ocurrido en 2019 en Morelos. Fue de las primeras muertes violentas de un activista medioambiental en México tras la llegada al poder de Morena, en un contexto de contradicción entre las promesas de campaña y la acción de Gobierno.

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Trump has issued the following statement on Truth Social: “We will guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists. There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles or at our Patriot Warriors. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.”

The USA began overthrowing governments in Latin America in the 1890’s, often working with internal elements, usually the military and the business community, to do so, Peter Kuznick, the director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University, told Sputnik. Its the internal betrayal that is sometimes even more disturbing, because that is not a […]

The post US-Backed Coups in Latin America are Bad, Local Elites’ Judas-Style Betrayals are Worse appeared first on New Jetpack Site.

By Maria Muradyan 

Most of the narratives about immigration are wrong. They are simplistic, outdated, and dangerous. — Ernesto Castañeda.  

This quote carries particular weight here in Washington, DC, where harmful rhetoric and harsh policy are produced just a couple of blocks away from immigrant communities who face its consequences directly. For decades, the topic of immigration has been at the forefront of American political discourse. Americans on opposite ends of the aisle have consistently disagreed on immigration policy and whether or not we as a country have a responsibility to accept people who cross the border and enter America “illegally”. Opinions on the topic, though always polarizing, have transformed and intensified drastically in the last decade, with the election of President Donald Trump and the emergence of the “MAGA” movement. The slogan “Make America Great Again” can be most often associated with right-wing populism, conservative nationalism, but perhaps most famously, a narrative that casts Latin American immigrants as threats to national security and as a strain on American society. 

The current administration’s rhetoric and policy on immigration have single handedly created one of the most polarized political environments in American history. As the political climate has shifted, these ideological divisions have fueled a wave of widespread misconceptions and stereotypes about Latino immigrants, who they are, why they come, and the impact they have on American society. These harmful misinterpretations not only distort public attitudes but also pave the path for harsh immigration policies and are used to justify the unlawful and inhumane deportation practices carried out by ICE in Washington, DC, and across the nation. 

In an effort to better understand these stereotypes and the effects they have on victims and their families, I conducted an interview with Dr. Ernesto Castañeda, a migration scholar, professor, and Director of Immigration Lab at American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies. Dr. Castañeda is a leading voice on how misconceptions shape the lived experiences of immigrant communities in DC, and how enforcement, family separation, and uncertainty shape the lives and psychological well-being of youth. 

The first false assumption he addressed is the belief that America has become ‘overflooded with immigrants’. Dr Castañeda pointed out that actual population data proves just the opposite. According to a Pew Research study conducted in 2023, immigrants make up roughly 15% of America’s population (52% being from Latin America). Not only this, but out of the total number of individuals not born in America, undocumented immigrants made up a mere 27% (Pew Research 2025). Locally, immigrants constitute about the same share of the D.C. population as they do nationally. All immigrants make up about 13% of the population, out of which 11.3% identify as Latino (American Immigration Council 2025) 

When looking at data from the 2024 election year, an analysis of tens of thousands of statements made by Trump showed that he repeated the sentence ” [South American countries are] emptying out their prisons and their mental institutions into the United States ” or similar ones over 560 times during his most recent re-election campaign (Marshall Project 2024). Dr. Castañeda explains how these repeated claims are what perpetuate stereotypes such as Latinos are ‘dangerous criminals, ‘ invading the country, and ‘using up public resources. ’ When average Americans, with little knowledge or exposure to immigrants, hear these statements repeatedly, they will inevitably begin to accept them as facts. However, long-term empirical studies show us otherwise. Research analyzed by the Journal of Criminology over the span of 24 years showed that no evidence exists that links undocumented immigrants to the number of violent crimes in the country. Not only this, but this study found that increases in the immigrant population within the states correspond to decreases in the prevalence of violence and crime (Light & Miller, 2018). 

According to Castañeda, current narratives fail to take into account that the vast majority of Latino immigrants come to America to ‘study, work, contribute to science, to work in hospitals, to get married, and that is rarely part of the story’. Furthermore, as he explains both in his book Immigration Realities and in our interview, immigrants actually rely on public assistance at lower rates than U.S. citizens, and this is true even for their U.S born children. They also play an essential role in keeping the economy and population growing. Immigrants contribute to scientific progress, cultural creativity, and the continuation and spread of American ideas and culture. Any evolving society needs new people to sustain itself, and throughout history, immigrants have taken on that role in the United States. 

While these negative narratives dominate the national conversation, their most immediate impact becomes visible in places like DC, where families must confront fear and instability while navigating their day to day lives. The Shrine of the Sacred Heart, a Catholic Church, which is just a short bus ride from the White House, has long served as a place of worship for the Catholic Latin American community in DC. However, in the last several months, it has become a hub for ICE attacks this October. The Associated Press reports that over 40 members of the parish have been recently deported as churchgoers are ‘fearful to leave their homes, get food, medical care or attend Mass’. The Archdiocese of Washington describes these mass deportations as “instruments of terror” for the Latino community of DC. The climate in the city remains especially volatile for mixed status families, who must live with the fear that their loved one will be detained while doing their daily tasks. This became a reality for one member of the Sacred Heart Church whose husband was detained by ICE while selling fruits and vegetables at the family owned fruit stand. She says, “ It’s been a very difficult, bitter month of crying and suffering…our lives changed forever one day to the next” (Associated Press, 2025) 

Stories like these are not limited to Sacred Heart but are a reflection of the unique set of challenges that mixed-status families face in DC and across the nation. These effects are already being felt in DC high schools and universities, where Dr. Castañeda notes the current political environment is having consequences on youth in these mixed status families. He states, “Youth are afraid for themselves and are afraid for their families, for their friends, for the communities…that makes it harder to focus on school, we see that in the universities, we see that with colleagues, we see that with staff members who have undocumented family members”. A 2024 study published by the Journal of Latinx Psychology followed a sample of youth who are US citizens but lived in mixed status families. They discovered that exposure to current violent immigration enforcement, such as witnessing a parent or loved one deported, significantly increases severe anxiety, fear, and depression among the sampled youth. These psychological effects extended beyond the immediate family members, as the trauma was felt even when enforcement actions targeted people in their community rather than someone directly inside the home. Their study also confirmed that anti-immigration stigma quickly becomes internalized, as adolescents in the study reported feeling ashamed of their background, immigrant family, and language (Lieberman et al., 2024). 

These effects could be expected to be felt especially strongly in DC due to the high prevalence of Latino youth immigrants who arrived a decade prior. Beginning in 2014, DC saw a large surge in unaccompanied youth, between the ages of 13-18, who came to America to unite with their parents, grandparents, or extended families. Castañeda explains that since this group of youth has reached a legal adult age, ICE agents might be ‘looking for an excuse to deport them’. As ICE revisits these old cases of unaccompanied minors, they are also using this as an opportunity to track down their immediate and extended families as well as their sponsors. Subsequently, the result is a painful cycle in which youth who once struggled to reunite with their family, once torn apart by borders, must now live in psychological torment and fear of losing each other once more. Current immigration enforcement practices are undoubtedly a form of psychological violence that produces hypervigilance, fear, and depression, and will cause long term trauma in immigrant communities. 

Looking ahead, it is clear that America is in dire need of immigration reform, one that is based on facts, research, and empirical evidence, rather than stereotypes. However, Castaneda notes that the general public is not to blame, as one cannot expect regular Americans to understand topics as complex as immigration law. Rather, this responsibility falls on our lawmakers who must put aside partisanship and focus on creating solutions that maintain the dignity of immigrants, while addressing the realities of the current day border.  

Castañeda explains the best form of immigration reform would be what he calls “generous amnesty”, or a broad pathway to legalization. Individuals and families who have been living in America for an extended period of time and have built entirely new lives must be given a path to citizenship. This is both a moral imperative but also it is a sentiment that, according to him, is largely supported by most Americans on both sides of the aisle. Recent Gallup polls confirm this fact, as 64% of Republicans and 91% of Democrats classify immigration as a positive (Gallup, 2025). A generous amnesty does not mean an open borders concept. Rather, it is a way to create legal paths to citizenship, so that migrants have other options rather than resorting to crossing the border. It is only natural that individuals and families desperate for survival will resort to the only option available to them.  

Second, the US is becoming an aging nation with a retiring workforce and a declining birth rate. With the declining population and lowered birth rates, many key industries, such as agriculture, are having projected worker shortages, unable to meet the labor demands. The Economic Policy Institute finds that “Achieving historically ‘normal’ GDP growth rates will be impossible, unless immigration flows are sustained” (Bivens 2025). Employment based immigration is one way through which the government can offset this issue. Granting a greater number of H-1B and H-2B visas can help balance these effects by bringing in younger and eager individuals who are ready to work in these essential positions. 

In conclusion, data, decades of research, the realities in DC, and Dr. Castañeda’s expertise make one point unmistakably clear. The narratives that dominate our national conversation about immigration are misinformed, outdated, and harmful to those who live with its consequences daily. The political rhetoric from our nation’s leaders creates instability, fear, and psychological trauma in immigrants while simultaneously distorting the public’s perception of the issue. Research continues to show that immigrants make America stronger, enriching society, unifying communities, and bettering the economy. Dr. Castañeda’s work reminds us that looking ahead, we must demand from our lawmakers a change that is rooted in the recognition of these principles and the creation of dignified paths to citizenship.  

As I reflect on my childhood and the little girl I was when I first arrived in America, I see no difference between myself and another little girl today arriving from El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, Cuba, or Guatemala. We all carried the same fears of an unfamiliar place, the same uncertainty, the same dreams of a brighter, better future in this country. The only difference between the treatments we received was the country we came from and the political implications that country brought with it. It is time that we begin to approach immigration with greater empathy, remembering that we ourselves, or our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, once stood in these very same shoes. Latino immigrants have positively shaped this nation from the beginning of its history, and they continue to do so today. These facts are unmistakable, the human suffering is devastating, and the need for humane immigration reform has long been overdue. 

Maria Muradyan is a senior at UCLA studying Political Science with a strong interest in American politics and public policy. She participated in UCLA’s UCDC program in Washington, DC. Her interests include immigration policy and community advocacy, with a particular emphasis on how political institutions and policy frameworks shape social and economic outcomes. Through her research and writing, Maria aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of contemporary policy debates and their real-world implications. 

References 

Castañeda, Ernesto (2025, November 21st), Personal Interview on Immigration. 

Geiger, A. (2025, August 21). What the data says about immigrants in the U.S. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/08/21/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/  

Immigrants in the District of Columbia – American Immigration Council. (2025). American Immigration Council. https://map.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/locations/district-of-columbia/?utm_source=chatgpt.com  

The Marshall Project. (2024, October 21). Fact-checking Over 12,000 of Donald Trump’s Statements About Immigration. The Marshall Project. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/10/21/fact-check-12000-trump-statements-immigrants 

Light, M., & Miller, T. (2018). Does Undocumented Immigration Increase Violent Crime? Criminology, 56(2), 370–401. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9125.12175  

Henao, L. A., & Stanley, T. (2025, October 27). Immigration crackdown sows fear among Catholic church community in US capital. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/immigration-crackdown-catholic-church-washington-874e6deca9e54a4e14081c63adca7718  

Jamile Tellez Lieberman, Dsouza, N., Valdez, C. R., Pintor, J. K., Weisz, P., Carroll-Scott, A., & Martinez-Donate, A. P. (2024). Interior immigration enforcement experiences, perceived discrimination, and mental health of U.S.-citizen adolescents with Mexican immigrant parents. Journal of Latinx Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/lat0000263  

Saad, L. (2025, July 11). Surge in U.S. Concern About Immigration Has Abated. Gallup.com; Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/692522/surge-concern-immigration-abated.aspx  

The U.S.-born labor force will shrink over the next decade: Achieving historically “normal” GDP growth rates will be impossible unless immigration flows are sustained. (2025). Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/publication/the-u-s-born-labor-force-will-shrink-over-the-next-decade-achieving-historically-normal-gdp-growth-rates-will-be-impossible-unless-immigration-flows-are-sustained/?utm_source  

One Year into Trump 2.0, Some Immigration Myths are Shattering, but Some of the Big Lies from the 2024 Trump Campaign Continue

By Ernesto Castañeda, PhD

One year into Trump’s second administration, significant developments have reshaped U.S. immigration policy. This piece examines key changes and events, clarifies factual misunderstandings, and analyzes how immigration has been framed and discussed in media coverage and political commentary.

Biden Did Not Have an Open Border

It is factually wrong to claim that “Biden had an open border policy and welcomed a record number of undocumented immigrants.” Although this claim is frequently repeated, it is misleading. Following the COVID-19 Pandemic, the U.S., along with the rest of the world, closed its borders for months. Under the pretense of public health, Title 42 was used to block access to asylum at the border. Thus, many individuals seeking asylum, attempting to reunite with family members, or workers reporting to jobs in the United States were trapped en route. Ultimately, a lot of people were forced to wait in Mexico for their opportunity to request asylum, and hundreds of thousands of people were deported from the border shortly after entry. 

Interestingly, after the end of the pandemic and the eventual lift of Title 42, members of the Biden administration came up with creative solutions to deal with a border surge — which again was not caused by the Biden administration but was a by-product of the pandemic and the terrible political, economic, and security conditions across much of Latin America and the Caribbean. In response, the Biden administration implemented the use of the CBP One mobile application, an app developed during the first Trump administration, which allowed individuals to obtain a spot in line to present themselves at border ports of entry for an orderly metered process to enter and request asylum. This was not a promise that all of them would be granted asylum or allowed to stay, but it did allow them to start their legal process. 

There were technical problems with this trial app, and in practice, it amounted to an online algorithmic lottery that created competition among hundreds of thousands of people for appointments. Nevertheless, it was an improvement from sleeping in camping tents during the winter while in line at border entrances in Mexico, or having notebooks where people wrote their names to hold their place in line on a first-come, first-served basis. The CBP One app also generated data on who sought to enter the country and on those permitted to enter. 

Other alternatives to detention, such as ankle bracelets and other tracking apps, allowed the U.S. government to identify newcomers and track their whereabouts. These tools have been used by ICE under the current Trump administration to locate and deport individuals who entered legally under these programs. As I said following Trump’s election, ICE agents would be tempted to detain and deport these easy-to-find immigrants in temporary or between immigration statuses in order to fulfill quotas while inflating the numbers of “dangerous” deportees.

Given hemispheric geopolitics, the Biden administration also created a legal program, known as CHNV, for certain people with family or contacts in the US who could offer financial support if needed and vouch for them to enter the U.S. legally through airports from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, to apply for asylum. These new programs were created for populations from countries to which the U.S. was sympathetic, and because these countries would not accept deportations. These programs shifted what could have been undocumented immigration flows into technically legal immigration flows. These new arrivals quickly received work permits so that they could work legally. This system became a lifeline for the U.S. economy and a lifeline for essential workers, allowing the U.S. economy and society to recover faster from the negative effects of the COVID pandemic.

Images of lines at the border and people sleeping in the streets of El Paso and in front of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City after the busing of immigrants and the unfortunate statements from New York’s Mayor Adams seemed to make these arrivals unmanageable, but as we have researched at The Immigration Lab, new arrivals have managed to find jobs to pay for the housing, food, and other expenses and even send some money to family in their places of origin. These individuals enter with permission from the government, which knows who and where they are. They are not undocumented nor “illegal.”

The Biden administration deported hundreds of thousands of people from the border, and people from Mexico and many other countries were not allowed in. 

The Biden administration actively helped individuals fleeing crises in Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, as well as those displaced from violent conflict in Ukraine and Afghanistan. Most people were coming into the U.S./Mexico border, raising their hands, waving, presenting themselves to authorities at the border, giving their information, and then following the procedures and instructions that they were given. Many, but not all, of them were then legally allowed into the country, granted work visas soon after staying a few days on the streets of host cities like El Paso, New York City, or Washington, DC. The great majority of the new arrivals eventually found places to rent and obtained jobs in the broader economy. Today, many are either still working or have been deported with no legal grounds or reasons beyond fulfilling ICE quotas to reduce the number of people of color born abroad.

Any serious discussion of immigration must take into account the barriers preventing people from returning and rebuilding a life in their country of origin, including instability, political repression, and economic hardships in countries like Venezuela and Haiti. 

Claims that the Border is Now Secured 

Border communities in the United States have long been safe, as documented in our book “Immigration Realities.” It is true that fewer people are arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking entry, but this is not purely a Trump effect.  There are five main reasons for this: 

1) The pandemic created a bottleneck influx of immigrants that eventually eased during the second part of the Biden administration. The programs discussed above (CBP One and CHNV) onboarded quickly those people who had been waiting at the border for years before. These numbers had already begun to decrease in the last months of the Biden administration due to policy changes and the organic leveling off from the bottleneck and pent-up demand. 

2) There was lower demand for people from Ukraine and Afghanistan to enter through the border. 

3) Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, and Colombia were pressured by the U.S. to make it even harder to cross the Darien Gap and to get close to the U.S./Mexico border. Many of these countries used their military to control, dissuade migration, and deport people, often without due process. As a result, new arrivals stopped.

4) On January 20, 2025, Trump declared a national emergency at the border and sent the military to certain areas of the border. 

5) People from Latin America are largely no longer arriving seeking to apply for asylum because, contrary to international and U.S. law, people are not allowed to enter the country by applying for asylum at the borders. Title 42 conditions have become chronic. These immigration policies, along with the strong campaign rhetoric, dissuaded many from entering the country, whether illegally or legally.

At his January 20, 2026, press conference, Trump compared his desire for the U.S.-Mexico border to that of North Korea. Likewise, in order to carry out these mass deportations quickly, authoritative actions of going against civil liberties are needed, as seen in Minnesota. He also boasted that “the border is secure” and with “no legislation” on the topic. 

For those concerned about “chaos at the border,” or upset that some new migrants were entering with permission at the border while others could not previously, do not worry. Most of the new arrivals have lost their legal status; many have been detained or deported, or are in the process of moving back. Their absence will have negative consequences for the U.S. employers, neighbors, and communities that relied on them. 

All Immigrants Are Criminals

Trump promised he would deport “the worst of the worst.” Many voters, and even some immigrants themselves, supported and voted for Trump, believing that he was referring only to criminals, not themselves or their loved ones.  As 2026 is already showing, nothing could be further from the truth. Most people detained and deported have no criminal records. For Trump and MAGA, no immigrants from non-majority White countries were welcome or innocent. Even if they had an H1-B visa.

The goal to deport the “worst of the worst” to send ICE or the National Guard to reduce crime in cities was always a lie. There is no need to keep repeating it as either a supposed campaign promise or ICE’s mission, only to compare it to the excesses we have seen on the streets this year. We do not need to abolish ICE; we need amnesty to regularize people. Local police and courts can handle the small percentage of foreign-born individuals who commit crimes. At some point, Trump officials said that most immigrants detained had a criminal record or could build one in the future. In hindsight, the criminalization of migration that Trump and Vance were promoting during the 2024 presidential campaign was successful because they (barely) won the elections. But since the election, those happy with Trump closing the border were in the low 50s in polls at their highest points in time. On January 23, 2026, the views on the border are 50/50; nothing to campaign on. Most people who identify as Democrats and the great majority of independents oppose ICE. Regarding immigration policies in general, the administration is underwater, with many more people saying they have gone too far than supporting it.

In 2025, many Democratic elected federal politicians had been saying on TV interviews that Trump had won the immigration argument, meaning electorally but also implying empirically and in terms of policies. Immigration policies as a whole have been toxic. Contrary to the desire of people in the center right to deport all people without a current immigration status, detentions and deportations in the first year of this Trump administration have largely focused on people who entered legally with a visa or CBP One, people applying to renew their TPS, or asking for asylum. People have been arrested in immigration courts even when judges have not asked for removal. Some individuals have been arrested during their naturalization ceremonies just minutes before becoming citizens. This makes sense if one cares more about quotas and about removing people who are not seen as White before they become American citizens and/or have more U.S.-born children. Trump has also gone after birthright citizenship and has asked for denaturalizations —stripping citizenship from those who proactively jumped all the hoops to become citizens. These facts, along with the many dog whistles and open loudspeaker broadcasting to extreme right subcultures in public speeches, conferences, and X posts, show that the energy behind all these immigration policies is White Christian Nationalism. A dream about racial purity, one not too far from being open to using violence to achieve it, possibly leading to genocide if nobody opposes it. Fortunately, most Americans are against that. But many of those in favor of the current full immigration agenda openly say they do not want religious and racial minorities in the U.S., and even want more to be done. There is no staying neutral on these matters while people are shot at, imprisoned, and terrorized.

Unfortunately, in early 2026, I still hear some elected Democrat officials and operators saying that Trump “had won the immigration debate.” That is false. Others claim without evidence that Trump won, including in 2024, because of his promise to close the border. They forget the 2016 promise about the border wall and how little he built. They do not explain why anti-immigrant claims against caravans and Central American immigration did not help him win in 2000. Other problematic praises from Democratic officials come along the lines of saying, “Trump did a great job closing the border to undocumented immigrants, and that this is a good thing, that should continue.” MAGA without MAGA.

That is disrespectful to the undocumented immigrants and their communities, which would prefer to vote Democrat but are repulsed by such Trumpian comments. In another sense, polls and massive protests show that most people in the interior do not really care about the status of border crossings. What most people care about today is what we see in Minneapolis and what we saw before in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, New Orleans, and many other places around the country. That is an excessive use of force by ICE to find our neighbors who happen to be undocumented. Violations of the Bill of Rights, unconstitutional stops, entering homes without judicial orders, and racial profiling.

Mass Deportations are Regular Politics

The number of undocumented people in the U.S., between 8 and 15 million, and probably around 11 million when Trump retook the Presidency constitutes around 3% of the overall population in the United States. For the U.S. to get rid of all its undocumented population, it would indeed need something related something akin to an authoritarian state. That is what we have started to see, and that is what most people don’t like because there are undocumented kids in schools. There are undocumented nurses. There are undocumented teachers, agricultural workers, construction workers, and also people with their own businesses providing professional services, designing and renovating homes, etc. So, in order to find them, we will have to trample the civil liberties of many citizens. Is it worth it? I don’t think so. So, rather than just calling for the abolition of ICE, reform, or a return to the status quo so that the minimum due processes are followed before deportation, we have to start talking again about amnesty, paths to citizenship, and expanding chosen ways for legal immigration. Because, despite a false rhetoric that this was about “illegality,” this second Trump administration has also limited the legal pathways for migration. He has limited people’s ability to seek asylum. He has really reduced the number of refugees, made it more difficult and expensive to obtain professional visas like the H-1B visa, and curtailed other forms of legal migration, including for international students, the diversity visa lottery, and other programs that had bipartisan consensus that they were good for the country. He has also limited the ability to apply for new immigrant visas and green cards for people from over 75 countries, plus a travel ban of at least 19 countries, and has declared places such as Belize as safe third countries, making gaining asylum in the U.S. more difficult if people passed through those countries and making it easier to deport people from third countries there.

So, it is a masquerade to say that this was only about illegal immigration or getting criminals off the streets. These have been other of the big lies of the 2016 and 2024 campaigns. It is time that we get rid of those lies and we talk about the truth. We need immigration reform that allows people who are already living and paying taxes in the U.S. to do so legally, safely, and as fully recognized members of society. And lastly, we must establish a new legal pathway for newcomers because the country needs workers to keep the U.S. population and economy growing. So that’s what we need today. That’s the truth about immigration.

Ernesto Castañeda is a Professor at American University, where he leads the Immigration Lab and the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies. He has been studying immigration scientifically for over 20 years and has written many books on the subject, among them “Reunited: Family Separation and Central American Youth Migration” and “Immigration Realities: Challenging Common Misperceptions.”

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