Your Weekly Round Up of Latino News & Pop Culture

By  Remezcla Estaff

Dozens of women and their children, many fleeing poverty and violence in Honduras, Guatamala and El Salvador, arrive at a bus station following release from Customs and Border Protection in McAllen, Texas. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Dozens of women and their children, many fleeing poverty and violence in Honduras, Guatamala and El Salvador, arrive at a bus station following release from Customs and Border Protection in McAllen, Texas. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

With the news cycle moving so quickly, it’s hard to keep tabs on everything. So by the end of the week, you may feel like you’ve missed out on a lot. To help remedy that, we’ve gathered everything that happened this week that should have been on your radar.

From news to pop culture, here are 11 stories you might have missed.

1

Conservatives politicize Mollie Tibbetts' tragic death.

Weeks after 20-year-old student Mollie Tibbetts went missing, police found her body and charged Cristhian Bahena Rivera, 24, with first-degree murder. Many media outlets focused on his immigration status (authorities said he was undocumented, but his lawyer denied that), and Trump and other Republican officials took this tragedy as an opportunity to call for stricter immigration laws. Since then, Tibbetts’ loved ones have denounced those trying to use her death as a way to malign the immigrant community.

Learn more here.

2

There was conflict at the Brazil-Venezuela border.

As the economic and political crisis continues unfolding in Venezuela, residents of the South American country have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Brazil. Over the weekend in the border town of Pacaraima, Brazilians destroyed Venezuelans’ camps, reportedly in response to a group of Venezuelans assaulting local merchants. As many as 1,200 Venezuelans fled Brazil. The government deployed troops following the attacks. Since then, Brazilians have protested the way the government has handled the increase number of immigrants. Despite the violence, Venezuelans continue heading to Brazil.

Learn more here and here.

3

More than 500 undocumented children have still not been reunited with their parents.

About a month has passed since a federal court ordered the Trump Administration reunite the undocumented children it separated from their parents as part of the its “zero-tolerance” policy. But as the deadline has come and gone, there are still more than 500 children held in government custody. For about 366 of them, their parents have already been deported.

Learn more here.

4

The largest exhibition about Celia Cruz's career is coming soon.

A Celia Cruz exhibition, titled Forever Celia, is coming soon. Her former manager Omer Pardillo-Cid said it “is the first time the public will be able to see all of Celia’s things in one place.”

Read more here.

5

Voter advocacy groups are calling on Florida to provide bilingual ballots.

Faith in Florida, Hispanic Federation, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, UnidosUS, and Vampos4PR filed a lawsuit demanding that the Florida government print all election material in both English and Spanish in 32 counties. The suit comes after a large number of Puerto Ricans moved to the state.

“The counties’ first-generation Puerto Rican population has increased significantly in the wake of Hurricane Maria,” the lawsuit reads. “Most of those newly-arrived residents were educated in Spanish-language schools in Puerto Rico and many are not proficient in English … (They) will not be able to vote effectively unless they have access to Spanish-language ballots, election materials and assistance.”

Read more here.

6

Guatemala's Supreme Court seeks to strip President Jimmy Morales' immunity.

Guatemala’s Supreme Court began a process to lift the immunity of Jimmy Morales, who is accused of receiving illegal campaign funds. It faces an uphill battle as it will likely not receive the two-thirds votes needed to push this through. It’s not the first time this process has taken place. As a matter of fact, it has already failed twice.

Read more here.

7

Immigration was front and center at the VMAs.

At this year’s Video Music Awards, Logic and Ryan Tedder staged a protest when they performed “One Day.” They invited children affected by the United States’ immigration laws to send a powerful message.

At the same awards, Jennifer Lopez also won the Video Vanguard Award.

Learn more here and here.

8

Nicaraguans experience violence in Costa Rica.

As Nicaraguans continue calling for President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, to step down, many have left the Central American country for Costa Rica, where they aren’t always welcomed with open arms. As some Costa Ricans attempt to push out Nicaraguans, CR’s President Carlos Alvarez has spoken out against xenophobia.

Learn more here.

9

Brazilian troops raid Rio favelas.

With armored vehicles and an aircraft, about 4,200 troops and 70 police officers raided favelas in Rio de Janeiro this week reportedly looking for drug gangs. As a result, many innocent people were confined to their homes. About six months ago, President Michel Temer gave the army authority to take control of police forces, which has earned the ire of groups that say the government has once again violated the rights of vulnerable people.

Learn more here and here.

10

A town in Puerto Rico hopes to change its narrative.

Days after the Hurricane María, hit last September, Punta Santiago residents scribbled “S.O.S. Necesitamos Agua/Comida” on the floor. The image went viral and helped the town receive the help it needed. Now, 11 months later, they want people to know they have bounced back. In the same spot that once featured the call for help, they have written a new message: Bienvenidos.

Learn more here.

11

Latino groups pressure Paramount to hire more Latino talent.

Following an Annenberg Foundation study showing that Latinos only make up 3.1 percent of popular films, the National Hispanic Media Coalition held a press conference calling for a boycott of Paramount Picture for its “galling track record” when it comes to hiring Latino talent. Now, it’s joining forces with National Latino Media Council to protest the company on August 25.

Learn more here.

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