Las Notis is a daily news column that gets you up to speed on the political, media + other going ons in Latin America and the diaspora—all in one quick digest.
- Here’s your glimpse at what’s going on today:
- The Biden administration announced on Thursday (May 20) that two U.S. immigration detention holding centers will no longer be in use after complaints of mistreatment. The Department of Homeland Security plans to terminate contracts with both. One of them is a facility in Georgia where women claimed they were subjected to unwanted medical procedures. The other is a Massachusetts jail that has drawn dozens of reports of inhumane conditions. Those still detained in the facilities will be transferred elsewhere. [AP]
- Some of the largest dating apps in the U.S. are announcing they will offer users badges showing their vaccination status as well as premium content for those who’ve received their shots, filters that show who has been vaccinated, and links to Vaccine.gov to help people get their shots. The effort is meant to support President Biden’s goal of getting 70% of U.S. adults vaccinated with at least one shot. So far, 60% of adults have received at least one vaccine dose and just under 50% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. [NBC]
- Dozens of deaths have been linked to excessive police force by Human Rights Watch investigators during historic protests made up of nearly 1 million people that have taken place in hundreds of cities and towns in Colombia. Videos from civilians recording the protests highlight the conflict and have put Colombian authorities under mounting international pressure to detain and indict involved police officers. Authorities have been most active in cases in which videos have been the clearest and most widely shared. [WaPo]
- Police in Guatemala say at least seven prisoners were killed, most of them beheaded, during a fight between rival gangs in a Quetzaltenango city jail. The conflict was between the Mara Salvatrucha and Barrio 18 gangs. Police told local media the attack was reportedly ordered on rival gang members in retaliation for the murder of an inmate’s wife, who had been shot hours earlier. [BBC]
- In an interview with Latino USA’s Maria Hinojosa, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez opened up about her role as a young Latina lawmaker and reflected on the traumatizing Capitol Riot four months ago, when hundreds stormed into the building. AOC recalled how rioters built functional gallows with nooses in front of the building and described the events of that day as an all-out attempted coup. [NBC]
- iHeart Media and P&G announced their second annual “Can’t Cancel Pride” event, a virtual concert that will feature special performances by Demi Lovato, Lil Nas X, Ricky Martin, and more while also fundraising for nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping LGBTQ people around the world. The event is set to take place on June 4 at 9 p.m. ET on iHeartRadio’s TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram TV pages. [Billboard]
