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 Democratic National Convention continued last night with appearances from Jill Biden and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Many were surprised that AOC nominated Bernie Sanders during her 60-minute speech, but political pundits clarified that the endorsement is part of the convention’s official roll call procedures that ensure Sanders can pass his delegates along to Biden. [ABC News]
- Activists have been working alongside Black Lives Matter advocates and asking for justice in cases of police brutality against Latinos. According to data, Latinos are killed at the second-highest rate after Black Americans, with 23 per million residents dying at the hands of police. [NBC Latino]
- Mexico says the spread of the coronavirus is in “sustained decline” after the country saw a 20% drop in deaths over the last week. The country has the third-highest number of deaths in the world and recorded more than 9,000 new cases in a single day at the beginning of the month. Still, officials have framed the decline as a win against the virus. [Reuters]
- Fires continue to rage in Brazil’s Amazon and wetlands, destroying a sanctuary that serves as the home to 15% of the world’s population of rare blue macaws. Many of the birds have flown away to safer locations, but experts warn they will eventually run out of food as forest areas that they survive on burn. [CNN]
- Venezuela’s government has reportedly sent in security forces to physically detain people who may have contracted coronavirus as a way to prevent contagion. They have also encouraged neighbors to report anyone who may have been sick and intimidated doctors who oppose or question President Nicolás Maduro’s policies on the pandemic. [NYT]
- The Atlantic has a powerful photo essay that examines the work of workers in Peru who have taken on the emotional task of performing private funerals at a time in which many churches have restricted services to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. People such as Ronald Marin, a 30-year-old from Venezuela, comfort families who have lost loved ones due to Covid-19 in Lima.
- The Venezuelan artist Luchita Hurtado, who painted privately for decades before receiving international acclaim in her 90s, passed away this week at her home in California at the age of 99. Her work often depicted new ways to observe and appreciate the female form. [WaPo]