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☆ Opinion: I’ve seen too many young journalists pay the ultimate price. It’s them I’ll be thinking of today
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Opinion Jon Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

When a journalist is killed, it is not just their voice that is silenced: Press freedom is your freedom. Over 30 years ago, the United Nations recognized May 3 as World Press Freedom Day: a global reminder of the importance of press freedom and an opportunity to assess its health around the world. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) found that at least 100 journalists and media workers have been killed since we last marked World Press Freedom Day. Tragically, on this World Press Freedom Day, our work is needed more than ever. On this World Press Freedom Day, the fallen who gave their lives for the truth should serve as a reminder as to why press freedom is really your freedom.

Persons: Jon Williams, Rory Peck, Read, Jon Williams Rory Peck, Bayeux, ”, Simon Cumbers, Simon, Al, Louise, Cumbers, Johnny Green, Thomas Jefferson, ” Jefferson, it’s, Dom Phillips, Phillips, Aldeia Maloca, Bruno Pereira, Joao Laet, don’t Organizations: Rory Peck Trust, BBC News, ABC News, CNN, 1st Cavalry, Canadian, BBC, The Washington Post, United Nations, Protect Journalists, Getty, United, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Bayeux, Northern France, France, Omaha Beach, Europe, Nazi Germany, Normandy, Paris, “, Saudi Arabia, Al Qaeda, Saudi, Riyadh, Ireland, London, South, Indonesia, Turkey, India, Madrid, Irish, Kabul, Afghanistan, Gaza, Ukraine, Honduras, Sudan, Philippines, Brazil, Aldeia, Roraima, AFP, Britain, United States, Israel, Egypt

☆ Baltimore bridge collapse: 5th body recovered
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Joe Sutton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Authorities have recovered the body of a fifth victim in the Baltimore bridge collapse five weeks ago, officials said Wednesday. A 213-million-pound cargo vessel slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, crippling the structure and killing six workers repairing potholes on it. The six construction workers were immigrants from Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala. “Maryland State Police investigators along with officers from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and the FBI responded to the scene and recovered the body of a fifth construction worker inside a red truck,” he added. Attorneys representing the families of two deceased workers and a victim who survived the fall have started their own investigation.

Persons: Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, Glen, Francis Scott Key, Luna, Roland L, Butler , Jr, Miguel Luna, CNN Butler, ” Organizations: CNN — Authorities, Unified Command, Francis Scott Key Bridge, CNN, El, CASA, “ Unified Command, Maryland Department of State Police, State Police, Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, FBI, US Coast Guard, Grace Ocean Private Limited, Synergy Marine PTE LTD Locations: Baltimore, Glen Burnie , Maryland, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Maryland

☆ Colombia to Sever Ties With Israel Over Gaza War
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Genevieve Glatsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Colombia will sever diplomatic ties with Israel over its prosecution of the war in Gaza, President Gustavo Petro announced in Bogotá on Wednesday, describing the Israeli government as “genocidal.”His announcement came in a speech in Colombia’s capital city in front of cheering crowds that had gathered for International Workers’ Day. “The times of genocide, of the extermination of an entire people cannot come before our eyes, before our passivity,” Mr. Petro said. “If Palestine dies, humanity dies.”Colombia is the second South American nation to break off relations with Israel after Bolivia, which cut ties in November over its strikes in Gaza. Belize also cut diplomatic ties with Israel that month. “Israel and Colombia always enjoyed warm ties.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, “, ” Mr, Petro, Petro’s, ”, Israel Katz, ’, Mr, Colombia’s, Katz, Netanyahu Organizations: International Workers, Israel, Security Locations: Colombia, Israel, Gaza, Bogotá, Colombia’s, American, Bolivia, Chile, Honduras, Belize, “ Israel, Gaza City

☆ I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I booked a stateroom on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, one of the biggest cruise ships. For $2,000 a week, the 179-square-foot cabin had a private bathroom, a king-size bed, and a view. AdvertisementIn April 2022, I cruised on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas. At the time, it was the largest cruise ship in the world, but the title has since been replaced by Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas. During my voyage, the ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's private island in the Bahamas.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Royal, Royal Caribbean's Locations: Roatán, Honduras, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Mexico, Bahamas

☆ Latin-fusion dishes like Caribbean tacos and jerk chicken with guava barbecue sauce showcased chefs' cultural pride at an Austin food festival
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Cat Cardenas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Chadwick Burnaw, the owner of an event company, hosted the Sazón Latin Food Festival in Austin. This article is part of "Festivals of Flavor," a series celebrating Latin festival cuisines. Festivalgoers danced to music at the Sazón Latin Food Festival in March. Cat Cardenas for BIHe'd scope out San Francisco's nightlife scene, looking for clubs that would play the merengue and bachata music he was familiar with. They served Jamaican-Latin fusion dishes alongside their kids at the Sazón Latin Food Festival.

Persons: Chadwick Burnaw, —, he'd, Burnaw, Festivalgoers, Cat Cardenas, Cardenas, Chris Burrell, Yadira, we'd, Burrell, . Cat Cardenas, they've, Tatiana French, Dejean, Mix'T, they'd, pico de gallo, it's, she's, there's Organizations: Service, Washington, Food, San Francisco State University, BI, City, aguas, Honduran, sos pwa Locations: Austin, South Austin, Caribbean, DC, San Francisco, Texas, California, Bay, America, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Samba, Clarendon, Jamaica, Honduras, ., Puerto Rican, Costa Rican, Virginia, French, Haitian, East Austin

☆ For U.S. Cuban claims holders, spy Manuel Rocha's plea deal raises fresh questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Raul Rubiera | Miami Herald | Getty ImagesWhen Carolyn Lamb saw news of Cuban spy Victor Manuel Rocha's arrest on the news last December, she recognized him immediately. The lower the value of the claims, the less the Cuban government would have to pay in any future negotiated settlement. Ashby assumed Rocha's paranoia about eavesdropping was in response to the George W. Bush administration's opposition to the Cuba claims buying business. But according to the Justice Department, by that point Rocha was already in his third decade as a Cuban agent. File photo of former US ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, talking to the press on the 11th of July 2001.

Persons: V, Manuel Rocha, Steel Hector, Davis, Raul Rubiera, Carolyn Lamb, Victor Manuel Rocha's, Rocha, Lamb, Lamb's, Castro, Justin Solomon, CNBC Castro didn't nationalize, of Rocha, Fidel Castro's, It's, Jason Poblete, Poblete, John Kavulich, Sears Roebuck, Timothy Ashby, Ashby couldn't, Ashby, George W, Bush, Little, Covert, Gonzalo Espinoza Organizations: Miami Herald, Steel, Cuban, US State Department, National Security, Cuban Telephone Company, " Beverage Company, CNBC, Pepsi, General Electric, Century Fox, Cuba Trade, Economic Council, Justice Department, Citizen, State Department, National Security Council, DOJ, Cubans, FBI, AFP, Getty Locations: America, Omaha, Bolivia, Cuba, Havana, United States, Cuban, Rocha, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Argentina, Miami, Chile

☆ Latino immigrant workers died on the Baltimore bridge. More will likely rebuild it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | Gloria Pazmino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

More than two-thirds of Hispanic construction workers in America are foreign born. Working without a safety netFor the workers paid to rebuild the bridge, the job will be grueling — and dangerous. CNNWork-related deaths among foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers rose to their highest level in 2021, according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Fourteen percent of all work-related fatalities in 2021 were foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers, and most of them worked in construction. The agency’s reports also “consistently show” that Latino and/or immigrant workers are less likely to report employer health and safety violations.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, We’re, It’s, Reinaldo Quintero, “, Carlos Hernández, Miguel Luna, Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Jose Mynor Lopez, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, ”, Saket Soni, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Soni, ” Quintero, ’ ”, Sean McGarvey, Ligia Guallpa, Quintero, Hurricane Michael, Reinaldo Quintero “, ” Guallpa, Guallpa, Hurricane, Dave Einsel, ” Soni, Ron DeSantis ’, Fort Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNN, Key, CNN Construction, Resilience Force, Force, of Labor Statistics, New York Committee, Occupational Safety, Health, York, New York State Department of Labor, Workers, North, Unions, Worker’s, Hurricane, Panama City, Safety, Health Administration, Historic New, New York Times, Gov Locations: New York, America, Louisiana, Hurricane, Florida, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, United States, New York City, North America’s, Canada, Venezuela, Panama, Baltimore, New Orleans, Texas, North Carolina, Historic New Orleans, Fort Meyers

☆ Reopening the Port of Baltimore could take weeks as colossal wreckage cleanup gets underway, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Dalia Faheid | Aditi Sangal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It could take weeks for the Port of Baltimore to reopen as an arduous cleanup process to clear the massive wreckage from this week’s catastrophic bridge collapse begins, leaving commuters and workers in limbo and supply chains in disarray, officials said. More than 1,000 engineers in Baltimore and across the country are studying the wreckage piece-by-piece to figure out the best plan to remove it. To help with this massive task, more heavy equipment is expected at the scene in the coming weeks. The port is the largest in the US for cars and light trucks, handling a record 850,000 vehicles last year, Moore said. “Our economy depends on the Port of Baltimore and the Port of Baltimore depends on vessel traffic,” Moore said Friday.

Persons: –, Francis Scott Key, Crews, “, ”, Scott Spellmon, Spellmon, Wes Moore, ” Moore, Moore, that’s, Mark Schiefelbein, Gustavo Torres, …, ” Torres, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Miguel Luna, Suazo Sandoval, Carlos Hernández, Hernández, Jazmin Alvarez, Lucia Zambrano, ” Zambrano, – Jose Mynor Lopez –, Isabel Franco, Lilly Ordonez, Franco Organizations: CNN, Port, US Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard, Maryland Gov, Workers, Authorities, CASA, AP CASA, Univision, Univision she’s Locations: Port of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, America, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Dundalk , Maryland

☆ Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse reverberates around the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

StreamTimeLive StreamTimeLive StreamTimeLiveAround the same time, numerous audible alarms were recorded on the ship’s bridge audio. The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge. “Once you get here, I’ll go grab the workers on the Key Bridge and then stop the outer loop,” an officer said. When the Key Bridge was built decades ago, container ships were a fraction of the size and weight they are today. Miguel Luna, a native of El Salvador, was also working on the Key Bridge.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, ”, Jayme Krause, Nick Mosby, “ I’ve, Andy Middleton, Middleton, Dali, Marcel Muise, Scott Cowan, Baltimore –, Clay Diamond, Muise, Wes Moore, Diamond, ” Diamond, Al Drago, we’ve, “, Cowan, Jim Watson, Starr Smith, ’ ” Smith, Smith, ” Smith, ” John Zimmerman, They’re ‘, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Miguel Luna, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Pima Castillo, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Castillo, Alejandro Hernandez, Carlos Hernandez, Carlos Hernandez’s, Jazmin Alvarez, Hernández, Isabel Franco, Jose Mynor Lopez, Franco, Lilly Ordonez, Lopez, ” Rafael Laveaga, Holly Yan, Maria Santana, Melissa Alonso, Allison Gordon, Emma Tucker, Tina Burnside, Alex Stambaugh, Abel Alvarado, Aditi Sangal, Danny Freeman, Caroll Alvarado, Amy Simonson, Mary Kay Mallonee, Yahya Abou, Sabrina Souza, AnneClaire Stapleton, Antoinette Radford, Dakin Andone, Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, Isabelle Chapman, Elizabeth Wolfe, Lauren Mascarenhas, Elise Hammond, Gloria Pazmino, Alex Medeiros Organizations: CNN, Evening Sun, Bethlehem Steel, Eiffel, American, Maryland State Police, Sea Catholic, Walmart, National Transportation Safety, Chesapeake Bay, Longshoremen’s Association, Maryland Transportation Authority, American Pilots Association, ”, ” Maryland Gov, Bloomberg, Getty Images Transportation Authority, US Coast Guard, “ Dispatch, Police, Getty, Maryland, CASA, Brawner Builders, Univision, Authorities, Mexican Embassy Locations: Maryland, Fort McHenry, Sparrows Point, Baltimore, Patapsco, Port of Baltimore, India, Singapore, Baltimoreans, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Yemen, Red, Dali, MarineTraffic, ” Maryland, There’s, AFP, Middleton, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Santa Bárbara, America, Dundalk, he’s, Mexican, Michoacan, Washington’s

☆ Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before it collided with Baltimore bridge, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The others were presumed dead, and officials said search efforts had been exhausted. Investigators on Wednesday began collecting evidence from the vessel that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge the previous day. U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said authorities had been informed that the ship was going to undergo the maintenance. "We were informed that they were going to conduct routine engine maintenance on it while it was in port. Video showed the ship moving at what Maryland's governor said was about 9 mph (15 kph) toward the 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) bridge.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Roland L, Butler Jr, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Butler, Wes Moore, Shannon Gilreath, Jennifer Homendy, Homendy, Moore, Watson, Pete Buttigieg, Biden, Buttigieg, Gilreath Organizations: Fire, Bloomberg, Getty, U.S . Coast Guard, Maryland State Police, Maryland Gov, . Coast Guard, National Transportation Safety Board, Coast Guard, Homeland Security, Associated Press, Synergy Marine Group, Grace Ocean Private Ltd, White House, Transportation, World Association, Transport Infrastructure Locations: Baltimore, Dali, Patapsco, Baltimore , Maryland, U.S, Maryland, Mexico, Guatemala, Dundalk , Maryland, Honduras, El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Port, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, Windward, Annapolis

☆ Missing Baltimore construction workers were migrants from Mexico and Central America: reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Six construction workers are presumed dead after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. They are all migrants from Central America, their coworker told The Baltimore Banner. The workers are presumed dead, and recovery efforts are underway. AdvertisementNew information is emerging about the six construction workers who are presumed dead after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday morning. The workers were all migrants from Mexico and Central America, according to reports.

Persons: Baltimore's Francis Scott Key, —, Jesus Campos Organizations: Baltimore Banner, Service, Brawner Builders, Business Locations: Central America, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

On Wednesday, divers worked through dangerous conditions searching for the bodies of the six missing men. Two were recovered from a submerged vehicle, and the other four are presumed dead, officials said. Maynor Yasir Suazo Sandoval, in his 30s, of Honduras, immigrated to the United States more than 17 years ago, according to Mr. Torres, and is married with two children. All but one of the eight men worked for Brawner Builders, a contractor based in Baltimore County, the company said. The men who went missing after the collapse were all immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, according to consular authorities and the nonprofit.

Persons: Francis Scott Key, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Miguel Luna, Gustavo Torres, Luna, Maynor Yasir Suazo Sandoval, Torres, Suazo’s, Carlos, ” Carlos Suazo, Kirsten Noyes Organizations: CASA, The Times, Mr, Brawner Builders Locations: Baltimore, Dundalk, Md, El Salvador, Maryland, Honduras, United States, Baltimore County, Guatemala, Mexico

CNN —They worked the overnight shift fixing potholes on a famed bridge that 30,000 Marylanders relied on every day. Martin SuazoMaynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, 38, was one of the construction workers who vanished after the bridge collapse, his brother Martin Suazo told CNN. Family members in Baltimore called Martin Suazo early Tuesday morning to tell him his brother was missing, Suazo said. He was married with two children – an 18-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter, Martin Suazo said. “The entire Baltimore region and CASA family is lamenting this tragedy,” Torres said.

Persons: Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Martin Suazo, Suazo, Maynor Suazo, Maynor, –, Sandoval, Miguel Luna, Francis Scott Key, Gustavo Torres, “ Miguel Luna, …, ” Torres, Tina Burnside Organizations: CNN, FBI, Honduran Embassy, Maryland, CASA Locations: Baltimore, Santa Bárbara, Honduras, Honduran, Washington, Maryland, El Salvador

Jesus Campos said he worked at Brawner Builders alongside the men missing after a bridge collapse in Baltimore. “We’re low-income families,” said Jesus Campos, who has worked at the construction company, Brawner Builders, for about eight months. The executive, Jeffrey Pritzker, and the Coast Guard said that all of the missing workers were presumed dead, given how long it had been since the collapse. Embassies for the other two countries mentioned by Mr. Campos did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Officials said that in addition to the six missing workers, two people had been rescued from the water.

Persons: Jesus Campos, “, ”, Jeffrey Pritzker, Mr, Pritzker, “ It’s, Campos, Francis Scott Key, Miguel Luna, Luna, Gustavo Torres, Jacey Fortin, Miriam Jordan, Patricia Mazzei, Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, Kirsten Noyes Organizations: Brawner Builders, Brawner, Coast Guard, Baltimore Banner Locations: Baltimore, Baltimore County, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Maryland, Petén, Mexican, Washington, Brawner

Six people are presumed dead and two have been rescued from the Patapsco River, according to The New York Times. What Happened to Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge? Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship called Dali struck a column of the bridge, according to reporting by The Baltimore Banner. Where Is the Francis Scott Key Bridge and How Long Is It? The Francis Scott Key Bridge was assessed as being in “fair” condition in 2023, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory.

Persons: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key, Wes Moore, Dali, Maryland Sen, Chris Van Hollen, Francis Scott Key, Helen Delich Bentley, Banner ”, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Moore, ”, Joe Biden, We're, “, Pete Buttigieg, Scott, Buttigieg, Joseph Schofer Organizations: The New York Times, Maryland Gov, Biden Administration, White, Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Banner, ABC News, Maryland, New York Times, Times, ” Synergy Marine Group, Baltimore Mayor, Transportation, Department of, World Association, Transport Infrastructure, U.S . News, Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering, ” Engineers Locations: Patapsco, Maryland’s, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Maryland, Baltimore, Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, Fort McHenry, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, U.S

☆ Disappointing photos show what it's actually like to go on a cruise
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I took a seven-day voyage on one of the largest cruise ships in the world, my first cruise ever. I spent much of my time battling crowds, waiting in lines, and sitting on hot tour buses. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . I spent more time waiting in lines than I had anticipated, and I saw much of the world from behind other people's heads. Here's an overview of the most disappointing aspects of my cruise, from getting to the port to sailing across the region

Persons: — Organizations: Service Locations: Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Honduras, Mexico, Bahamas

☆ Cruise lines' private islands are having a renaissance. These are the 3 reasons they need it now more than ever before.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

To cruise lines, they're cash cows. Related storiesThese are the three reasons cruise-run private destinations have become so important. Amid rising fuel costs, it's easy to see why cruise lines would want to plan more itineraries around these nearby stops. Private destinations keep profits in-houseThe bar had two halves: one on land and the other at pool level. And because there's no need to rely on other excursion operators, they allow cruise lines to keep more profits in-house.

Persons: —, Patrick Scholes, Michael Bayley, Naftali Holtz, it's, Scholes, wouldn't, Linken D'Souza, Brittany Chang, Josh Weinstein, Jason Liberty, Simone Padovani, CHANDAN KHANNA, They're Organizations: Service, Royal, Business, Truist Securities, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Cruise, Holland America, MSC, Royal Caribbean International, Royal Caribbean Group, Beach, cabanas, Carnival Corp, Private, Hideaway, Disney, Key, Getty Locations: Miami, Bahamas, CocoCay, Caribbean, Honduras, Belize, Eleuthera, Cay, Holland, Royal Caribbean, Paradise, Nassau, Florida, cabanas, Royal, Orlando, Venice, Italy's Giudecca, Santorini, Greece, Key West , Florida, California, Alaska , Maine, Europe, Juneau , Alaska, French Polynesia, Italy

☆ Step aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, a cruise ship so big it has 8 'neighborhoods' spread across 18 decks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Wonder of the Seas, sailing since March 2022, is nearly 1,200 feet long and 210 feet wide with 18 decks. Wonder of the Seas in Costa Playa, Mexico. Joey Hadden/Business InsiderFor $2,000, I spent seven nights in an ocean-view stateroom on deck eight. During my voyage, the ship sailed to Roatán, Honduras; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; and Royal Caribbean's own private island in the Bahamas. The enormous ship had eight communal areas that Royal Caribbean calls "neighborhoods."

Persons: Joey Hadden, Royal Locations: Costa Playa, Mexico, Roatán, Honduras, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Bahamas

☆ Former president of Honduras convicted in U.S. of aiding drug traffickers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez testifies during his trial on U.S. drug trafficking charges in federal court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., March 6, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was convicted Friday in New York of charges that he conspired with drug traffickers and used his military and national police force to enable tons of cocaine to make it unhindered into the United States. The jury returned its verdict at a federal court after a two week trial, which has been closely followed in his home country. The scene in the courtroom was subdued and Hernandez seemed relaxed as the verdict on three counts was announced by the jury foreperson. In remarks to the jury before they left the courtroom, Judge P. Kevin Castel praised jurors for reaching a unanimous verdict, which was necessary for a conviction.

Persons: Juan Orlando Hernandez, Juan Orlando Hernández, Renato Stabile, Hernandez, P, Kevin Castel Organizations: Central, Defense Locations: Honduras, Manhattan, New York City, U.S, Honduran, New York, United States, Central American, Tegucigalpa

☆ Former Honduran president found guilty in drug trafficking trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Ana Melgar | David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández was found guilty Friday of drug trafficking by an American jury after a two-week trial in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors had accused Hernández, 55, of conspiring with drug cartels during his tenure as they moved more than 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras toward the United States. In exchange, prosecutors said, Hernández received millions of dollars in bribes that he used to fuel his rise in Honduran politics. Hernández was president of Honduras from 2014 until 2022. He was extradited to the United States in 2022 after the completion of his second term in office on charges of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, conspiracy to possess firearms and destructive devices for drug trafficking, and possession of this type of weapon during the drug trafficking conspiracy.

Persons: Honduras Juan Orlando Hernández, Prosecutors, Hernández, ” Prosecutors, “ He’s, ” Raymond Colon, “, ”, Hernandez “, General Merrick Garland, Hernández “ Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, ”, Honduran National Police Locations: Honduras, Manhattan, United States

☆ Ex-Honduras President Found Guilty in Drug Trafficking Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Colin Moynihan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For more than a decade, Juan Orlando Hernández wielded power in Honduras, first as a member of Congress, then as that body’s leader and finally as the nation’s president. On Friday, an American jury in Federal District Court found Mr. Hernández guilty of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and of possessing and conspiring to possess “destructive devices,” including machine guns. After the verdict was delivered, Mr. Hernández, who faces a mandatory prison term of at least 40 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, rose to his feet and stood quietly with folded hands as the jurors filed from the courtroom. During his first presidential campaign in 2013, Mr. Hernández, a member of the right-wing Honduran National Party, portrayed himself as a law-and-order candidate who could stem the epidemic of drugs and crime that had suffused the country.

Persons: Juan Orlando Hernández, Hernández Organizations: Court, Honduran National Party Locations: Honduras, United States

☆ At Least 126 Activists Killed in Latin America in 2023 -Report
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least 126 human rights and environmental defenders were murdered in Latin America in 2023, according to data from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) published on Tuesday, matching the previous year's figure. The IACHR, an autonomous organ of the Washington-based Organization of American States, expressed alarm over "high rates of violence" against human rights defenders in the region, where 54 assassinations were reported just in the year's final three months. Colombia was the deadliest country for environmental and human rights activists, with murders rising to 34 last year from 26 in 2022. Brazil was second with 10 murders, followed by Mexico with four, and Guatemala, Honduras and Peru with three, two and one assassination respectively. The IACHR congratulated Mexico's budget increase aimed at bolstering a government program for the protection of human rights defenders and journalists, while expressing concern over the killings of four human rights defenders.

Persons: IACHR, Aida Pelaez, Fernandez, Sandra Maler Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Inter, American, of Human Rights Locations: MEXICO, America, Washington, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru

☆ Ex-President of Honduras Denies at Trial That He Trafficked Drugs
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Colin Moynihan | Nate Schweber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The former two-term president of Honduras denied in court on Tuesday that he had trafficked narcotics, offered police protection to drug cartels or taken bribes — assertions that have been at the heart of a conspiracy trial taking place in Manhattan. The former president, Juan Orlando Hernández, has been on trial for two weeks in Federal District Court, facing charges that he conspired to import cocaine into the United States. Prosecutors said that he worked with ruthless drug gangs like the Sinaloa Cartel, led by the Mexican drug lord Joaquín Guzman Loera, better known as El Chapo. Government witnesses have included a string of former traffickers from Honduras who testified that they bribed Mr. Hernández in return for promises that he would insulate them from investigations and protect them from extradition to the United States. Dressed in a dark suit with a blue shirt and tie, Mr. Hernández sat up straight during his testimony and sometimes gave long, discursive answers that prompted the judge overseeing the trial to rein him in.

Persons: Juan Orlando Hernández, Joaquín Guzman Loera, Hernández Organizations: Federal, Court, Prosecutors, Chapo Locations: Honduras, Manhattan, United States, Sinaloa, Mexican

☆ Cocaine and Consequences: A Honduran President’s Trial in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Corey Kilgannon | Wesley Parnell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the clamor of the New York City news cycle, the criminal case currently playing out in Lower Manhattan against former President Juan Orlando Hernández of Honduras hardly registers. To Hondurans, it is a rare chance for national justice. “He sent our country to hell,” said Flavio Ulises Yuja, 62, who had traveled from Honduras to Florida for a vacation but abruptly changed plans and flew to New York to attend the trial. The trial is a spotlight on the woes of a country plagued by corruption, poverty and lawlessness. And even as Americans debate weaknesses in their own democracy and justice system, Hondurans see American courts as a venue for something unavailable back home: a fair trial and a measure of justice.

Persons: Juan Orlando Hernández, Hernández, “, ”, Flavio Ulises Yuja Organizations: New York, Court Locations: New York City, Lower Manhattan, Honduras, American, Florida, New York

☆ I was a senior producer on 'The Wendy Williams Show.' Seeing how she was painfully portrayed in her documentary crushed me.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Yazmin Ramos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I met Wendy Williams for the first time in September 2009 on set at her old studio on West 53rd Street. I love Wendy and loved my experience working on her eponymous talk show, so watching Lifetime's recent documentary, "Where Is Wendy Williams?" Wendy Williams with former senior producer Yazmin Ramos. AdvertisementThe Wendy Williams I worked with was supportive, sharp, and prioritized funFormer senior producer Yazmin Ramos on set of "The Wendy Williams Show." Former senior producer Yazmin Ramos on set of "The Wendy Williams Show."

Persons: Wendy Williams, —, Wendy, Yazmin Ramos, Wendy Watchers, Wendy What's, Yazmin Ramos Wendy, It's Organizations: Service, West, Trap Music Locations: Chelsea, New York City, The Bronx, Honduras, Atlanta

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