Honduran Migrants Lose Protected U.S. Status
A decision by the United States government could force as many as 57,000 Honduran migrants to be removed from the country by 2020, with their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to be revoked in January of that year. The decision has been roundly criticise as not only callous towards migrants, but unworkable from a more practical perspective.
Hondurans were first granted the right to live and work in the United States after the devestating effects of Hurricane Mitch hit the country in 1998. In a public address, the Department of Homeland Security claimed that the situation in Honduras had improved massively since then, with a 2-year period giving affected families the time to sort arrangements for moving back. However, many of the 57,000 people affected have settled in America over the past 20 years, with stable lives and families, and attempting to reintegrate those that do return will not be easy. Honduras' Ambassador to the United States, Marlon Tabora, has claimed that the country could not handle such a large influx of people moving back. As well as this, Honduras benefits massively from having people in America, with repatriations back home serving as a valuable boost for the economy.
TPS has been a controversial topic over the past few months in America. Similar rights have already been cancelled for migrants from El Salvador and Haiti, which like Honduras were given certain rights following natural disasters. The main justification for doing so has been that the move is always intended to be non-permanent, and the situations in other countries are significantly better. However, it has also been alleged that this view ignores the real dangers outside of America. Honduras itself is still suffering a period of instability, with widespread protests in recent months following the disputed election of Juan Orlando Hernandez as President. Indeed, many migrants turning up to the U.S. border recently have been Honduran, indicating that the reintroduction of tens of thousands of people currently based in America will come with further issues.
Medellin's Mayor Demands Apology Over Escobar-Related Lyrics
Federico Gutierrez, the Mayor of Medellin, has wrote a public letter addressed to Victor Manuelle and Farruko, two Puerto Rican pop stars who perform the song Love You Hard, which was released last month. Gutierrez claimed that the song disrespected the citizens of Medellin who were affected by the cartel activity that ravaged the region in the 1980s and 1990s, claiming the artists had "no respect" for the pain of those affected. The song includes lyrics such as, "Where I let my eye fall, I put a bullet and never fail" and "What I feel for you is like the coca of Medellín, I am no Pablo [Escobar], but you know what I am talking about".
The song is just one part of a broader popular culture trend to glorify the history of drug trafficking and cartels. Narcocultura, popular songs and media that glorify drug lords, have long been a part of life in countries such as Mexico, and drug-related themes have increasingly been part of Latin American television. In the english-speaking world, this has truly manifested itself with the worldwide success of the Netflix series Narcos, which particularly focuses on the life of Pablo Escobar, the Medellin cartel leader who has come to symbolise the more eccentric side of the cocaine trade.
Victor Manuelle has responded to deny accusations that he glorified Escobar, as well as suggestions that his songs promote gender violence, claiming that the song was about intense love. Either way, the debate showcases the effect that cartels and kingpins still have on the popular imagination in Latin America.
Japan and Qatar Invited to 2019 Copa America
The South American Football Association, CONMEBOL, have announced their plans for the next iteration of the Copa America. South America's premier international football tournament will be held in Brazil next summer, with the 10 member nations being joined by two invited guests, Japan and Qatar. The move has raised eyebrows throughout the footballing world, with CONMEBOL insisting the move is a response to Asian interest in the region, as well as a commitment to developing global talent.
The act of inviting non-regional members to the Copa America is nothing new - the small member pool means that it is necessary to have outside teams to have a 12-team competition (or 16 for the special 2016 edition of the Copa), but invited teams are often brought along due to past footballing success, such as Japan, or geographical proximity, with recent invitees including the United States, Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica. This marks the first time since the tournament was expanded to 12 teams in 1993 that there will be no representative from North, Central America and the CONCACAF region.
The competition will run from 14 June to 7 July, It is the last year that the Copa America will be held on an odd year, with future editions being moved alongside the European Championship calendar, which is held on even years that do not include the World Cup.
