As Congress continues to shape an immigration reform bill that could provide a path to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented residents, we look at the overlooked plight of migrants from Central and South America who travel through Mexico en route to the United States. Many of them are fleeing violence and poverty in their countries only to face robberies, beatings and kidnappings by smugglers who hold them for ransom. Human rights groups estimate at least 20,000 Central and South Americans were kidnapped in Mexico last year — that is more than 50 a day. Many do not survive and hundreds have been found in mass graves throughout the country. We’re joined by two guests: Father Alejandro Solalinde, a Mexican Catholic priest who runs a shelter for migrants in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca and is now on a “Caravan of Hope” across the United States to draw attention to the plight of Central American migrants; and Marco Castillo, an organizer with Migrant Families Popular Assembly and the Acción Migrante campaign, which is calling for human rights to be the focus of migration policy changes.
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Posts By: Democracy Now
Mexican Priest Alejandro Solalinde on Central, South American Migrants’ Perilous Journey to U.S.
As Congress continues to shape an immigration reform bill that could provide a path to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented residents, we look at the overlooked plight of migrants from Central and South America who travel through Mexico en route to the United States. Many of them are fleeing violence and poverty in their countries only to face robberies, beatings and kidnappings by smugglers who hold them for ransom. Human rights groups estimate at least 20,000 Central and South Americans were kidnapped in Mexico last year — that is more than 50 a day. Many do not survive and hundreds have been found in mass graves throughout the country. We’re joined by two guests: Father Alejandro Solalinde, a Mexican Catholic priest who runs a shelter for migrants in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca and is now on a “Caravan of Hope” across the United States to draw attention to the plight of Central American migrants; and Marco Castillo, an organizer with Migrant Families Popular Assembly and the Acción Migrante campaign, which is calling for human rights to be the focus of migration policy changes.
Ríos Montt Genocide Verdict Annulled, But Activists Ensure US-Backed Crimes Will Never Be Forgotten
As Guatemala’s high court annuls former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt’s genocide conviction, we’re joined by two people who have worked tirelessly to bring perpetrators of war crimes in the country to justice. Helen Mack, one of Guatemala’s most well-known human rights activists, fought for years to prosecute the government forces who assassinated her sister, anthropologist Myrna Mack on Sept. 11, 1990. A Right Livelihood Award Winner, today she heads the Myrna Mack Foundation, named after her sister. We also speak with Kate Doyle, a senior analyst of U.S. policy in Latin America and the director at the Guatemala Documentation Project at the National Security Archive, who is featured in the documentary, “Granito: How to Nail a Dictator.” Both Mack and Doyle attended Ríos Montt’s recent trial.
Ríos Montt Genocide Verdict Annulled, But Activists Ensure US-Backed Crimes Will Never Be Forgotten
As Guatemala’s high court annuls former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt’s genocide conviction, we’re joined by two people who have worked tirelessly to bring perpetrators of war crimes in the country to justice. Helen Mack, one of Guatemala’s most well-known human rights activists, fought for years to prosecute the government forces who assassinated her sister, anthropologist Myrna Mack on Sept. 11, 1990. A Right Livelihood Award Winner, today she heads the Myrna Mack Foundation, named after her sister. We also speak with Kate Doyle, a senior analyst of U.S. policy in Latin America and the director at the Guatemala Documentation Project at the National Security Archive, who is featured in the documentary, “Granito: How to Nail a Dictator.” Both Mack and Doyle attended Ríos Montt’s recent trial.
Killing Americans: Jeremy Scahill on Obama Admin’s Admission 4 U.S. Citizens Died in Drone Strikes
The Obama administration has admitted for the first time to killing four U.S. citizens in drone strikes overseas. Three died in Yemen: the Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old son Abdulrahman al-Awlaki and Samir Khan. A fourth, Jude Kenan Mohammed — whose death was not previously reported — was killed in Pakistan. In a letter to Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder suggested that all but the attack on the elder al-Awlaki were accidental, saying the other three “were not specifically targeted.” The admission came on the eve of a major address in which President Obama is expected to defend the secret targeted killing program and announce modified guidelines for carrying it out. We’re joined by Jeremy Scahill, author of the new book, “Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield,” and co-producer of the upcoming documentary film by the same name.
Killing Americans: Jeremy Scahill on Obama Admin’s Admission 4 U.S. Citizens Died in Drone Strikes
The Obama administration has admitted for the first time to killing four U.S. citizens in drone strikes overseas. Three died in Yemen: the Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old son Abdulrahman al-Awlaki and Samir Khan. A fourth, Jude Kenan Mohammad — whose death was not previously reported — was killed in Pakistan. In a letter to Congress, Attorney General Eric Holder suggested that all but the attack on the elder al-Awlaki were accidental, saying the other three “were not specifically targeted.” The admission came on the eve of a major address in which President Obama is expected to defend the secret targeted killing program and announce modified guidelines for carrying it out. We’re joined by Jeremy Scahill, author of the new book, “Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield,” and co-producer of the upcoming documentary film by the same name.
Headlines for May 23, 2013
Obama Admin Admission of U.S. Drone Strikes Suggests Accidental Killings, Obama to Unveil New Guidelines for Drone Strikes, U.S. to Resume Transfers of Guantánamo Prisoners, Oklahoma Tornado Damage Could Reach $2 Billion, FBI: Slain Orlando Suspect Admitted to Triple Murder with Boston Marathon Bomber, British Soldier Hacked to Death in London Attack, U.S. Threatens Assad with Increased Aid to Rebels, Chicago Approves Largest School Closure in U.S. History, West Point Sergeant Accused of Videotaping Female Cadets in Shower, IRS Division Head Pleads 5th in Congressional Appearance, Questioning Death Penalty, Colorado Governor Grants Reprieve to Prisoner Set for Execution
Headlines for May 23, 2013
Obama Admin Admission of U.S. Drone Strikes Suggests Accidental Killings, Obama to Unveil New Guidelines for Drone Strikes, U.S. to Resume Transfers of Guantánamo Prisoners, Oklahoma Tornado Damage Could Reach $2 Billion, FBI: Slain Orlando Suspect Admitted to Triple Murder With Boston Marathon Bomber, British Soldier Hacked to Death in London Attack, U.S. Threatens Assad With Increased Aid to Rebels, Chicago Approves Largest School Closure in U.S. History, West Point Sergeant Accused of Videotaping Female Cadets in Shower, IRS Division Head Pleads 5th in Congressional Appearance, Questioning Death Penalty, Colorado Governor Grants Reprieve to Prisoner Set for Execution
Editor of The Progressive Calls For Eric Holder to Resign Over Spying on Press, Occupy Protesters
As the Obama administration faces criticism for the Justice Department’s spying on journalists and the IRS targeting of right-wing organizations, newly released documents show how the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and local police forces partnered with corporations to spy on Occupy protesters in 2011 and 2012. Detailed in thousands of pages of records from counter terrorism and law enforcement agencies, the spying monitored the activists’ online usage and led to infiltration of their meetings. One document shows an undercover officer was dispatched in Arizona to infiltrate activists organizing protests around the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the secretive group that helps corporate America propose and draft legislation for states across the country. We’re joined by Matt Rothschild of The Progressive, who tackles the surveillance in his latest article, “Spying on Occupy Activists: How Cops and Homeland Security Help Wall Street.”
Editor of The Progressive Calls for Eric Holder to Resign over Spying on Press, Occupy Protesters
As the Obama administration faces criticism for the Justice Department’s spying on journalists and the IRS targeting of right-wing organizations, newly released documents show how the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and local police forces partnered with corporations to spy on Occupy protesters in 2011 and 2012. Detailed in thousands of pages of records from counter terrorism and law enforcement agencies, the spying monitored the activists’ online usage and led to infiltration of their meetings. One document shows an undercover officer was dispatched in Arizona to infiltrate activists organizing protests around the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the secretive group that helps corporate America propose and draft legislation for states across the country. We’re joined by Matt Rothschild of The Progressive, who tackles the surveillance in his latest article, “Spying on Occupy Activists: How Cops and Homeland Security Help Wall Street.”
“Watch Part Two of interview here”:http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2013/5/22/dissent_or_terror_counter_terrorism_apparatus_used_to_monitor_occupy_movement_nationwide
Other Than Honorable: Army Strips Benefits of Wounded Veterans by Kicking Them Out for Misconduct
A new investigation by the Colorado Springs Gazette says the U.S. Army is downsizing from a decade of war by increasingly kicking out soldiers, including wounded combat veterans. Despite serving multiple tours of duty, the wounded soldiers lose their medical care and other benefits for life. We’re joined by Colorado Springs Gazette reporter Dave Philipps, whose three-part series “Other Than Honorable,” tells the stories of several discharged veterans suffering severe health issues from injuries sustained in combat. “The army’s difficulty in dealing with this is not an army problem, it is a societal problem. We’re talking about over two million people who have deployed in the last 10 years,” Philipps says. “Over 500, 000 of them have more than three deployments. These are people who may have issues that they need our help with. And if the Army isn’t sort of the first responder, the person who gets them on the right track, and the Army in fact through its actions is banning them care for the rest of their lives, that’s going to affect our society for a really long time.”
Other than Honorable: Army Strips Benefits of Wounded Veterans by Kicking Them Out for Misconduct
A new investigation by the Colorado Springs Gazette says the U.S. Army is downsizing from a decade of war by increasingly kicking out soldiers, including wounded combat veterans. Despite serving multiple tours of duty, the wounded soldiers lose their medical care and other benefits for life. We’re joined by Colorado Springs Gazette reporter Dave Philipps, whose three-part series, “Other than Honorable,” tells the stories of several discharged veterans suffering severe health issues from injuries sustained in combat. “The Army’s difficulty in dealing with this is not an Army problem; it’s a societal problem. We’re talking about over two million people who have deployed in the last 10 years,” Philipps says. “Over 500,000 of them have more than three deployments. These are people who may have issues that they need our help with. And if the Army isn’t sort of the first responder, the person who gets them on the right track, and the Army in fact, through its actions, is banning them from care for the rest of their lives, that’s going to affect our society for a really long time.”
After 3 Trials, Memphis Prisoner Timothy McKinney Wins Freedom by Pleading Guilty to Crime He Denies
In order to win his newfound freedom, Memphis death row prisoner Timothy McKinney had to plead guilty to a murder he maintains he did not commit. McKinney was initially convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the fatal shooting of police officer Don Williams in December 1997. McKinney appealed and won a new trial, which ended with a deadlocked jury. A third trial earlier this year also ended in a hung jury. As part of a plea deal that could set him free as early as today, McKinney pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Since McKinney has spent almost 16 years in prison, including 11 on death row, he is immediately eligible for release on time served. We’re joined by The Nation magazine’s Liliana Segura, who has extensively covered McKinney’s case.
After 3 Trials, Memphis Prisoner Timothy McKinney Wins Freedom by Pleading Guilty to Crime He Denies
In order to win his newfound freedom, Memphis death row prisoner Timothy McKinney had to plead guilty to a murder he maintains he did not commit. McKinney was initially convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for the fatal shooting of police officer Don Williams in December 1997. McKinney appealed and won a new trial, which ended with a deadlocked jury. A third trial earlier this year also ended in a hung jury. As part of a plea deal that could set him free as early as today, McKinney pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Since McKinney has spent almost 16 years in prison, including 11 on death row, he is immediately eligible for release on time served. We’re joined by The Nation magazine’s Liliana Segura, who has extensively covered McKinney’s case.
Headlines for May 22, 2013
Oklahoma Toll Lowered to 24 as Survivors Found, Oklahoma Senator Calls for Spending Cuts to Offset Tornado Aid, Senate Panel Advances Immigration Overhaul; Same-Sex Marriage Protection Removed, Senators Vote to Arm Syrian Rebels, 40 Killed in Widening Iraqi Sectarian Violence, Body of Afghan Torture Victim Found Near U.S. Base, FBI Agents Shoot Dead Orlando Man Questioned in Boston Bombing, Some Testimony in Manning Trial to Be Held in Secret, Report: Justice Dept. Tracked Fox News, White House Phone Lines, Appeals Court Strikes Down Arizona Abortion Ban, Low-Wage Workers Strike at Federal Contractors in D.C., California Health Care Workers Stage 2-Day Strike, 57 Arrested Protesting GOP in North Carolina
Headlines for May 22, 2013
Oklahoma Toll Lowered to 24 as Survivors Found, Oklahoma Senator Calls for Spending Cuts to Offset Tornado Aid, Senate Panel Advances Immigration Overhaul; Same-Sex Marriage Protection Removed, Senators Vote to Arm Syrian Rebels, 40 Killed in Widening Iraqi Sectarian Violence, Body of Afghan Torture Victim Found Near U.S. Base, FBI Agents Shoot Dead Orlando Man Questioned in Boston Bombing, Some Testimony in Manning Trial to Be Held in Secret, Report: Justice Dept. Tracked Fox News, White House Phone Lines, Appeals Court Strikes Down Arizona Abortion Ban, Low-Wage Workers Strike at Federal Contractors in D.C., California Healthcare Workers Stage 2-Day Strike, 57 Arrested Protesting GOP in North Carolina
Why Austerity Kills: From Greece to U.S., Crippling Economic Policies Causing Global Health Crisis
In their new book, “The Body Economic: Why Austerity Kills,” economist David Stuckler and physician Sanjay Basu examine the health impacts of austerity across the globe. The authors estimate there have been more than 10,000 additional suicides and up to a million extra cases of depression across Europe and the United States since governments started introducing austerity programs in the aftermath of the economic crisis. For example in Greece, where spending on public health has been slashed by 40 percent, HIV rates have jumped 200 percent and the country has seen its first malaria outbreak since the 1970s. An economist and public health specialist, Stuckler is a senior research leader at Oxford University. Dr. Basu is a physician and epidemiologist who teaches at Stanford University. “Had austerity been organized like a clinical trial, it would’ve been discontinued given evidence of its deadly side effects,” Stuckler says. “There is an alternative choice that we found in the historical data and through the present recessions: When we place people and their health at the center of economic recovery, it can help get our economy back on track faster and yield lasting dividends to our society.”
Why Austerity Kills: From Greece to U.S., Crippling Economic Policies Causing Global Health Crisis
In their new book, “The Body Economic: Why Austerity Kills,” economist David Stuckler and physician Sanjay Basu examine the health impacts of austerity across the globe. The authors estimate there have been more than 10,000 additional suicides and up to a million extra cases of depression across Europe and the United States since governments started introducing austerity programs in the aftermath of the economic crisis. For example, in Greece, where spending on public health has been slashed by 40 percent, HIV rates have jumped 200 percent, and the country has seen its first malaria outbreak since the 1970s. An economist and public health specialist, Stuckler is a senior research leader at Oxford University. Dr. Basu is a physician and epidemiologist who teaches at Stanford University. “Had austerity been organized like a clinical trial, it would’ve been discontinued given evidence of its deadly side effects,” Stuckler says. “There is an alternative choice that we found in the historical data and through the present recessions: When we place people and their health at the center of economic recovery, it can help get our economy back on track faster and yield lasting dividends to our society.”
“The Unimaginable Has Happened”: Massive Tornado Kills Dozens, Flattens Suburb of Oklahoma City
Dozens have been killed and more than 200 wounded in a devastating tornado in Oklahoma. The storm tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, leveling two elementary schools, a hospital and scores of homes destroyed. Rescue crews continue to dig through the rubble in a bid to find survivors. It was the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 161 people were killed in Joplin, Missouri, two years ago. We’re joined by two guests: Beverly Allam, an Oklahoma resident who lives a few miles from Moore and lost everything in the state’s tornado in May 1999; and Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at the Weather Underground.
“The Unimaginable Has Happened”: Massive Tornado Kills Dozens, Flattens Suburb of Oklahoma City
Dozens have been killed and more than 200 wounded in a devastating tornado in Oklahoma. The storm tore through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, leveling two elementary schools, a hospital and scores of homes destroyed. Rescue crews continue to dig through the rubble in a bid to find survivors. It was the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since 161 people were killed in Joplin, Missouri, two years ago. We’re joined by two guests: Beverly Allam, an Oklahoma resident who lives a few miles from Moore and lost everything in the state’s tornado in May 1999, and Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at the Weather Underground.
Headlines for May 21, 2013
Dozens Dead in Oklahoma Tornado, Guatemalan Court Overturns Genocide Verdict for Ex-Dictator Ríos Montt, Foreclosed Homeowners Arrested at Justice Department Protest for Bank Prosecutions, Report: Banks Lagging on Settlement Payments for Mortgage Wrongdoing, Report: CIA to Transfer Drone Program to Pentagon, White House Defends Tracking of Fox News Reporter, Obama Hosts Burmese Leader at White House, Survey: Scientists Have 97% Consensus Human Activity Causes Climate Change, Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Begins at U.N., Poverty in U.S. Suburbs Exceeds Urban Areas, Senate Report Says Apple Avoids Billions in Taxes, Protest Against School Closings Leads to Arrests at Chicago City Hall, Landmark “Stop and Frisk” Trial Concludes in NYC, Hundreds Honor Gay New Yorker Shot Dead in Apparent Hate Crime
