L.A.S.C. wny

09/25/2021

Photos from UndocuBlack Network's post

09/21/2021

We the People Ride

Howard Henry shares this info about the southern border.
There is a bicycle ride along US / Mexico border going on right now to study immigration issues. They are in Douglas / Agua Prieta from Sept 21 to Sept 24. See link below.

https://wethepeopleride.org/

September 10 - November 14, 2021: Border, community, and virtual bike rides to call for a Common Good approach to our nation’s immigration and border practices.

09/18/2021

DHS to ramp up deportation flights to Haiti as migrants overwhelm US southern border

"The Department of Homeland Security plans to ramp up deportation flights to Haiti to deter Haitians who are overwhelming Del Rio, Texas, a Customs and Border Protection official told CNN.

The department said in a statement Saturday it's preparing additional transportation to accelerate the pace and increase the capacity of removal flights to Haiti, as well as other destinations, within the next 72 hours..."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/18/politics/biden-haiti-deportations/index.html

The Department of Homeland Security plans to ramp up deportation flights to Haiti to deter Haitians who are overwhelming Del Rio, Texas, a Customs and Border Protection official told CNN.

09/10/2021

Haiti Since Duvalier and Now | Rochester Committee on Latin America

ROCLA-LASC just announced a timely zoom presentation:
HAITI SINCE DUVALIER AND NOW
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 7:30 PM EST

SPEAKER: Amy Wilentz teaches at the University of California at Irvine, and is the author of Farewell Fred Voodoo: A Letter From Haiti (2013) and The Rainy Season: Haiti Since Duvalier (1990). She won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Award for memoir for Farewell, Fred Voodoo, and has written for The New York Times,The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Politico, The London Review of Books, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many other publications.

There will be time for Q+A and discussion. The link below tells how to receive Zoom passcode for this event!

https://rocla.org/events/haiti-since-duvalier-and-now/

Haiti Since Duvalier and Now A Zoom presentation sponsored by ROCLA & LASC (and supporters like you!) - Wednesday September 15 - 7:30pm ET

08/19/2021

“They Believed Anything but the Truth” — 14 Years in Guantánamo

Captured at the age of 18, Mansoor Adayfi describes coming of age at Guantánamo in his memoir, “Don’t Forget Us Here.”
https://theintercept.com/2021/08/17/guantanamo-memoir-mansoor-adayfi

Captured at the age of 18, Mansoor Adayfi describes coming of age at Guantánamo in his memoir, “Don’t Forget Us Here.”

08/14/2021

Buses Full of Migrant Families From Laredo and Del Rio Are Being Driven to Dallas

LASC member Patricia Murphy contributed this, from an article by Dianne Solis - Dallas Morning News Published Aug. 12, 2021

Buses full of migrant families from Laredo and Del Rio are being driven to Dallas, where confused passengers are dropped off in an effort to alleviate overcrowding in border cities. And the unannounced trips from Laredo are sending city officials and Spanish-speaking police officers scrambling to provide them shelter.

At least three buses have arrived in the last two weeks, illustrating how an unusual spike in border migration in the heat of the summer has created a ripple effect in North Texas. A fourth bus from Del Rio arrived Wednesday evening with migrant families from Haiti and Cuba.

The buses from Laredo were chartered by the city of Laredo, where Mayor Pete Saenz has said his border city is overwhelmed with migrants transferred there by the U.S. Border Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley as the coronavirus pandemic hammers local hospitals. Laredo spokeswoman Noraida Negron confirmed that Laredo chartered buses to send migrants to Dallas, Austin and Houston, sending about 800 migrants north.
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/buses-full-of-migrant-families-from-laredo-and-del-rio-are-being-driven-to-dallas/2717314/

Buses full of migrant families from Laredo and Del Rio are being driven to Dallas, where confused passengers are dropped off in an effort to alleviate overcrowding in border cities.

07/17/2021

Biden petition

Dear President Biden:

I join IFCO/Pastors for Peace in unapologetically standing in solidarity with our Cuban family during this difficult time. We recognize that the combined impact of the devastating pandemic and an economic crisis fueled by the 60-year old U.S. blockade gripping the country is creating tremendous hardship for our Cuban brothers and sisters.

Here is a link to sign on to this letter:
https://fs24.formsite.com/IFCO7120/ihhyjlyigc/index.html

View this form on Formsite

07/09/2021

Tell President Biden to send COVID Vaccines to Haiti now

A petition and links to solidarity with Haiti

Add your voice to people of faith and moral courage calling on the U.S. to stand with the people of Haiti in their struggle to survive and rebuild their democracy and economy.

07/07/2021

Faith in Action International – Creating a World Where Everyone Belongs, Thrives and Has a Say Over Their Lives

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was killed during an armed attack that also left his wife injured early Wednesday at his home above the hills of Port-au-Prince. The 53-year-old president had faced mounting protests over his governance amid a deepening political and constitutional crisis, including questions about his legitimacy and accusations that he used armed gangs to remain in power.
https://faithinactioninternational.org/? will host a Zoom meeting Thursday July 8 at noon EST, on the repercussions that this could have in the country as well as the best ways to continue support democracy and self determination for the people of Haiti.

CREATING A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE BELONGS, THRIVES AND HAS A SAY OVER THEIR LIVES.Give Now CREATING A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE BELONGS, THRIVES AND HAS A SAY OVER THEIR LIVES.Give Now When Father John Baumann began international grassroots organizing work, he knew that isolated people are vulnerable peopl...

07/03/2021

Breaking open cages, from the ground up

A zoom meeting about organizing and advocacy efforts to end immigrant detention across the U.S. A look at how communities are working to free people from detention, end policies that expand detention, and permanently shut down detention centers.
https://www.afsc.org/action/breaking-open-cages-ground?

Join AFSC staff in a conversation about organizing and advocacy efforts to end immigrant detention across the U.S. We’ll look at how communities are working to free people from detention, end policies that expand detention, and permanently shut down detention centers.

07/03/2021

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Defund Hate Training: Understanding how Congress funds ICE and CBP . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Jul 20, 2021 07:30 PM zoom training session:
Understanding how Congress funds ICE. For decades, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have separated countless families, caused the deaths of people seeking refuge, and terrorized our communities. Stopping the flow of money to these agencies is an important step to ending systems of cruelty against immigrants. Join our training to learn more about how Congress funds ICE and CBP with our taxpayer dollars—and how you can advocate to defund ICE and CBP. learn: - How to make connections between the detentions and deportations in our communities and funding decisions made in Congress. How to advocate for significant cuts to ICE and CBP

For decades, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have separated countless families, caused the deaths of people seeking refuge, and terrorized our communities. Stopping the flow of money to these agencies is an important step to ending systems of cruelty...

06/23/2021

Today’s United Nations vote on the criminal US blockade of Cuba was President Joe Biden's chance to reverse Trump’s callous policies on Cuba and show global leadership.

He failed. Miserably.

Read our statement on the US vote to continue the murderous blockade: https://bit.ly/UNCubaVote

05/28/2021

Central American Punching Bag: The Pathological cycle of U.S. & Canadian policies in Honduras & Guatemala | Rochester Committee on Latin America

LASC and ROCLA invite you to our continuing "zoom coffeehouse" series:

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 7:00 PM EST, with time for Q+A and discussion

CENTRAL AMERICAN PUNCHING BAG:
THE PATHOLOGICAL CYCLE OF U.S. & CANADIAN POLICIES IN HONDURAS & GUATEMALA

More info and zoom link at

https://rocla.org/events/central-american-punching-bag-the-pathological-cycle-of-u-s-canadian-policies-in-honduras-guatemala/

Central American Punching Bag: The Pathological cycle of U.S. & Canadian policies in Honduras & Guatemala A Zoom presentation for Upstate New York - Wednesday June 2 - 7pm ET

05/27/2021

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

ROCLA invites us to a special briefing on the RENACER Act, which would impose new illegal punitive measures on Nicaragua in the lead-up to its November elections. The legislation is being discussed at the same time in both US chambers of Congress (House and Senate), which is unusual. It seems the powers that be want this bill against Nicaragua passed ASAP. We can’t let it happen!

Join us Thursday, May 27th 3pm Pacific / 4pm Mountain / 5pm Central / 6pm Eastern Time. Link to join:

https://afgj.org/category/nicaragua

Webinar speakers will discuss this bill in detail and outline effective ways to approach our Representatives and Senators, urging them to oppose it.

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

05/15/2021

How inconsistent policies and enforcement have created false hope for migrants at the border

"The Biden administration and the Mexican government have made the situation at the border so confusing that even seasoned experts can’t always determine who is allowed in and who isn’t. That may be contributing to the high number of border crossings."
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/13/biden-border-policy-migrants/

The Biden administration and the Mexican government have made the situation at the border so confusing that even seasoned experts can’t always determine who is allowed in and who isn’t. That may be contributing to the high number of border crossings.

05/11/2021

Vaccination Syringes for Cuba

Global Health Partners is collecting funds to help Cuba.
Cuba has developed five internationally recognized candidate COVID-19 vaccines, with two in Phase III clinical trials as of April 2021. Cuba has about 11.3 million people, but they are producing 100 million doses of vaccine. Cuba is Short of Syringes needed for its vaccination goals. Because of the U.S. blockade of Cuba, in place since 1961, they cannot access equipment, medications, supplies if the vendor or the transportation company is US-owned, has a US subsidiary or does business with the US.

Checks should be payable to Global Health Partners (with “Syringe Campaign” in the memo) Global Health Partners ATTN: Syringe Campaign 39 Broadway, Suite 1540 New York, NY 10006
www.ghpartners.org/syringes4cuba

JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN TO SPUR CUBA’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID!

05/06/2021

The LASC-ROCLA event tonight was great. Here is a screenshot on how to donate to IFCO Cuba Friendshipments.

The LASC-ROCLA event tonight was great. Here is a screenshot on how to donate to IFCO Cuba Friendshipments.

05/05/2021

International solidarity communities are calling for the immediate release of the eight Guapinol water defenders who have been in pre-trial detention since September 2019. Those being held in Olanchito Penitentiary are José Daniel Márquez Márquez, Kelvin Alejandro Romero Martínez, José Abelino Cedillo, Porfirio Sorto Cedillo, Orbín Nahúm Hernández, Arnold Javier Alemán, Ewer Alexander Cedillo Cruz. Jeremías Martínez Díaz is being detained separately at La Ceiba Penitentiary. Why are they imprisoned?

To bring attention to several identified environmental, social, human, and economic impacts of large scale mining projects in the Atlantic zone, residents of El Guapinol and surrounding communities organized the Encampment on the Defense of Water and Life in August 2018. They pointed to contamination of the Guapinol and San Pedro Rivers, which supply drinking water to fourteen surrounding communities.

Who is behind this? Nucor Steel (based in Charlotte NC) is expected to be the main purchaser of the iron ore oxide to be mined inside what is supposed to be protected lands: 200 hectares inside the Carlos Escaleras National Park.
The Facussé family in Honduras is the owner of the company, Los Inversiones Los Pinares , that has been given a concession by the corrupt Honduran government to start this open-mine inside a national park. It’s worth noting that the company owners are the daughter and son-in-law of the notorious narco land baron who’s displaced thousands of campesinos off their land, the late Miguel Facussé .

What are the environmental harms? Residents have documented how preparations for the mine are destroying animal life and contaminating smaller waterways which supply several other rivers flowing to Olancho, Atlántida, and Colón Departments. Tens of thousands of inhabitants are at risk of losing their agricultural crops and homes for this mining operation being constructed to supply US-based Nucor Steel with iron oxide.

#Honduras

Take action: Demand Freedom for the Guapinol Water Protectors!

Click here to support! bit.ly/guapinol21

On this Earth Day, stand in solidarity with those who protect the rivers, the land and their communities. No more Political Prisoners in Honduras! For more info visit Guapinol Despierta

On February 9, 2021 the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions determined that the detention of the 8 Guapinol Water Protectors was carried out arbitrarily and is against their human rights. It also noted that the sanitary situation in the Olancho prison, where the activists are currently detained, only increases the vulnerability of the Guapinol Water Protectors to COVID-19. At least one of the Guapinol water defenders has been diagnosed with the virus, but the risk is imminent for the other activists.
Join the International Campaign to Demand Freedom for the Eight Guapinol Political Prisoners!

04/30/2021

WTF is going on in Latin America & the Caribbean?

If you missed this event when it was broadcast live yesterday, here's the link to the recording on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHZvCor0iCM&ab_channel=CODEPINK

Featuring José Carlos Llerena, from the Peruvian political organization La Junta and ALBA movimientos, and CODEPINK's Teri Mattson.

04/27/2021

Cuba: Confronting COVID and the US Blockade | Rochester Committee on Latin America

LASC and ROCLA invite you to our continuing "zoom coffeehouse" series, linking communities across the hemisphere. We hope you can help us spread the news.

7pm, Wednesday, May 5, 2021

CUBA:CONFRONTING COVID AND THE US BLOCKADE

On Cuba’s successes in fighting COVID at home and abroad, and its progress in producing vaccines against the virus; and how to end our 60 year old economic war against the Cuban people.

With info on IFCO’s 31st Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba this coming fall, taking people and COVID related medical aid to the island; and on Cuban scholarships that train young people from humble backgrounds in the US as doctors who return home to medically under-served communities.

Our speakers are GAIL WALKER, Executive Director of Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization / Pastors for Peace, and DR SAMIRA ADDREY, Graduate of ELAM, the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, Cuba and Coordinator of IFCO’s Medical School Project

Preregistration will be required to join the event. A link to more info and "register button" at:

https://rocla.org/events/cuba-confronting-covid-and-the-us-blockade/

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

LASC is the Latin America Solidarity Committee, a taskforce of the Western New York Peace Center. Our sister group, ROCLA, is the Rochester Committee on Latin America. For now we have meetings together, by zoom, on the first Wednesdays of each month.

Cuba: Confronting COVID and the US Blockade A Zoom presentation for Upstate New York - Wednesday May 5th - 7pm ET