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A Week In Review

Joseph Rios
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A Week In Review

Africa

South Sudan postpones elections

Officials in South Sudan are planning to hold an emergency meeting after the government announced that national elections would be postponed by two years. Elections were scheduled to take place this winter, but instead, President Salva Kiir will remain in power. South Sudan has not held national elections since 2011.

Democratic Republic of Congo rules over coup attempt

A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo is planning to sentence 37 people to death over an attempt to overthrow the country’s president. Among those sentenced to death include three Americans. The incident occurred in May when the men allegedly led an attack on the presidential palace and the home of an ally of President Félix Tshisekedi.

Asia

China changes retirement age

For the first time since the 1950s, China will raise its retirement age. Women in blue-collar jobs can now retire at age 55, up from 50, while women in white-collar jobs can retire at 58, up from 55. The retirement age also increased from 60 to 63 for men. China has one of the lowest retirement ages in the world.

Europe

Russia/Ukraine exchange prisoners

Thanks to a deal brokered by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 206 prisoners of war. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a photo of some of those who were released saying “Our people are home.” Russian officials said they plan to give released prisoners “necessary psychological and medical assistance.”

Migrants die crossing the Channel

At least eight people were killed while trying to cross the Channel from France to England. The victims were aboard a rubber vessel that was holding 60 people from countries like Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, and Iran. Emergency responders provided care to 53 people, and a baby was taken to a hospital with hypothermia.

Latin America

Indigenous cloak returned to Brazil

A Danish museum has returned a sacred cloak to indigenous leaders in Brazil. The cloak is made of 4,000 red feathers from the scarlet ibis bird and was taken from the Tupinambá people more than 300 years ago. Several Tupinambá people gathered outside when the cloak was returned with drums and pipes filled with medicinal herbs, waiting to see the cloak.

Former Peru president passes

Alberto Fujimori, who served as Peru’s president from 1990 to 2000, has died. He was previously convicted on human rights abuses and corruption. Some admired him for his tough stance against a left-wing guerilla insurgency. However, his war against the insurgency also led to the killing of 25 people by government-backed death squads. Thousands gathered to celebrate him last week at his wake.

North America

New York City mayor’s chief counsel resigns

Lisa Zornberg, chief counsel for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, has resigned. Her resignation came days after New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after his home was raided because of a corruption probe. Adams thanked Zornberg for her work, but did not speak on the reason for her departure.

Taylor Swift endorses Harris

Popstar Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris in an Instagram post after last Tuesday’s debate. She called her a steady-handed, gifted leader and said she will be voting for her this November. The endorsement came as a surprise to the Harris campaign, according to reports. In 2020, Swift also supported President Joe Biden.

An overall view of Latinos’ health in Colorado

Ernest Gurulé
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An overall view of Latinos’ health in Colorado

There is a pervasive, almost predictable, health reality that Colorado Latino families are facing and have faced for years. The reality? That they will lose a loved one well before, well in advance of their normal life expectancy. Also, they will also lose that family member—in far too many cases— as a result of poor choices.

According to a report issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, a disproportionate number of Latinos in Colorado will die prematurely from diabetes, liver disease and drug overdoses. Of course, there are also other factors that also contribute to earlier than expected Latino mortality.

Diabetes has long been a significant Latino health issue and, according to the Centers for Disease Control, one that dwarfs the general populations. In a 2023 report, the CDC said that more than half of Latino adults is predicted to develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime.

Type 1 diabetes is thought to be an autoimmune condition. A person’s immune system disables or greatly impairs a body’s ability to produce insulin. Without this ability, the body cannot regulate blood sugar levels. This condition is genetic.

Type 2 diabetes, also called adult-onset diabetes, happens when a body cannot use insulin efficiently leading to high blood sugar levels. Over time it causes serious nerve and blood vessel damage.

But, said Colorado Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, while diabetes is surely a major Latino health care issue and requires serious attention, it is only one part of the Latino health care challenge.

“As the first Latina doctor in the history of the U.S. Congress,” Caraveo said, “I have taken legislative action” on those health care issues that often haunt Latino communities. Caraveo’s name is often found on bills that directly serve underserved populations including those that benefit women. “I am a co-sponsor of the Find it Early Act that will expand breast cancer detection among underrepresented communities.”

Breast cancer health, as one example and one in Caraveo’s quiver, is the second most common type of cancer in women after skin cancer. A common element impacting Latina diagnosed with breast cancer is not enough access to screenings and treatment. Too often, diagnosis of this disease is too late.

The first-term Congresswoman is also part of a bipartisan effort, under the Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2023 to expand cardiac and intensive cardiac under Medicare.

Caraveo, also a pediatrician, represents Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. It is district with a nearly 40 percent Latino population, many of whom are first generation immigrants. The district is where Caraveo practiced medicine before going to Washington and continues to be one of the most ardent supporters of infant health.

According to the CDC infant mortality and lower birth weights among Hispanic newborns continues to trend at disproportionately higher national levels. Caraveo has focused on making sure that Colorado’s and the countries’ youngest are given the highest priority healthcare. “We must continue to pave the way to receive new technologies and implement them in a way that is safe and beneficial for patients, especially our youngest patients,” Caraveo said. Tied closely to this issue, said Caraveo, is the ongoing battle in Congress over women’s health care. The Adams County Democrat is adamant about protecting women’s right to bodily autonomy. “I will always stand up for a woman’s right to choose,” she told La Voz Colorado.

On the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling that killed Roe v Wade, a woman’s right to have an abortion, the pediatrician-legislator also introduced a bill “to provide more resources to reproductive care clinics” in Colorado and other states. Since the SCOTUS ruling on Roe, Caraveo says Colorado and other states where women can still seek abortion care, out-of-state women needing this care have placed a growing demand on these places.

Women’s health is also a high priority for Dr. Darci Martinez, Director of Adams County Health’s Nursing Division. Teen pregnancy among younger Latinas continues to outrace that of non-Hispanics, said Martinez. One of her priorities, she said, is getting the word about this issue out in public view through “culturally appropriate” messaging.

But Martinez health portfolio also includes one health issue that often gets for too little time or attention among Latinos. Mental health, she said, including depression, is often spoken about only in whispers and other times, not at all among Latinos. And when it is, Martinez said, visits to mental health specialists are not easily accomplished.

Growing up in Amalia, New Mexico, just south of the New Mexico-Colorado state line, Martinez said patients seeking regular health or mental health care often had hour-long drives to Taos or Alamosa to see someone.

Depression, said Martinez, is a condition that receives far less attention than is healthy in Latino communities. “Our community is less likely to connect to mental health services,” she said. She calls it part of the “landscape of health equity.” Community outreach, which she champions, is something that is one of her high priorities, she said.

COVID, which is long from gone and, say public health officials, may stage a return—though not nearly with the impact experienced during the pandemic—also took an unequal toll on Latinos. According to the National Library of Medicine, an arm of the National Institute of Health, the Latino populations and particularly monolingual Spanish speakers died at “elevated” levels compared to the general U.S. population.

Factors in these deaths include misinformation about the virus and its vaccine as well as a disconnect, often cultural, with health care specialists.

Information about a new COVID vaccine is just beginning to circulate from state and national health agencies. Also, similar information on the new strain of influenza that usually begins to appear in the fall is now being unveiled.

Reflecting on the lasting impact of September 11, 2001

Joseph Rios
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Reflecting on the lasting impact of September 11, 2001

This Wednesday marks 23 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks carried out by al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist group.

On that day, 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes and deliberately crashed two of the aircraft into the upper floors of the North and South towers of the World Trade Center in New York. A third plane also crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. After these attacks, passengers on the fourth hijacked plane fought back, and the aircraft crashed into an empty field in western Pennsylvania, only 20 minutes by air from Washington, D.C.

In total, the attacks killed 2,977 people from 90 nations. Among the victims were 2,753 people in New York, 184 people at the Pentagon, and 40 others on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.

At the time of the attacks, I was a first-grade student. I vividly remember sitting in my family’s kitchen eating breakfast while my mother shifted through channels trying to find highlights of the Denver Broncos game from the night before. Instead of seeing what happened during the game, images of the destroyed World Trade Center took over my TV.

It’s something I’ll never forget, and if you ask most people, they will remember where they were that day.

My father was working for the city of Denver and was at one of the police stations when he learned of the attacks. Both of my parents vividly remember the uncertainty of that day and were worried about whether there would be any other attacks.

“That morning felt like the world had changed in an instant. As I sat there with my young child, just trying to find something as simple as football highlights, everything else seemed to stop,” said Yolanda Martinez, my mother. “The uncertainty of what was happening, the fear that more attacks could come, it was overwhelming. All I could think about was protecting my family and what kind of world we were going to wake up to the next day.”

My wife, Kathleen Duran, was also a first-grade student at the time of the attacks. She said her teacher rolled in an old TV into her classroom and had the news on all day.

“Even as a first-grader, I could sense that something was terribly wrong. We didn’t fully understand what was happening, but the look on the adults’ faces and the way everything just stopped told us this was something we’d never forget,” said Duran.

Years later, my wife and I visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York, an experience I would recommend to those who can go. Seeing the remnants of that day and hearing the stories of the people who lost their lives brought back all the emotions we felt as children. It gave us a deeper understanding of the impact and a profound respect for those who endured the tragedy.

Tough start for Bo Nix in Seattle

Brandon Rivera
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Tough start for Bo Nix in Seattle

Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos offense struggled on Sunday’s game in Seattle. Nix recorded a 47.5 quarterback (QB) rating with 26 completions on 42 attempts with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

The Broncos faced a buzz saw of a defense in the Seahawks, who put pressure on Denver’s rookie QB flushing him out the pocket and causing forced throws to a number of receivers who just flat out dropped passes.

Seattle didn’t fare much better on offense either with Denver’s defense also putting pressure on Geno Smith and Seattle’s receivers. All in all, Sunday’s game was a collection of errors on both sides of the ball with the winning team edging out Denver 26-20.

The Broncos are headed into week two against their old quarterback Russell Wilson who sat out the Pittsburgh Steelers first game with a calf injury. Wilson has yet to be named the starter against Denver on Sunday, but his team defeated the Atlanta Falcons under backup QB Justin Fields on Sunday. The Broncos will host the Steelers this Sunday at Mile High at Empower Field at 2:25 p.m.

Nix will start for Denver in week two and is expected to see similar pressures from the Steelers that Seattle gave him on Sunday. Coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos gave his take on how QB Bo Nix handled adversity in his first regular season game, “I think this. I don’t know how many balls we dropped, and so I’ve said that before, for any quarterback playing, we’ve got to be more effective running the football. If (you) take away his scrambling yards, I think we’re like somewhere (around) 60 yards rushing to their 140, so not nearly good enough.”

Bo Nix was the leading rusher in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks with 35 yards. Jaleel McLaughlin (10 attempts) and Javontae Williams (8 attempts) accounted for 27 and 23 yards rushing while Audric Estime was the most productive with 17 yards on 2 attempts.

While Denver’s defense still appears to be well behind the curve in production, the Broncos defense is who kept Denver in the game on Sunday and will likely be savior of any close games won this season.

In other sports the Colorado Rockies are quietly having one of their worst seasons, with a .375 winning percentage and 32 games out of first in the National League West behind the L.A. Dodgers. The Rockies have lost 90 games so far this season and yet, fans continue to fill the seats at Coors Field, an indication that the front office and ownership is absolutely fine with their dismal performance this year, yet again.

An overall health look at Pueblo’s Latinos

Ernest Gurulé
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An overall health look at Pueblo’s Latinos

There are countless things that a community can do to make itself more livable. But no matter how many new bridges, roads or new anything that can be built, nothing comes close to being as important as building better community health. And Pueblo is doing its best.

But Pueblo, one of Colorado’s oldest and most diverse cities, is no different than any other Colorado town. It is facing the same public health challenges as rest of the state, said Olivia Leyva, Pueblo County Health and Environment’s Director of Equity and Engagement Coordinator.

A recent report issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment showed the state, along with two others—New Mexico and Hawaii—as having the third highest mortality rate in the country for Latinos. The report underscored premature deaths from liver disease, diabetes and overdoses as the biggest health threats.

But there are also other health issues plaguing Latinos that have been historic challenges, one being obesity, said Leyva. Last year, she said, “we focused on food access,” with an emphasis on nutritional and healthy foods.

Pueblo, despite having the largest population of any city in southern Colorado, struggles with food deserts. It has been several years since a legacy grocery store has served the city’s east side. In other parts of the city, other familiar name grocery stores have also shuttered.

Leyva said to address food nutrition, “teams mobilized” to get word out about eating healthy. Food shopping at convenience stores is often the only option for thousands of city dwellers and too often, healthy choices are simply not available in these stores. Until the city can solve the shortage of healthy food options, it, like so many other cities dealing with the same issue, finding the light at the end of the tunnel will be elusive.

Pueblo is not only the region’s economic hub—people come from as far east as La Junta and Lamar to make major purchases—it is also where they come for medical care, both physical and mental health.

Leyva said her agency is working with outlying towns “from various health agencies” to address these public health issues. It is also working to address the health care needs with these partners in areas where Spanish was often the language of choice.

Premature deaths among Pueblo’s Latino population are no different than the rest of the state. The report issued by state health stated that in 76 out of 122 categories, Latinos were disproportionately represented. In Pueblo, this is a statistic taken perhaps more seriously than many other places. The city’s Hispanic population is 50 percent.

Diabetes is nightmarishly overrepresented in the state’s Latino population, according to state health. It says that nearly 10 percent of Colorado’s Latinos had either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Slightly over 6 percent of the state’s White population was diagnosed as diabetic.

Besides diabetes, liver disease and overdose deaths impact Latinos, including in Pueblo. Also, Latinos in Pueblo also died at a higher rate than White Coloradans in other categories. Deaths from homicide and motor vehicle deaths also reflected this trend.

With a changing of seasons, Pueblo and all of Colorado are once again bracing for virus illnesses and deaths. COVID, while not nearly the threat it posed just two years ago, nonetheless remains a threat. Influenza, a seasonal virus, but one not to be taken lightly, is now making its annual visit to the state and country. Not to be forgotten, flu kills as many as 30,000 Americans each year.

During the pandemic, Pueblo suffered like the rest of the state and nation. Pueblo County recorded 63,000 cases of COVID and 900 deaths. The peak period for the virus occurred in October 2021.

While the darkest days of COVID are in the past, health officials are still on guard against its return. In Pueblo, said Leyva, “We received an additional round of funding to promote COVID and flu vaccinations,” includ- ing vaccinations for children. County health, she said, is also undertaking an outreach effort to alert people to focus on their health.

“We’re going community to community,” Leyva said. The effort to warn Puebloans about each of the viruses will be via health fairs, through community organizations and with “teams of nurses willing to get the information out to the public.”

Leyva said that the effort will target as many workplaces as possible and also places where people live and play.

An honorable and respected musician

Pauline Rivera
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An honorable and respected musician

In small town living there aren’t many options for fun, many assume. There are no amusement parks, no skating rinks, no movie theaters, no bowling alleys, no recreation centers.

Photo courtesy: LaVozColorado

People have typically asked, what did you do for fun, well try bonfires with friends and music blaring from the many car radios, each taking a turn so their battery didn’t die. Try Sunday picnics and fishing in Box Canyon with your friends or try the occasional record hop playing and dancing to all the latest Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals or Beach Boys singles, or the annual Homecoming Dance when we still had a high school. We loved weddings because that meant a wedding dance.

Clearly, we had the best time growing up in northern New Mexico, and nothing spoke best to our hearts than the New Mexican sound of Gus y Gus, led by Amalia’s native son, Gustavo Vallejos who recently passed at the age of 83.

Being a New Mexico norteño means not only are you a lover of Rock n Roll classics, you also love country music and click your heels or boots to New Mexico music, like Vallejo’s Dale Gas.

Gus Vallejos was an electrician by trade but an incredibly respected role model to the many teenagers and adults he entertained on a Saturday night. We will never forget him, his music and the kind and honest man he was.

It’s very difficult to be considered a role model in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and all eyes are upon you, but Vallejos succeeded in gaining that honor.

Vallejos played at our wedding reception and sang the very traditional Spanish, La Entrega as we begin our life together. We continued to hear him play at various dances in our adult years and he occasionally dedicated a love song to us.

Gustavo, your existence and music left this world a better place. Vaya con Dios!

Mariachis at Casa Bonita September 14

admin
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Mariachis at Casa Bonita September 14

Casa Bonita is sponsoring this year’s All-State Mariachi Estelares, featuring exceptional young talent from six Colorado counties! After intensive preparation with Dr. Lorenzo Trujillo and Dr. Robert Klemick, these gifted youth will perform songs centered on courage—the courage to love, make difficult decisions, and grow.

Join us for this special performance at Casa Bonita’s iconic water fountain on September 14th at 5:30pm and again at 6:30pm. Experience the power and beauty of Mariachi with memories of home that strengthen our shared heritage.

Wolf family captured; one wolf dead, survivors taken into captivity

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Wolf family captured; one wolf dead, survivors taken into captivity

Young wolf family was implicated in livestock losses as coexistence measures were late and incomplete

Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced Monday afternoon that the entire Copper Creek Wolf Pack has been captured, but the male wolf father, 2309-OR, was captured on Friday, August 30 and died on Tuesday, September 3. The family, including four puppies, is the first successful breeding pack of the state’s reintroduction effort. The agency’s press release did not include information about how the deceased wolf was so badly harmed before capture but noted he was nearly 30 percent underweight.

“We are devastated by the news of the dead father wolf, and must be sure that in the future, Colorado’s wolves are not set up for conflict and therefore removal,” said Delaney Rudy, Colorado Director of Western Watersheds Project. “Tools for nonlethal coexistence have been provided cost-free to ranchers along the way, and wolves should not have to pay the price for producers’ refusal to implement them.”

The Copper Creek Pack was implicated in a number of livestock losses, but coexistence measures were not implemented in a timely manner. Despite Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Colorado Department of Agriculture efforts, the livestock owner whose livestock were killed refused timely implementation of science-backed coexistence tools, including a range rider, fladry, diversionary feeding, and nonlethal injurious hazing permit. The agency also acknowledged that the wolves may have been lured to the property when the rancher refused to bury their carcasses in an open pit.

Our Government

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Our Government

White House

Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, 2024: “Today, we honor the brave Americans who met the terror of September 11 with extraordinary acts of courage and sacrifice. In our darkest hour — when terrorists believed they could bring our country to its knees — those Americans proved that our Nation’s unbreakable spirit would prevail.”

Colorado Governor

Governor Polis celebrated the announcement that the Denver Metro Area is the top job market in the nation, according to a study released from ADP. Out of the 55 other metro areas included in the study, Denver Metro leads the nation in pay growth, starting wages, and hiring rate.

Denver Mayor

Mayor Mike Johnston, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Fox Park development team, and federal congressional partners, celebrated the complete environmental remediation of Fox Park. A portion of the site was part of one of Denver’s last remaining Superfund sites located near the I-70 and I-25 interchange in Denver.

A Week In Review

Joseph Rios
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A Week In Review

Africa

Girl’s boarding school catches on fire

A boarding school in Kenya caught on fire and left three students injured. The incident occurred last Thursday, and it is unknown what caused the fire. In recent years, there have been several fires in boarding schools in Kenya, including one that recently left 21 children dead.

Olympic runner killed by former boyfriend

Rebecca Cheptegei, who recently competed at the Paris Olympics, died after being doused in petrol and set on fire by her former boyfriend. She was 33 years old and suffered extensive burns after the attack. Authorities said she was targeted after returning home from church with her two children.

Asia

Indonesian imam calls for peace with Pope

During his visit to Indonesia, the Pope joined grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar in a sign to show how people of different beliefs could share roots. The two religious leaders called for peace and signed a declaration on religious harmony. The Pope also praised Indonesians for having large families with up to five children.

China ends foreign adoptions

Officials in China announced the country is ending the practice of allowing children to be adopted overseas. During the past 30 years, at least 150,000 Chinese children have been adopted abroad with more than 82,000 of them going to the United States. Officials did not explain the reason for ending overseas adoption.

Europe

France protests over Prime Minister

Tens of thousands of people across France protested against the appointment of center-right politician Michael Barnier as the country’s new Prime Minister Barnier is the former Brexit negotiator and said he is open to forming a government with politicians across the political spectrum. Around 110,000 people protested in France last Saturday.

UK prepares to send missiles to Ukraine

The United Kingdom is preparing to send hundreds more short-range missiles to Ukraine. Recently, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky asked for authorization to strike targets deep inside Russia with Western-supplied weapons. Officials from the UK said the weapons will give Ukraine’s air defenses an important boost.

Latin America

Venezuelan opposition leader flees country

Edmundo Gonazlez, the opposition candidate in Venezuela’s recent presidential election, has recently landed in Spain where he will be granted political asylum. He had been hiding in Venezuela after an arrest warrant was issued for him because the opposition disputed the presidential election results. Gonzalez had been in hiding since July 30.

Popular Brazilian musician dies

Sergio Mendes, who at one point was the biggest selling Brazilian artist in the world, has passed away. He is best known for his song “Mas Que Nada” and recorded more than 35 albums. Mendes also received an Oscar nomination in 2012 for co-writing the song “Real in Rio” from the film “Rio.”

North America

Canada halts terrorist attack suspect

Officials in Canada arrested a man who is accused of attempting to illegally enter the United States to commit a terrorist attack. The suspect, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, is accused of trying to commit an attack against Jewish communities in New York City. He was detained about 12 miles from the U.S. border.

Trump sentencing delayed

Former President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his Manhattan hush money criminal case has been delayed until Nov. 26, well after the election. He was found guilty of 34 felony counts in May for falsifying business records. It was the first time a sitting or former president had been convicted of a crime.

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