Political Turmoil in Guatemala” - Berlin Wall US-Mexico Border.

#86 “Political Turmoil in Guatemala” – Berlin Wall US-Mexico Border. Redlining Settlement. AI Project Reveals Argentina’s Disappeared Faces.

Episode Description:

In today’s episode, we explore the intricate layers of political turmoil in Guatemala, talk about the intriguing parallels between the Berlin Wall and the US-Mexico border situation, Shed light on the enduring legacy of redlining in the United States, and delve into the captivating world of AI technology as it unveils the faces of Argentina’s disappeared.

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EPISODE INTRODUCTION

[Cue intro music]

What is going on everyone? I’m Kevin Muñoz today is Monday, September 4th and this is The LEO podcast where we discuss various educational topics, especially those impacting the Latin American community.

Join us today as we explore four captivating stories! In our first story, Guatemala’s electoral authority stands in the way of the suspension of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo’s party. Then, we’ll uncover how a piece of the Berlin Wall finds a new purpose on the US-Mexico border amidst Biden’s barrier initiatives. Our third story delves into an AI project that unveils the faces of children who disappeared during Argentina’s military dictatorship. Finally, we’ll discuss a proposed settlement in a redlining case involving an Oklahoma bank and the Justice Department in Tulsa.”

But before we begin, if you’d like to support the ongoing production of these episodes and gain early access to episodes and bonus content, head over to our patreon.com/latinamericaneo and become part of our Palomitas community!

But if you’re not a patron yet, no worries! You can still enjoy this episode. It’s packed with great content.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy today’s four stories!

[End intro music]

For our first story, Guatemala’s political scene is heating up! The electoral authority just did a surprising U-turn by giving back the official status to President-elect Bernardo Arévalo’s party, the Seed Movement. This move came as a response to some political opponents trying to throw a wrench in Arévalo’s plans.

Here’s the scoop: The party got suspended earlier because of some eyebrow-raising signatures collected way back when it was formed. But guess what? The big-shot Supreme Electoral Tribunal said, ‘Not so fast!’ They ruled that the suspension wasn’t legit because it didn’t come from the right place. And guess what else? This decision is sticking around until the end of October.

But hold onto your hats, folks. There’s a plot twist! The Seed Movement tried going through the regular courts, but they didn’t get what they wanted. So, come November 1, they might be in hot water again.

Oh, and remember that suspension? It already caused Arévalo and his crew to be labeled as independents by the congressional bigwigs. So, no fancy leadership positions for them in Congress.

Arévalo’s a bit of a political wildcard, making it to the top against the odds. He’s all about taking on corruption, and folks seem to love that. But not everyone’s on board. The Attorney General’s Office is gunning for the Seed Movement, maybe to keep Arévalo from taking office in January.

People are worried about Guatemala’s democracy taking a nosedive. Past leaders, like Jimmy Morales, kicked out anti-corruption squads and messed with the justice system. Arévalo’s promising to clean things up, and that’s striking a chord with a fed-up population.

But the battle’s far from over. There are still four months until Arévalo takes charge, and those political and money bigwigs aren’t throwing in the towel. Arévalo’s calling it a ‘coup d’état’ waiting to happen.

Our key takeaway from this story is that Guatemala’s political rollercoaster continues! Arévalo’s party got its legal status back, but challenges remain. Arévalo’s fight against corruption is popular, but powerful foes are still in the game. The political drama isn’t over yet!

For our second story, The U.S. government is building a new border wall, and just a stone’s throw away, Mexico decides to make a powerful statement by placing a piece of the Berlin Wall. It’s like a clash of history and symbolism right there on the U.S.-Mexico border.

This 3-ton chunk of the Berlin Wall, all gray and pockmarked, now stands in Tijuana, Mexico, between a bullring, a lighthouse, and the U.S. border wall that stretches into the Pacific Ocean. Underneath it, there’s an inscription that reads, “May this be a lesson to build a society that knocks down walls and builds bridges.” Pretty cool, right?

Now, the mayor of Tijuana, Montserrat Caballero, sees this U.S. wall as something deeply personal and political. She herself is a migrant who moved to Tijuana from southern Mexico when she was just 2 years old, escaping poverty and abuse with her mother. She’s even had to move to a military barracks recently due to threats against her life.

The Berlin Wall relic found its way to Tijuana thanks to Marcos Cline, a guy from Los Angeles who had this artifact and thought it belonged in a place that’s seen its fair share of struggles related to border walls.

But wait, there’s more! President Joe Biden stopped new wall construction when he took office, but some already-contracted projects continued. In San Diego, they’re replacing a 30-foot wall, and it’s cutting through Friendship Park, a place where families separated by immigration status used to meet.

Despite all this, the Berlin Wall installation has been a hit with visitors. It’s become a symbol of how walls can divide nations and lives, and many hope for a world with fewer walls and more bridges.

Our key takeaway from this story is that while the U.S. is busy constructing a new border wall, just a stone’s throw away in Mexico, they’ve set up a piece of the Berlin Wall. It’s like a powerful symbol of unity, sending a clear message that we’re all better off without these dividing barriers. This story reminds us how walls can tear apart nations and lives, and it’s a strong message. And for folks living right there, like Tijuana’s mayor, this border wall is more than just politics; it’s personal. Despite the walls, we’re hopeful for a future where we build more bridges than barriers.

For our third story, Imagine trying to find the face of someone who disappeared during a dark period in history, like Argentina’s military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983. Santiago Barros, a creative mind from Argentina, is using artificial intelligence to tackle this challenge.

He’s doing something remarkable. He’s taking pictures of the parents who vanished during those troubling times, and with the help of an app called Midjourney, he’s generating images of what their children might look like as adults today. The results are posted on an Instagram account called “iabuelas,” which cleverly combines “IA” for artificial intelligence and “abuela” for grandmother.

Now, why is this so important? During that dark period, many babies were taken from their parents who were political dissidents. These babies were often raised by families connected to the dictatorship. So, these children grew up not knowing their true identity. Barros’ project is a way to give them a face, a way to imagine what they might look like now.

But here’s the thing: Barros isn’t trying to replace the incredible work done by the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, a group that has located 133 missing grandchildren through DNA testing. Instead, his goal is to raise awareness and stir the conscience of those who might have doubts about their origin, especially those over 46 years old.

The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo estimate that around 500 children were taken from their parents during that time, so there’s still a lot of work to be done. While Barros’ project is a fantastic initiative, the Grandmothers emphasize that the only foolproof way to connect these people with their true families is through DNA testing.

Barros isn’t just relying on old photos; he’s also working with photographs provided by people who are searching for their lost relatives. Some have noticed a tendency towards standardization in AI-generated images, which raises questions about their accuracy. But for some, like Matías Ayastuy, who provided photos of his disappeared parents, the results were strikingly similar to blood relatives, giving them hope.

So far, there haven’t been any known cases of someone identifying themselves from these images and starting a formal identification process. But this project is still in its early stages.

One important thing to note is that Barros and the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo acknowledge that AI isn’t perfect, and the results can be inaccurate. Some have even raised concerns that the AI may lean towards “standardized patterns” of people with European features. However, it’s worth mentioning that many of the disappeared people did have European ancestors due to Argentina’s history of strong European immigration.

In the end, while the AI-generated images may not be 100% accurate, they serve as a powerful reminder of the search for truth and identity during a painful period in history. So, as you scroll through Instagram or hear about AI, remember that behind these images, there are stories of resilience, hope, and the ongoing quest for justice.

Our key takeaway from this story is that In Argentina, a guy named Santiago Barros is using AI to imagine what kids who vanished during a dark time in history would look like today. He’s sharing these images on Instagram. This project doesn’t replace the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo’s DNA work but is meant to remind people and offer hope. It’s a story of hope, AI, and the search for truth and justice in a painful past.

For our fourth and final story, the U.S. Department of Justice and a local Oklahoma bank have come to an agreement over some pretty serious allegations.

Here’s the deal: The bank, known as American Bank of Oklahoma, was accused of treating Black and Hispanic folks unfairly when it came to giving out loans in the Tulsa area. They did this thing called “redlining,” which is basically when lenders discriminate against people based on their race or where they live. Not cool at all.

The Justice Department said this bank was doing this from 2017 until at least 2021, and that’s a big no-no. But here’s the twist – they’ve agreed to settle things without going to court. They’re going to try to make amends.

So, what’s in this agreement? Well, the bank has agreed to provide $1.15 million in credit opportunities to neighborhoods where Black and Hispanic communities live in Tulsa. The idea is to boost investment in these areas, help people buy homes, and improve their financial stability.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said this agreement is all about creating opportunities and focusing on neighborhoods that have been through a lot, including the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. That was a tragic event where a white mob attacked a Black neighborhood, leaving many dead and thousands homeless.

The bank, of course, denied any wrongdoing but decided to go along with this deal to avoid a long legal battle. They want to expand their banking services in Tulsa, especially in historically Black areas.

As part of the agreement, they’ll hire mortgage loan officers for Black and Hispanic neighborhoods, hold financial education seminars in Spanish, and even hire a community lending director to make sure they’re doing things right in those neighborhoods.

Our key takeaway from this story is that an Oklahoma bank, American Bank of Oklahoma, got in trouble with the U.S. Department of Justice for not playing fair with Black and Hispanic folks in Tulsa. They were accused of this thing called “redlining,” which is like discriminating against people based on where they live and their race.

But here’s the twist: Instead of going to court, the bank said, “Okay, let’s make things right.” So, they agreed to give $1.15 million in loans to these neighborhoods where Black and Hispanic communities live in Tulsa. The idea is to help folks buy homes and improve their finances.

This is all about trying to fix some past unfairness and make sure everyone gets a fair shot at getting a loan. It’s a step towards equality in Tulsa’s banking world.

TAKEAWAYS

TO FINISH UP THIS EPISODE HERE’S ALL FOUR STORIES KEY TAKEAWAYS:

For our first story, here’s the deal with Guatemala’s political rollercoaster. Arévalo’s party got its legal status back, which is good news. But hold on, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Arévalo is still fighting corruption, and there are some pretty tough opponents in the ring. So, buckle up, the political drama in Guatemala is far from over!

For our second story, while the U.S. is building a new border wall, Mexico’s got a piece of the Berlin Wall nearby. It’s like a symbol of unity, telling us that we’re better off without these dividing walls. Walls can tear nations and lives apart, and it’s a powerful message. For folks in Tijuana, like their mayor, this wall is personal. But we’re hoping for a future with more bridges than barriers!

For our third story, there’s this guy named Santiago Barros who’s using AI to imagine what kids who disappeared in a dark time in history would look like today. He’s sharing these images on Instagram, not to replace DNA work, but to offer hope and keep the truth alive. It’s a story of hope, AI, and searching for justice in a painful past.

And for our fourth and final story, the American Bank of Oklahoma is in trouble with the U.S. Department of Justice for not playing fair with Black and Hispanic folks in Tulsa. They were discriminating based on where people live and their race, which is totally not cool. But here’s the kicker – instead of going to court, the bank said, “Alright, let’s make things right.” (at least by their standards) and so They’re giving $1.15 million in loans to neighborhoods where Black and Hispanic communities live in Tulsa. The goal is to help folks buy homes and improve their finances. It’s all about fixing past unfairness and making sure everyone gets a fair shot at getting a loan. A step towards equality in Tulsa’s banking world.

THE END

That’s all for today on the LEO podcast. I’m Kevin Muñoz and as always feel free to send me a voicemail through my website latinamerianeo.org by simply clicking the purple “send voicemail” popup and just start recording your thoughts or any interesting topic that you’d like to see covered. I might just feature it in the next episode!

and for those of you on Patreon, I’ll see you there.

Otherwise, I’ll see you all in next week’s episode!

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