2 women marry in Mexico's embassy in Guatemala fueling a debate over same-sex marriage
The ceremony held in the embassy gardens was intended to celebrate Pride Month , which is celebrated every June, and the consulate said the marriage marked a step toward inclusion, respect and equality for all.
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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Mexico, Guatemala and Belize to create tri-national nature reserve to protect Mayan jungle
Mexico Maya Train GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The leaders of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize announced on Friday that they were creating a tri-national nature reserve to protect the Mayan rain forest following a meeting during which they also discussed expanding a Mexican train line criticized for slicing through jungle habitat. The nature reserve would stretch across jungled areas of southern Mexico and northern parts of the two Central American nations, encompassing more than 14 million acres (5.7 million hectares). Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called the move 'historic' and said it would create the second biggest nature reserve in Latin America, behind the Amazon rain forest. 'This is one of Earth's lungs, a living space for thousands of species with an invaluable cultural legacy that we should preserve with our eyes on the future,' Sheinbaum said, standing side-by-side with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and Belize Prime Minister Johnny Briceño. The announcement was met with cautious celebration by environmental groups like Mexico-based Selvame, who have sharply criticized the Mexican government and Sheinbaum's allies in recent years for environmental destruction wrought by megaprojects like a controversial train line, known as the Maya Train. The group said in statement that the reserve was a 'monumental step for conservation" but that it hoped that the reserve was more than just 'symbolic.' 'We're in a race against the clock. Real estate and construction companies are invading the jungle, polluting our ecosystems, and endangering both the water we consume, and the communities that depend on it,' the group wrote. It called on Sheinbaum's government to put an effective monitoring system in place to 'stop any destructive activities.' At the same time, the leaders also discussed a proposal by Mexico to expand the very train line those environmental groups have long fought from southern Mexico to Guatemala and Belize. The thousand-mile train currently runs in a rough loop around Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, and was created with the purpose of connecting Mexico's popular Caribbean resorts with remote jungle and Mayan archaeological sites in rural areas. However, it has fueled controversy and legal battles as it sliced through swathes of jungle and damaged a delicate cave system in Mexico that serves as the area's main source of water. In a span of four years, authorities cut down approximately 7 million trees, according to government figures. Sheinbaum's mentor and predecessor former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador fast-tracked the train project without detailed environmental studies. The populist repeatedly ignored orders from judges to stop construction due to environmental concerns and publicly attacked environmentalists warning about damage done to fragile ecosystems. López Obrador first proposed the idea of expanding the train to Guatemala, and Sheinbaum has continued to push for the project. On Friday, she said the extension would usher in development in rural areas with few economic opportunities. But Arévalo was already on record saying Guatemala's laws would not allow it to be built through protected jungle in the north of the country. The Guatemalan leader said on Friday he sees the economic potential of the project to the jungle region but remained adamant that the construction should not come with the kind of environmental damage that it inflicted in Mexico. 'Connecting the Maya Train with Guatemala and eventually with Belize is a vision we share,' Arévalo said. But 'I've made it very clear at all times that the Maya Train will not pass through any protected area.' He said there would also have to be careful environmental studies and the two presidents looked at an alternative proposal that would have the train loop instead of directly cut through the jungles of Guatemala and Belize. It remained unclear how the train's potential route would be affected by the new protected area. —— Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
NJ ‘Moms for Liberty' leader claims Girl Scouts fired her for not promoting Pride Month activism
A New Jersey Girl Scout troop leader who was fired by the renowned youth organization claimed she was let go for not bringing her group to LGBTQ+ events during Pride Month. Alexandra Bougher, a 45-year-old Moms for Liberty chapter chair in Bergen County, was released by two members of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey during a phone call on Wednesday, she said. 3 Alexandra Boughter, 45, concluded she was removed from the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey for sharing anti-LBGTQ+ stances online. Instagram/@alexandrab444 Advertisement Bougher said the pair who fired her didn't elaborate on their reasoning and only vaguely pointed to a violation of their code of conduct. She said that her daughter was also removed from the scouts as part of her own excommunication. She independently concluded that the entire ordeal had to do with a comment she shared in June responding to a post on the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey's social media celebrating Pride Month. 'I reposted it and I said, 'Just to be clear, my troop will not be doing this,'' Bougher told NJ Advance Media. Advertisement 'I guess that's the one. They actually refused to tell me which one it was, but I'm assuming it was that one since it was pulled off their site.' 3 Boughter said she commented that her troop would not be participating in Pride Month celebrations. Facebook/Moms for Liberty Boughter was a seven-year leader with the troops and led roughly 30 girls before she was canned. She said she was appalled by the Girl Scouts' apparent shift towards left-wing advocacy, including promoting LGBTQ+ events and Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Advertisement 'And we were like, this is not what Girl Scouts is about, and it's also dangerous — bringing young children there. We sort of saw that change and some other things too, but you know, I kept my mouth shut, I kept my troop — they're all friends with each other. They can do those events and we'll do our own thing, you know,' Boughter told the outlet. Her firing came two months after sharing a since-deleted post online that spurred threats of violence against a local church displaying a pride flag, reported. 3 Boughter worked with the Girl Scouts for seven years. X/@AlexandraBough3 She shared a post condemning a local church's display of a Progressive Pride Flag, which includes black and brown stripes representing queer folks in marginalized communities and other colors for transgender pride. Advertisement Many of the comments on Boughter's post repeatedly insisted that the expansion of the Pride Flag included representation for 'minor-attracted persons,' which is not true. The church added that 'one commentator suggested the only way to deal with us was with 'gasoline and a match'.' Boughter still stood by her original message and condemnation, but denounced the calls to violence. The Post has reached out to Girl Scouts and the northern New Jersey chapter for comment.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Guatemalan prison guards held hostage by rioting inmates freed after 3 days
Guatemalan authorities on Saturday freed nine prison guards who had been held hostage since Thursday by rioting inmates in Guatemala City, an official said. Members of Guatemala's two largest gangs — Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha — began rioting Tuesday in two prisons, demanding the return of 10 leaders who had been transferred to another facility and placed in solitary confinement. José Portillo, Deputy Minister of Security, told The Associated Press that the guards released Saturday had been held by members of Mara Salvatrucha. One prison official died Friday after being shot, authorities said, without providing further details. Local media reported the shooting occurred at one of the prisons involved in the riots. In another similar incident, anti-kidnapping teams freed 11 guards on Wednesday who were also held hostage by gang members in two Guatemalan prisons. Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez told The Associated Press that the rioters were demanding Guatemalan authorities return their leaders from the prison where they were transferred, Renovación I, to the prisons where they were able to lead the gangs and "exercised criminal power." Guatemala has been plagued by the violent rivalry between the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13. Authorities say they both seek to gain control of territory where they extort money from companies and individuals. At least 7 people were killed last month when armed MS-13 members stormed into the funeral of a Barrio 18 member who had been killed. Earlier this year, President Trump designated MS-13 as a terrorist organization, placing it on a list of criminal groups that he said operate in the region and threaten public safety across the hemisphere. Last week, Mr. Trump directed the military to target drug cartels in Latin America, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.
