Latest news with #Nicaragua
National Post
19 hours ago
- Business
- National Post
Mineros Announces Initial Mineral Resource Estimate for the Guillermina Deposit at its Hemco Property, Nicaragua
Article content (all dollar amounts are expressed in U.S. dollars) Article content Article content The Guillermina Deposit (' Guillermina ') initial Mineral Resource estimate comprises: Indicated Mineral Resources: 1,286 thousand tonnes (kt) averaging 0.71 g/t Au, 23.3 g/t Ag, 6.60% Zn, and 3.13 g/t gold equivalent 1 (AuEq), containing 30 thousand ounces (koz) Au, 962 koz Ag, 187 million pounds (Mlb) Zn, and 129 koz of AuEq. Inferred Mineral Resources: 1,286 kt averaging 1.32 g/t Au, 30.2 g/t Ag, 5.73% Zn, and 3.66 g/t AuEq, containing 55 koz Au, 1,250 koz Ag, 162 Mlb Zn, and 152 koz AuEq. Guillermina is open, both laterally and to depth, with excellent potential for the delineation of additional zones of mineralization as exploration continues. Guillermina presents a promising opportunity that could significantly contribute to the future development of the Porvenir Project. Article content MEDELLIN, Colombia — Mineros S.A. (TSX:MSA, MINEROS:CB) (' Mineros ' or the ' Company') is pleased to report an initial Mineral Resource estimate on Guillermina, a polymetallic vein system associated with hydrothermal breccias located three kilometers north of the Porvenir Project, forming part of its Hemco Property in Nicaragua (Figure 1). Article content 'We are pleased to have reached this milestone at Guillermina, one of several key targets in our portfolio of organic growth projects,' stated David Londoño, President and CEO of Mineros. 'We are advancing Guillermina and other early- to advanced-stage targets across our highly prospective Hemco Property landholdings. This deposit represents an exciting opportunity that could play an important role in the Porvenir Project's future development. As we move forward, we will continue to explore Guillermina with the aim of expanding and upgrading this initial Mineral Resource,' Mr. Londoño added. Article content Guillermina is located on the Hemco Property in the Mining Triangle district centered around the towns of Bonanza, Rosita and Siuna in northeastern Nicaragua and is situated approximately four kilometres west of the Pioneer Mine. It consists of a 1.8 km vein system oriented at an azimuth of 245° with notable anomalies in gold, silver, and zinc. The mineralization system includes an assemblage of hydrothermal breccias, stockwork, and veinlets up to 20 m in thickness, with a crustiform to colloform-banded quartz chalcedony-adularia matrix. The breccia matrix contains galena, sphalerite, and hematite occurring in patches and bands throughout. Article content Guillermina Deposit Mineral Resource Statement (effective March 31, 2025). Article content Classification Cut-Off Tonnes NSR Grade Contained Metal Indicated $82.50/t 1,286 142 0.71 23.3 6.60 3.13 30 962 187 129 Inferred 1,286 155 1.32 30.2 5.73 3.66 55 1,250 162 152 Mineral Resource reporting notes: Mineral Resources are classified according to the Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum's 'CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves' adopted on May 10, 2014 (the ' CIM Standards '). The Mineral Resources have been reported within underground reporting shapes generated with Deswik Stope Optimizer using a net smelter return (' NSR ') cut-off value of $82.50/t and a minimum mining width of 1.0 m. Material within 30 m of the topographic surface has been excluded from the Guillermina Mineral Resources to allow for artisanal mining. Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term gold price of $1,700/oz Au, a silver price of $20/oz Ag, and a zinc price of $1.36/lb Zn. Metallurgical recoveries are applied on a block-by-block basis with an average of 85.5% for gold, 30.7% for silver, and 91.0% for zinc. The NSR $/t value for each block was calculated using the following NSR factors: – $53.12 g/t Au x gold recovery – $0.41 g/t Ag x silver recovery – $1,755.54 % Zn x zinc recovery The formula used to calculate the AuEq grade is Au g/t + (Ag g/t * silver AuEq factor) + (Zn% * zinc AuEq factor), where: silver AuEq factor = (0.41 * silver recovery) / (53.12 * gold recovery) zinc AuEq factor = (1,755.54 * zinc recovery) / (53.12 * gold recovery) Average bulk density is 2.71 t/m 3. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral Resource estimate assumes underground mining and extends from surface to a depth of 400m. Numbers may not add or multiply due to rounding. Article content Building on drilling results from the Neptuno Company in the 1970s, Hemco carried out a drilling campaign at Guillermina in 2011 and 2012, aiming to identify new gold deposits. The campaign consisted of 1,070 m across seven drill holes, revealing significant zinc anomalies as well as low-grade gold and silver anomalies. Article content Recognizing the potential for polymetallic mineral production at the Porvenir Project, the Company initiated a reconnaissance diamond drilling campaign in 2022, completing 887 m across seven drill holes. This initial campaign confirmed the depth and continuity of the deposit. The drilling delineated a central extension of a mineralized structure hosting galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite, with thicknesses ranging from two metres to 15 m. Article content Following positive results from the previous campaign, drilling efforts in 2023 focused on confirming the extensions of the mineralization, with 11 holes drilled for a total of 1,898 m. By 2024, the campaign advanced to infill drilling to improve the definition of mineralization, with 6,498 m drilled across 40 holes. The core of the mineralized vein was drilled at approximately 50 m spacing. Article content The initial Mineral Resource estimate on Guillermina includes the results of 9,798 m in 61 diamond drill holes completed between 2011 and August 2024 (Figure 2). Grades were constrained with three-dimensional (3D) wireframes of the principal mineralized vein and interpolated by the inverse distance cubed (ID 3) method into a block model with parent blocks of 2 m by 2 m by 2 m and sub-blocks of 1 m by 1 m by 1 m. The classification of solids was based on drill hole spacing, with distances less than 50 m classified as Indicated Mineral Resources and distances less than 100 m classified as Inferred Mineral Resources. Article content An NSR value was assigned to blocks to validate the geological interpretation and for resource reporting. NSR represents the estimated dollar value per tonne of mineralized material after accounting for smelter terms, including revenues, treatment and refining charges, penalties, smelter losses, transportation, and sales charges. The NSR calculation is based on metallurgical testing at the Porvenir Project, using comparable smelter terms and data collected by the Company. These assumptions depend on the processing scenario and may vary with further metallurgical testwork. Key assumptions, including preliminary metallurgical recoveries, are detailed in Table 2. Article content Standard smelting and refining charges were applied to the various concentrates. It was assumed that the concentrates would be marketed internationally. NSR factors are summarized in Table 3. Article content Table 3. Article content Mineral Resource NSR Factors Article content The NSR value is assigned to blocks using the following equation: Article content NSR TOTAL = Grade Au (g/t) Article content * Rec Au (%) * 53.12 Article content (US$/g) Article content + Article content Grade Ag (g/t) Article content * Rec Ag (%)0.41 Article content (US$/g) Article content + Article content Grade Zn Article content (%) * Rec Zn (%) 1,755.54 Article content (US$/t) Article content A bench and fill mining method was evaluated for Guillermina, applying the parameters that were used for the Porvenir Project (Table 4). An NSR cut-off value was established by estimating the total unit operating cost, which included mining, processing, power, and general and administrative expenses, resulting in total operating cost of approximately $82.50 per tonne of mineralized material. Article content Table 4. Article content Notes: Article content All costs include G&A. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Article content For the purposes of demonstrating reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction, Mineral Resources are constrained within underground reporting shapes generated in Deswik Stope Optimizer (DSO) using a minimum mining width of one metre and an NSR cut-off value of $82.50/t (Figure 3). Article content There are no known legal, political, environmental, or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of Mineral Resources at Guillermina. Article content Mineros has implemented a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program aligned with industry best practices, in which certified reference materials (standards), duplicates, and blanks are routinely inserted into the sample stream to assess precision, accuracy, contamination and bias. All standards, duplicates and blanks are validated and any batches that fail QA/QC are reanalyzed. Article content Diamond drill core samples are selected by geologists on site; sample intervals are typically one metre in length, ranging from a minimum of 0.2 metres to a maximum of two metres. HTW-diameter diamond drill core to be sampled is cut in half lengthwise, with one half of the core stored on-site in wooden core boxes and the other half packed by Mineros geologists in plastic bags with tamper-proof seals, with a chain of custody procedure for delivery to the ALS Peru S.A. ('ALS Global Peru') at its Managua, Nicaragua laboratory for sample preparation. Article content Until March 2023, Mineros used Bureau Veritas in Canada as its primary laboratory, and ALS Global Peru, in Lima, Peru thereafter. Article content Initially, the samples were sent for sample preparation with a chain of custody procedures for delivery to Bureau Veritas. Sample preparation was carried out following the PREP70-250 package (crushing of the entire sample to ≥70% passing 2-mm mesh, pulverization of 250 g ≥ 85% 75 µm. Samples were shipped to Bureau Veritas laboratory in Vancouver, Canada for geochemical analysis. Bureau Veritas is independent of Mineros. Article content Bureau Veritas is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 by the Standards Council of Canada (' SCC '). Samples, standards, duplicates and blanks are analyzed for gold using a standard fire assay method (30 g aliquot) and atomic absorption finish (AAS). Those over 10 ppm are reanalyzed by 30 g fire assay with gravimetric finish. All samples are analyzed for a 45-element suite, run with an aqua regia digestion and an ICP-ES/MS finish. Article content As of April 2023, the samples were sent for sample preparation with a chain of custody procedure for delivery to ALS Global Peru, at its Managua, Nicaragua laboratory for sample preparation, and subsequently to ALS Global Peru in Lima, Peru for geochemical analysis. Sample preparation is carried out following the PREP31 package (crushing of the entire sample to ≥70% passing 2-mm mesh, pulverization of 250 g ≥85% 75 µm). ALS Global Peru is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 by the SCC with validation date until 2029-03-01 and is independent of Mineros. Article content Samples, standards, duplicates, and blanks are analyzed for gold using a standard fire assay method (30 g aliquot) and AAS. Assays over 10 ppm are reanalyzed by 30 g fire assay with gravimetric finish. All samples are analyzed for a 51-element suite, using aqua regia digestion and an ICP-ES/MS finish. Article content All coarse rejects and pulps from both labs were returned and stored by the Company in a secure warehouse at the Hemco Property facility. Five percent of pulps are sent to secondary laboratory and analyzed using methods analogous to those at the primary laboratory. Article content NEXT STEPS Article content The 2025 drilling campaign at Guillermina commenced in July 2025 and is in progress with 2,000 meters planned. This program is designed to collect representative samples for metallurgical testing, consistent with the parameters established for the Porvenir Project, and will also serve as infill drilling to upgrade Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated Mineral Resources. In parallel, Mineros has commenced evaluating potential mining methods and is actively exploring synergies with the Porvenir Project to support the potential expansion of the overall Mineral Resource inventory. Article content ABOUT MINEROS S.A. Article content Mineros is a Latin American gold mining company headquartered in Medellin, Colombia. The Company has a diversified asset base, with mines in Colombia and Nicaragua and a pipeline of development and exploration projects throughout the region. Article content The board of directors and management of Mineros have extensive experience in mining, corporate development, finance and sustainability. Mineros has a long track record of maximizing shareholder value and delivering solid annual dividends. For almost 50 years Mineros has operated with a focus on safety and sustainability at all its operations. Article content Mineros' common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol 'MSA', and on the Colombia Stock Exchange under the symbol 'MINEROS'. Article content Election of Directors – Electoral Quotient System Article content The Company has been granted an exemption from the individual voting and majority voting requirements applicable to listed issuers under Toronto Stock Exchange policies, on grounds that compliance with such requirements would constitute a breach of Colombian laws and regulations which require the directors to be elected on the basis of a slate of nominees proposed for election pursuant to an electoral quotient system. For further information, please see the Company's most recent annual information form, available on the Company's website at and from SEDAR+ at Article content QUALIFIED PERSON Article content Luis Fernando Ferreira de Oliveira, MAusIMM CP (Geo), Mineral Resources and Reserves Manager for Mineros S.A., who is qualified person within the meaning of NI 43-101 supervised the preparation of the information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Ferreira has verified the scientific and technical information in this release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the initial Mineral Resource estimate on Guillermina, and the opinions expressed herein. Article content In accordance with applicable Canadian securities regulatory requirements, all Mineral Resource estimates disclosed in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and are classified in accordance with the CIM Standards. Article content Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. Pursuant to the CIM Standards, Mineral Resources have a higher degree of uncertainty than Mineral Reserves as to their existence as well as their economic and legal feasibility. Inferred Mineral Resources, when compared with Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources, have the least certainty as to their existence, and it cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will be upgraded to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource as a result of continued exploration. Pursuant to NI 43-101, Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of any economic analysis, including any feasibility study. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource exists, will ever be converted into a Mineral Reserve, or is or will ever be economically or legally mineable or recovered. Article content FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Article content This news release contains 'forward looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking information includes statements that use forward looking terminology such as 'may', 'could', 'would', 'will', 'should', 'intend', 'target', 'plan', 'expect', 'budget', 'estimate', 'forecast', 'schedule', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'continue', 'potential', 'view' or the negative or grammatical variation thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Such forward looking information includes, without limitation, statements with respect to the estimate of Mineral Resources, the results of metallurgical studies being conducted; exploration and testing plans; future expansion and upgrading of Mineral Resources; the economic viability of the Porvenir Project and Guillermina; and future development to the Porvenir Project. Article content Forward looking information is based upon estimates and assumptions of management in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this news release. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable, the assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, social, economic, political, regulatory, competitive and other risks and uncertainties, contingencies and other factors that could cause actual actions, events, conditions, results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those projected in the forward-looking information. Many assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Article content For further information of these and other risk factors, please see the 'Risk Factors' section of the Company's annual information form dated March 25, 2024, available on SEDAR+ at Article content The Company cautions that the foregoing lists of important assumptions and factors are not exhaustive. Other events or circumstances could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated or projected and expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking information contained herein. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Experts advise packing lightly on cash when travelling
When was the last time you pulled out cash to pay for something? Many Canadians might have to think long and hard, especially if they're younger. Article content Canada has gradually moved toward becoming a cashless society, with most people paying for purchases with smartphones or credit cards. However, whether or not you should carry cash — and how much — can still be a point of contention when travelling abroad. Article content Article content Article content 'The question shouldn't be whether cash is still worth it, but it's how to use it wisely, especially when every dollar counts,' said Amra Durakovic, a spokesperson for Flight Centre Travel Group Canada Inc. Article content Article content She said the decision to carry cash and the amount depends on the destination, purpose of travel and how prepared a traveller wants to be. Article content When Durakovic was travelling to Nicaragua, she knew the airport transfer cost and driver tips would likely be a cash-on-hand situation. For her Morocco trip not too long ago, she said she carried small bills in U.S. dollars when visiting local markets and to pay for taxis. Article content Even if you're going on a cruise or to an all-inclusive resort, carry some cash for tipping staff, Durakovic suggested. Article content 'We would recommend that you do carry a modest amount in bills, ideally in the currency that's most widely accepted locally,' she said. Article content Durakovic said she personally takes at least US$100 in cash when travelling abroad, mostly in smaller bills. Article content Article content She also emphasized paying gratuities on all-inclusive trips in Canadian dollars ahead of time to avoid exchange rate surprises or finding out there are no ATMs on-site at the resort. Article content Sometimes, all-inclusive resorts and cruises can include gratuities in a daily service charge, allowing travellers to account for tips in their budget ahead of time. Prepaid gratuities are typically broken down per night and per guest. For example, Disney Cruise recommends a prepaid gratuity of between US$16 and US$27.25 per night, per guest. Article content When Nicole Hui was preparing to travel to Japan earlier this year, one of the first things she researched was whether it's a cash-reliant economy. Article content The travel and lifestyle content creator said she brought some cash to cover the initial transit from the airport, meals and tipping. But she took out money she needed after that from an ATM at a Japanese 7-Eleven — with a better exchange rate than what she would have received at Canadian banks.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Experts advise packing lightly on cash when travelling
When was the last time you pulled out cash to pay for something? Many Canadians might have to think long and hard, especially if they're younger. Canada has gradually moved toward becoming a cashless society, with most people paying for purchases with smartphones or credit cards. However, whether or not you should carry cash — and how much — can still be a point of contention when travelling abroad. "The question shouldn't be whether cash is still worth it, but it's how to use it wisely, especially when every dollar counts," said Amra Durakovic, a spokesperson for Flight Centre Travel Group Canada Inc. She said the decision to carry cash and the amount depends on the destination, purpose of travel and how prepared a traveller wants to be. When Durakovic was travelling to Nicaragua, she knew the airport transfer cost and driver tips would likely be a cash-on-hand situation. For her Morocco trip not too long ago, she said she carried small bills in U.S. dollars when visiting local markets and to pay for taxis. Even if you're going on a cruise or to an all-inclusive resort, carry some cash for tipping staff, Durakovic suggested. "We would recommend that you do carry a modest amount in bills, ideally in the currency that's most widely accepted locally," she said. Durakovic said she personally takes at least US$100 in cash when travelling abroad, mostly in smaller bills. She also emphasized paying gratuities on all-inclusive trips in Canadian dollars ahead of time to avoid exchange rate surprises or finding out there are no ATMs on-site at the resort. Sometimes, all-inclusive resorts and cruises can include gratuities in a daily service charge, allowing travellers to account for tips in their budget ahead of time. Prepaid gratuities are typically broken down per night and per guest. For example, Disney Cruise recommends a prepaid gratuity of between US$16 and US$27.25 per night, per guest. When Nicole Hui was preparing to travel to Japan earlier this year, one of the first things she researched was whether it's a cash-reliant economy. The travel and lifestyle content creator said she brought some cash to cover the initial transit from the airport, meals and tipping. But she took out money she needed after that from an ATM at a Japanese 7-Eleven — with a better exchange rate than what she would have received at Canadian banks. But usually, Hui's go-to is her no-fee credit card. "If it's a less cash-heavy place, I usually just stick with using (a credit) card, but still bring $100 to $200 of local currency for the trip, just in case it's needed," Hui said. But experts say exchange rates should be kept top of mind when travelling abroad. "My issue with cash going abroad is it's really expensive to exchange, depending on where you're going," said personal finance and travel expert Barry Choi. Choi's turning point was when he travelled to Brazil and Argentina almost a decade ago and faced an exorbitant exchange fee at the bank. Ever since, Choi said he prefers either a no-fee credit or prepaid cards, or he will withdraw money at ATMs abroad, if needed. He advised looking for a travel card that allows charge-free ATM withdrawals, credit cards with no or lower exchange-rate fees or a multi-currency card, such as Wise. He does not recommend exchanging money at the airport. Choi's decision to carry cash and the amount comes down to researching what the acceptable currency is in the country he's visiting. He recalled travelling to the United States earlier this year and not using cash once during his trip. Another downside to getting cash is the leftover local currency you may never use, Choi said. "Why I tell people to carry less cash is: Back in the day, you would keep exchanging all this money, you'd pay high fees to begin with, and then you're left with these random currencies that you may or may not use," he said. There's a chance of losing money when exchanging leftover local currency for Canadian dollars, depending on the exchange rate fluctuations. But Choi said he still carries US$50 in local currency that can cover a meal or taxi ride, just in case. "There are still a lot of stores that only take cash, so you could be in the middle of nowhere or even a country where you don't speak the language," he said. "You should always have some kind of backup cash, even if it's U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, or whatever." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025. Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here legally since 1999, thousands of immigrants have 60 days to leave
Here legally since 1999, thousands of immigrants have 60 days to leave They are nurses, mechanics, sanitation workers and executives. They've fallen in love, bought houses and raised children. They've opened restaurants and construction companies, paid taxes and contributed to Social Security, living and working legally in the United States since 1999. Now more than 50,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans stand to abruptly lose their legal status as the Trump administration seeks to end their protections, in place since the Clinton era, under the temporary protected status program, or TPS. Amid a broader campaign to crack down on immigration, the Department of Homeland Security said that because 'conditions have improved' in Honduras and Nicaragua, it is ending the program for natives of those countries in early September. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. The decision, announced in early July, has been met with outrage from immigrant communities across the country, prompting a lawsuit by the National TPS Alliance, an advocacy group, and seven impacted individuals. The parties allege that the decision violated federal law by 'relying on a predetermined political decision' and 'racial animus,' while ignoring 'dire' local conditions in those countries. Immigration advocates hope federal courts will step in to intervene. But in the meantime, the order has left tens of thousands of people grappling with the possibility that they will be forced to leave their families and U.S.-citizen children to return to countries where they have no immediate family, no community, no jobs - places that in some cases they haven't seen in nearly three decades. 'My life has been here in the Bay Area,' said Jhony Silva, 29, a certified nursing assistant from Honduras, who is suing the Trump administration for ending the program. His parents brought him to the United States as a toddler in 1998. 'I've been doing everything the right way this whole time,' said Silva, who fears being separated from his 9-year-old child, a U.S. citizen. 'I am very, very worried.' President Bill Clinton established temporary protections for Hondurans and Nicaraguans after Hurricane Mitch devastated the Central American nations in 1998. Since then, the government has renewed the program every six to 18 months, but the Trump administration let it expire on July 5. The administration has also moved to revoke TPS for as many as 900,000 people from Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Cameroon and Nepal living in the U.S., arguing that the programs for nationals of countries facing conflict and environmental disaster was always intended to be temporary. Hondurans and Nicaraguans have had temporary protections for much longer - in some cases decades more - than immigrants from the other countries. Nearly 27 years after Hurricane Mitch, 'Honduran citizens can safely return home,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said in a statement about ending that country's program. Of Nicaragua's termination, a DHS spokesperson said the program 'was never meant to last a quarter of a century.' It's not clear whether people affected will leave the U.S. voluntarily or try to lie low to avoid deportation. The average TPS holder from Honduras and Nicaragua is 48 years old and has been in the U.S. for more than 30 years, according to estimates from an immigration advocacy group. TPS holders from Honduras and Nicaragua told The Washington Post they now identify as American. Maria Elena Hernandez, 67, came to the U.S. from Nicaragua in 1996 and has worked as a cleaner at a university in Broward County, Florida, for more than 17 years. She stands to lose her job and her employer-sponsored health insurance, which covers medication for asthma and a heart condition. 'This news destroyed me,' said Hernandez, who is also suing the federal government. 'I am going to be separated from my family. I'm going to lose my medical insurance. I have a medicine that I have to take for life.' The Trump administration's termination of multiple humanitarian programs could strip 3 million immigrants of their status and work authorization, according to some immigration experts. About 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans have temporary protections, although roughly 22,100 of them have received green cards, according to the Department of Homeland Security, and therefore will be able to stay. Typically, administrations notify TPS holders six months or more before winding down TPS programs for countries that have had the designation for more than three years. But when the administration announced the terminations of the programs for Hondurans and Nicaraguans on July 7, the program had already expired two days earlier. 'The cruelty is really extraordinary,' said Emi MacLean, a senior attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California who is working on the lawsuit. 'These people have no criminal history, because you cannot maintain TPS with criminal history. They've been paying their taxes for decades. They've been paying to reregister. And the administration waiting until after the end date to announce a termination is something that has not been done before.' Jackey Baiza, now 30, was 2 when she came to Boston from Honduras with her mother. Her employer told her a day before the Fourth of July weekend that it was placing her on leave while awaiting notice as to whether the Trump administration would extend the TPS program for Honduras past its July 5 expiration. Baiza has since been asked to return to her human resources job until the program runs out in early September. 'I have no direct communication with anyone in Honduras,' Baiza said. 'Being sent back is going to a place where I have absolutely no roots. I don't know where I would go. I have no clue how to navigate the country.' She fears separation from her mother, sister and other immediate family members, all of whom have U.S. citizenship or permanent residence. Baiza's mother secured permanent legal residence through Baiza's younger sister who was born in the United States. Over the past three decades, thousands of Hondurans and Nicaraguans have used legal pathways to obtain green cards or citizenship, including through asylum applications, marriage to U.S. citizens or through U.S.-citizen children. But most immigrants with temporary protections, including Baiza, do not have obvious legal ways to remain in the country after early September. Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington think tank that advocates for stricter immigration policies, called the order 'an important step in the right direction.' 'The lie of temporariness needs to end,' Krikorian said. 'It's not a great thing to uproot people who have been here for a long time, but the blame has to be on activists and politicians who have made sure TPS was perverted in this way. If the program had lasted 12 to 18 months, it would be a lot less disruptive for people.' Many of the affected Hondurans and Nicaraguans work in construction, building and grounds maintenance, and transportation - industries that face labor shortages dating back to the covid-19 pandemic. 'Some regions are going to get hit really hard, and it's going to be even harder for folks to build things or provide health care,' said Brian Turmail, a vice president at Associated General Contractors of America, a trade group that represents the construction industry. Silva, the TPS holder from Honduras in the San Francisco Bay Area, worked at a Tesla factory in the paint department throughout the covid-19 pandemic and was considered 'an essential worker,' he said. Now he works as a certified nursing assistant in the cardiac unit at Stanford Hospital, bathing, dressing and feeding sick patients. Growing up in the Bay Area, Silva participated in his church's youth group, went to the movies and played mini golf. He didn't think much about his immigration status, he said. When he graduated from high school in 2013 and tried to enlist in the U.S. Army, a recruiter told him he was not eligible. 'I've tried to be as American as possible,' Silva said. 'But I've been in his country almost 30 years, and it's still so difficult for me to get any type of permanent status.' Mardoel Hernandez, 57, came by himself to the D.C. area from Honduras at age 21 under the TPS program. He works in real estate development and advocates for permanent status for the large Central American immigrant community in the D.C. area. The end of the program 'means the end of everything,' Hernandez said. 'The end of the effort of my life.' 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Forbes
5 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
The Good, The Bad, And The Funny: Voting At 16 Years Old
Young voters The United Kingdom announced this week that it would lower the voting age to 16 in time for the next general election. We Americans and others seem somewhere between puzzled and put off by the idea, as this issue generates a wide range of reactions. Voting at 16: A trend already under way Not the first country to do this, the U.K. follows Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, where younger voters already cast ballots. Around the globe, Austria became the first European country in 2008 to lower its national voting age to 16, with Malta following suit a decade later. In South and Central America, Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Argentina have reset voting from age 16 for years. When I cover a story, I decide, among other things, the approach – and go from there. This is a rare one, as it jumped at me from three positions: what's good, what's bad (maybe 'worrisome' is a better word), and what's funny (read: skeptical, cynical, sarcastic). An opportunity to lift all ships Although it is well known that many voters are not the most diligent about being responsible, and well-informed – and that this is not likely to change among teens – if we are interested in securing the future of democracy, this is the time to reconstruct our commitment to teaching civics and critical thinking from the early grades. Grade school education is where we can embed the idea that a rising tide lifts all shifts. 'Trouble ahead, trouble behind. Don't you know that notion just crossed my mind.' Teenagers, despite our best efforts to educate them in open-minded ways, are gullible and therefore vulnerable. There is no limit to how much so, and recent history confirms that. Imagine the naïve mind of a 16-yer old being manipulated by the devious, nefarious, and exceptionally skillful political strategists who are backed by countless billions of bucks. No contest. And think back only to the Cambridge Analytica scandal of the 2016 campaign. Today, the average time spent on social media screens is 4.5 hours per day. Anyone see a problem ahead? Sometimes, ya' just gotta laugh
