A Los Angeles neighborhood in the 1980s was where the Mara Salvatrucha emerged. Also called MS13, the gang’s original purpose was to protect immigrants who came to the United States from El Salvador, fleeing their homeland’s Civil War. However, MS13 broadened its motivations and spread throughout Central America, Mexico, the U.S. and several countries in Europe. Composed of thousands of young people and adults, the Mara Salvatrucha has been involved in drug trafficking, organized crime and extortion and is one of the most feared criminal organizations today. How did an L.A. gang grow to such an extent, and how does…
Author: zenger.news
Counting millions of followers, Coca-Cola is among the favorite soft drinks in Latin America. However, its success goes beyond the subcontinent’s borders. The North American market highly values the variety produced in Mexico. Fifteen years ago, the glass-bottled and Spanish-labeled Mexican Coca-Cola entered the southwestern United States’ market, with Mexican consumers as its top buyers. The Mexican Coke unleashed such euphoria that consumers today pay twice as much for a bottle in cities such as Los Angeles and New York. Mexico’s Coke has a special taste that many crave. *** La Coca Cola de México tiene un sabor especial que muchos buscan.( Foto de…
In the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke states, “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Several anecdotes tell of inexplicable miracles throughout Latin America among the believers of the Virgin Mary, Jesus’ mother. But through skeptic’s eyes, there is a question based in reason — Do miracles exist? Although Protestantism grows every year in Latin America — where the population is predominantly Christian — the Catholic religion is still the most widespread, tying itself to Latin American culture. In Mexico, Catholicism is the dominant religion, with more than 80% of the population being faithful. The…
PUNE, India — “We have seen many deaths in the past months, and so I decided to take Covaxin, and encourage others to come forward and take the Covid-19 vaccination,” said Nandu Krushnarao Satpute, a 35-year-old medicinal practitioner at Aundh Government Hospital in India’s western city of Pune. “I am completely fine after the shot.” Synchronized efforts of security personnel, bureaucrats, and doctors, aided with technology, converged on Jan. 16 to start what Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the world’s largest Covid-19 vaccination drive. Drawing from its experience in large-scale immunizations and elections for the world’s largest democracy, the…
CHENNAI, India — On January 11, four women pilots boarded the cockpit of the Air India Flight 176 in San Francisco — a Boeing 777 whose final destination was Bengaluru, India. The commander of the flight Captain Zoya Aggarwal, who also flew the first leg, was accompanied by co-pilots Captain Thanmei Papagiri, Captain Akanksha Sonaware and Captain Shivani Manhas. When they touched down at Bengaluru, the four had created history by charting the longest non-stop commercial flight piloted by an all-women crew, operated by an Indian airline through the polar route via the North Pole. Besides the pilots, the flight had…
KOLKATA, India — After driving approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) north from Kolkata — eastern India’s largest city — one reaches Dhanyakuria. Situated in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, the town stands out in nondescript surroundings for its magnificent European-style castles, turrets, and palaces. The town was once a part of the Bengal delta, Sundarbans, and was covered in saline water bodies and thick jungles, until the forests were cleared and it was turned it into a habitable settlement around the 1740s. “During the mid 18th century, Bengal was a hub for business,” said Shamita Sarkar, Associate Professor of History, Vidyasagar…
KARACHI, Pakistan — Imagine driving down the road, amidst two-, three- and four-wheeler vehicles, in a city of over 16 million people, and suddenly seeing an ostrich run past you. This happened in Karachi recently, a metropolitan city of Pakistan, when car drivers and motorcyclists not only had to be mindful of other vehicles plying on the road but also an ostrich. An ostrich managed to flee from a private zoo from Korangi, a congested area located in the eastern part of Karachi, in broad daylight. The bird managed to escape the Al-Syed Birds & Pets private zoo and frantically…
Venezuela has a varied repertoire of sweets made possible by the arrival of sugar cane. During colonial times, Venezuelans saw the rise of a thriving sugar industry based on African labor. They produced brown sugar panes called papelones (papelón in singular) and refined white sugar. Both are part of Venezuelan desserts today. “Papelón is used to sweeten coffee and to make sweets. Venezuelans make macaroons with papelón, which gives them great taste and color,” said Margarita Marrero. “They also make a soft drink with papelón and lime, which is quite refreshing.” Rice pudding is an essential dessert in Venezuela. “We…
Celosias’ striking color and texture contribute to their appeal. Whenever these flowers are around, they catch everybody’s eye, and people might want to touch them. They bloom in Mexico throughout the year, but producers harvest them in fall. The Celosia Argentea Cristata’s petals resemble velvet. Celosias are annual herbaceous plants from the Amaranthaceous family that can reach 40-60 centimeters (roughly 16-24 inches). There are about 50 types of celosias. These plants have picturesque names in Spanish, including flor the terciopelo (velvet flower); moco de pavo (turkey’s bugger); cresta de gallo (cock’s comb); or mano de león (lion’s hand). In other countries,…
Orchids are Mother Nature’s gems, drawing intrigue for their exquisite shape, intense colors and soft perfume. Orchids usually have three petals, two of which are identical. They also have three identical sepals behind the petals. So far, scientists have cataloged 30,000 orchid varieties and thousands of hybrids, but they are still finding more. These beautiful flowers grow almost anywhere in the world, except the North Pole and Antarctica due to their freezing weather. However, there is a broader orchid diversity in regions with tropical weather. With 1,260 varieties of 170 genera, Mexico is like paradise for orchids, as 40% of…