Feds Shell Out Thousands on Computer Lessons for LGBT Refugees, Fostering ‘Economic Inclusion’ in Latin America

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The federal government has used taxpayer dollars to fund services for LGBT refugees in Latin America over the past couple of years, federal grants show.

The State Department and the Inter-American Foundation, an independent federal agency, funded a trio of grants between August 2021 and October 2023 aimed at bolstering Costa Rica’s status as a haven for LGBT asylum seekers, funding a project to help LGBT refugee entrepreneurs as well as teaching gay and trans refugees how to use computers. The three programs collectively received almost $300,000 in federal funds.

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Mexican Supreme Court Decriminalizes Abortion Nationwide

The Mexican Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a sweeping ruling that decriminalized abortion nationwide, determining that to attach penalties to the procedure “violate[d] the human rights of women.”

Wednesday’s decision follows a 2021 ruling from the court that permitted state officials to regulate the procedure, according to the New York Times.

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China Has Operated Spy Facilities in Cuba Since at Least 2019, White House Says

The White House clarified Saturday that China has operated a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019, according to The Wall Street Journal, following reporting that Beijing reached a tentative agreement to set up a new operation somewhere on the island country.

The White House on Friday had characterized as “inaccurate” the WSJ’s first report of a planned Chinese surveillance outpost in Cuba focused on intercepting electronic communications, including emails and radio transmissions, in the southeast U.S. However, White House officials told the outlet Saturday that the Biden administration has worked to tamp down on China’s repeated attempts to spy on the U.S. since Biden took office, and said China has had a surveillance operation in Cuba since at least 2019.

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Venezuela, Cuba, and Argentina Have the Highest Inflation in Latin America

Venezuela, Cuba and Argentina registered the highest inflation in 2022 compared to other Latin American countries, according to figures from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and BCC reports .

The report covers the period between October 2021 and October 2022, where the highest growth of the index is led by the Caribbean country, which accumulates an increase in inflation of 146%, exceeding that of Argentina by more than 50 percentage points (87 8%), the second on the list, and Cuba, which ranked third with 34.2%.

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