Jan-Albert Hootsen
America Magazine
Mexico
Contact Jan-Albert
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Jan-Albert:
Amid Ortega’s crackdown on opponents, is the Catholic Church in Nicaragua next?
As Nicaragua prepares for a general election in November, Mr. Ortega has ramped up a broad repression of dissenting voices. Could the Catholic Church be his next target? → Read More
Mourning dozens of priests, Mexico’s church seeks to move forward from the pandemic
Tlaxpana is among hundreds of communities across Mexico dealing with the sudden loss of parish priests during the Covid pandemic. → Read More
Mexico’s Guadalupe celebrations move online to prevent a potential Covid-19 catastrophe
The massive “Guadalupana,” as the annual celebration of the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe is commonly known, would be a potential public health catastrophe. → Read More
As Mexico’s president attacks his critics and the press, Catholic leaders warn against the danger of polarization
Any source of criticism, whether a journalist, another politician or a member of civil society, can count on a barrage of invective from the president, senior members of his cabinet and often from among the millions of López Obrador’s online followers. → Read More
Crime rates in Mexico are higher than ever. Vigilante justice might make that worse.
In Mexico, where both organized and petty crime has exploded to unprecedented levels, vigilante justice has become increasingly common; citizens who gun down assailants during robbery attempts often make headlines as heroes. → Read More
Domestic violence epidemic hits Mexico during coronavirus lockdown
Mexico has long been plagued by often brutal violence against women and children. Just under 11 women are killed on average each day in Mexico because of gender-based violence. → Read More
Ill-prepared for Covid-19, Mexico City prisons continue to allow visitors
At each of Mexico City’s 13 prisons, hundreds of people are still admitted each visiting day to see their imprisoned family members. For the inmates, they are a vital lifeline. → Read More
Fear and uncertainty haunt Mexico’s monarch butterfly reserve after activists’ murder
A shadow hangs over El Rosario where each year millions of monarch butterflies alight on the reserve's fir trees. Two local protectors of Mexico's monarch preserve have been killed, and so far, no one can say what happened to them. → Read More
Workers at Catholic migrant shelters in Mexico say intimidation by authorities is increasing
The increased attention by Mexican police and armed forces is encouraging undocumented migrants to avoid shelters, many of which are run by the Catholic Church here, and to follow more dangerous routes through Mexico, aid workers warn. → Read More
As violence in Mexico continues to rise, can a new National Guard help?
According to the federal government, at least 8,493 people were killed during the first three months of this year. If this trend continues, the year will end with approximately 35,000 murders in Mexico—more than the already record-breaking 34,202 homicide victims of last year. → Read More
What’s in your cup of coffee? Capeltic, a Chiapas-based cooperative, is serving up dignity
Bringing their product from field to coffee bar through these fair trade networks means coffee growers in one of the poorest areas in Mexico are less vulnerable to volatile commodity market price shifts. → Read More
Mexico stays neutral in Venezuela crisis, calls for international summit
Mexico's call for a summit is the latest twist in a crisis that continues to divide the world after Venezuela’s embattled socialist president, Nicolás Maduro, was sworn in for a second term. → Read More
In an overcrowded Tijuana shelter, asylum seekers from Central America begin a long wait
Thousands of caravan migrants now wait in tents at the Benito Juárez Sports Complex in Tijuana, unsure if they will ever be allowed to enter the United States. → Read More
With help from people and the church in Mexico, refugee caravan pushes on
Many members of the caravan say that the generosity of Mexican citizens helps them keep moving to their destination, the U.S. border still some 1,500 miles to the north. → Read More
Graveyard mass honors Mexican women who pursued truth about drug war victims
The women seeking justice for vanished loved ones in Veracruz, Mexico, won the Notre Dame award for human rights. University President John I. Jenkins co-celebrated a Mass near the unmarked graves of drug war victims. → Read More
A Nicaraguan priest warns of further persecution of the church
Even hardened by weeks of bloodshed on the streets around his parish, the Rev. Edwin Román Calderón was not prepared for what he saw on June 2. Junior Gaitán, 15, was carried into his small church in Masaya, a small city about 20 miles south of Nicaragua’s capital, Managua. He was bleeding heavily. → Read More
Mexican church anticipates ‘cordial’ relations with incoming President López Obrador
Mr. López Obrador’s political platform is decidedly secular and nationalistic. As president he intends to place a heavy emphasis on combating corruption, which he and his political allies believe to be the root cause of the criminal violence, poverty and inequality that plague the country. → Read More
The Catholic Church in Nicaragua suspends peace talks as the political crisis deepens
Nicaragua’s political crisis is in its second month, and President Daniel Ortega’s soft authoritarianism has turned into violent repression. → Read More
Political violence is disrupting Mexico’s elections
At least 102 candidates and political workers have been murdered since September. → Read More
The church in Mexico urges Catholics to vote but endorses no candidates
As consequential as the next Mexican election may be, the Catholic Church in Mexico has largely remained on the sidelines so far. → Read More