Daily Headlines: July 20, 2016 (Updated)

* Peru: President-elect Pedro Pablo Kuczynski rejected the possibility of pardoning Alberto Fujimori, the former leader imprisoned over crimes against humanity and embezzlement during his decade in power.

* Brazil: Does an group of Brazilian extremists with alleged ties to the Islamic State really exist or is it instead “the work of an ISIS social media activist”?

Update (07/21/16): Brazilian police arrested ten extremists though authorities underlined that the suspects never traveled to meet with anyone connected to ISIS or detailed any specific targets of attack.    

* U.S.: A quick poll of Latino registered voters taken after the first night of the Republican National Convention found that nearly four out of five respondents have an unfavorable view of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

* Latin America: Jose Miguel Insulza, the former Organization of American States chief and Chile's representative before the International Court of Justice, blasted the foreign minister of Bolivia for visiting Chile.

YouTube Source – Associated Press (From April 2009: “A special tribunal convicted former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori of murder and kidnapping on Tuesday and sentenced him to 25 years in prison for death squad activities during his autocratic 10-year rule.”)

Online Sources including Update – Xinhua, NBC News, Fox News Latino, ABC News, CBS News

GOP platform slams illegal immigration

What a difference four years makes.

In 2004, the Republican Party’s platform emphasized a “humane” approach on immigration along with a policy that encouraged illegal immigrants to “come out of the shadows.” Four years later and the platform being considered by the GOP pulls no punches in vehemently opposing illegal immigration. “Compassionate conservatism” has been unfortunately brushed aside in favor of a tough yet unrealistic rhetoric on immigration:

The 2008 Republican platform says only those legally residing in the U.S. should be counted in the next census.

"The (2010) census should count every person legally abiding in the United States in an actual enumeration," says the platform language, which is a reinterpretation of the Constitution that could affect how congressional seats are apportioned.

According to Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution the Census would count the “number of free Persons…and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons” for apportionment of the House of Representatives. Subsequent amendments abolished slavery and the three-fifths clause and all Native Americans are taxed; thus, the Census Bureau theoretically counts all those residing in a state regardless of immigration status. (A sentiment that was confirmed by a spokesman for Census Bureau to the AP).

Is it any wonder why the GOP is having so much trouble attracting the Latino vote?

(In all fairness, it doesn’t appear that the DNC’s immigration rhetoric was that much better as Maegan pointed out in VirirLatino).

Image- HamptonRoads.com (“Chuck Smith, a delegate from Virginia Beach, speaks with media members during a recess on Monday, the first night of the GOP convention. (Steve Earley | The Virginian-Pilot).”)

Sources- Wikipedia, VirirLatino, chicagotribune.com, Library of Congress, AP, Denver Post, Philadelphia Bulletin