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Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

A Chilean-Jewish artist strives to capture the entire Torah in massive murals

As a child, Mauricio Avayu wasn’t allowed to pursue art — his father thought he should study something more practical, like math or engineering. But by now, Avayu has seen his paintings — many of them Jewish-themed — shown in galleries around the globe, put on the walls in the homes of former presidents around the world and presented to Pope Francis. Today he’s working on his most ambitious project yet: capturing the key moments of the Torah in 40 large murals.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

Colombia’s president compares Israeli military to Nazis as local protesters burn Israeli flag outside embassy

(JTA) — In the wake of Hamas’ attacks on Israel, Colombian President Gustavo Petro tussled with Jewish leaders on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, and pro-Palestinian protesters burned an Israeli flag outside of the Israeli embassy in Bogotá.

Since the news of the attacks spread on Saturday, Gustavo Petro — a former member of the M19 armed guerilla movement and Colombia’s first left-wing president in decades — has tweeted and retweeted a steady stream of pro-Palestinian message
Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

Claudia Sheinbaum is on track to become Mexico’s first Jewish and woman president

(JTA) — The way things stand now, Mexico is headed to elect its first woman president next year. The two leading candidates in the polls for the 2024 election are Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico City’s former mayor, and Xóchitl Gálvez, a senator representing the center-right opposition bloc.

The polls point to another first: Sheinbaum, currently the frontrunner, could become the country’s first Jewish president, too.

Earlier this month, Sheinbaum, 61, was announced as the candidate for the left-wing
Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

Paraguay moves its embassy back to Jerusalem

(JTA) — Paraguay’s newly-elected president, Santiago Peña, announced Wednesday that he is moving his country’s embassy back to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The move is expected to take place by the end of this year.

Peña, a conservative, had promised the relocation during his campaign earlier this year.

In response, Israel’s foreign ministry announced that it will reopen its embassy in Asunción, Paraguay’s capital.

Under a former president, Horacio Cortes, Paraguay had previously moved its embass
Al Jazeera •

Mass arrest at LGBTQ club in Venezuela prompts outcry over discrimination

It was an otherwise ordinary night at the Avalon Club, a bar and sauna popular with the LGBTQ community in Valencia, Venezuela’s third-largest city. Music was playing, drinks were flowing and guests were enjoying the accommodations, which included a restaurant, smoking room and massage parlour. But that evening, on July 23, police would burst into the club, propelling the venue and its patrons into the national spotlight — and sparking questions about LGBTQ discrimination in Venezuela.
INTO •

Peruvian TV Producer Ricardo Morán and His Fight to Register His Children

Ricardo Morán has played many parts over the years on his way to becoming a household name in Peru: television producer, presenter, theater director, artist, and author. But now, he is perhaps playing his most challenging role yet: that of being a gay father in one of South America’s most conservative countries.

“I have never had a moment in my life when I didn’t wish to be a parent,” said Morán for INTO in a video call from the Peruvian capital, Lima.

“I have this vivid memory of my father te
The China Project •

The Brazil-China relationship, as seen through the BRICS bank

A lot of the controversy surrounding Jabbour’s hiring initially focused on an interview he did on Inteligência Ltda, a popular Brazilian podcast. “During the entire Bolsonaro administration and last election [in 2022], [Jabbour] shared his opinions against the administration by participating in a lot of podcasts, including some that are very conservative,” Rafael Abrão, a Brazilian researcher with the International Institute for Asian Studies, told The China Project. Former president Jair Bolson
Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

Israelis flock to this tiny town in Peru for vacation — and psychedelic spirituality

PISAC, Peru (JTA) — About 20 miles northeast of the tourist capital of Cusco, the small Peruvian town of Pisac sits nestled among the verdant Andes Mountains. Lined with cobblestone streets and two-story adobe houses, the town offers a distinct blend of ancient Incan culture and breathtaking landscapes.

Pisac’s main square, Plaza de Armas, is often filled with Indigenous women pulling alpacas, local art dealers selling their handmade artisanal wares and kids playing soccer — nothing out of the
The China Project •

An embattled Chinese mine in Peru faces its latest challenge

On April 20, the widows and children of five deceased miners in Peru gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy in Lima. “Murderer Shougang: pay reparations to the widows,” they chanted.

Their husbands had worked at the Chinese state-owned Shougang Hierro Mine in Marcona, a city about 520 kilometers southeast of Lima. During the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 20 workers died from the virus, and now the wives of these workers are demanding compensation, arguing that Shougang’s inadequate safety protocols make them responsible for their late husbands’ deaths.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

Former Jewish first lady of Peru flees to Israel

LIMA, Peru (JTA) — Eliane Karp, Peru’s former Jewish first lady, has flown from the United States to Israel in an attempt to avoid extradition to Peru in a money laundering case.

Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otárola announced the news on Wednesday at a press conference in Lima.

“The United States Department of Justice has informed the Peruvian embassy in the U.S. that Mrs. Eliane Karp has taken a flight to Israel using her Israeli passport,” he said.

Peru does not have an extradition treat
Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

Paraguay’s election has implications for its Israeli embassy — and its relationship with Jerusalem

The question of where countries keep their embassies in Israel has become a debate that perpetually attracts controversy around the globe. In Paraguay, ahead of a national election on Sunday, the question is far from decided.

Since former President Donald Trump moved the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, a few other countries have followed suit, agreeing with much of Israel’s political establishment that the latter city, despite international and Palestinian opp
LGBTQ Nation •

Trans sex workers lead massive march in Peru

On February 22nd, LGBTQ+ history was made in Peru.

Led by trans women, hundreds of Peruvians marched through the busy streets of central Lima to demand justice. Billed as the “marcha contra los crimenes de odio” (the march against hate crimes), indignant activists took to the streets to commemorate the deaths of trans sex workers and demonstrate against the inaction of police.

Leyla Huerta is a trans-Peruvian activist with Féminas Peru, an NGO dedicated to empowering trans women. According to
Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

Prominent Peruvian-Jewish journalist hit with antisemitic harassment after investigating protester deaths

LIMA, Peru (JTA) — Right-wing extremist protesters have targeted Gustavo Gorriti, a prominent Peruvian-Jewish journalist, harassing him with antisemitic chants and posters outside of his home over his website’s investigations into police violence stemming from the country’s ongoing unrest.

Jewish and non-Jewish organizations have defended Gorriti since around 30 people protested in front of his home in Lima last Tuesday, holding signs depicting him and one other non-Jewish journalist as rats ho
Xtra Magazine •

LGBTQ+ Syrians face discrimination after surviving earthquake

“I survived eight years of war but have never seen anything like this in my life.” In addition to now being homeless, many Syrian refugees are also dealing with the additional stigma in Turkish society of being a refugee. But Hussam is facing another problem in the wake of this natural disaster. He is queer. So for him, and countless other LGBTQ+ Syrians, the natural disaster is affecting him in ways that most Syrians haven’t had to think about.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency •

The founder of Peru’s only Jewish bakery looks to educate non-Jews through food — and Instagram stories

The story of Lima’s only Jewish bakery begins on Christmas. On the eve of the holiday in 2016, Deborah Trapunsky was baking challah for a non-Jewish friend who wanted a unique gift for her boyfriend. Her friends had always loved her challah, and she enjoyed sharing this aspect of her culture with them. But on that night, Trapunsky figured that she would see if anyone else would be interested in some challah to go with their Christmas dinner. So she posted on Facebook.
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