Author: Maria Rodriguez

ANKARA — Rates of domestic violence in Turkey have increased in the past few years. Bound economically to their husbands, married women suffer from domestic abuse in the home. But more and more women are taking it upon themselves to speak out and take action against domestic abuse in Turkey. Married women are victims of a high rate of domestic violence, with 40 percent of married women being beaten by their husbands. In 2014 alone 118,000 women were assaulted, and that is only self-reported assault. The number of women killed by their husbands has also increased. In 2014, 160 women were…

SEATTLE — On March 29, 2017, El Salvador made headlines for its historic ban on the mining of metal in the country. After years of legal battles, the small nation has become the first country in the world to ban this type of mining. The mining of metals has particularly become a dangerous environmental act in recent years. After years of a water crisis in the nation heavily affected by mining, El Salvador bans mining for metal. Currently, one in four people in El Salvador has access to water. Lack of water sources is detrimental to masses of people, especially…

BOSTON — Tunisia garnered international attention for sparking the Arab spring back in 2011. That year, the government was led by now-imprisoned and exiled former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Protests began after Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire in front of a government building as a form of protest after receiving harassment from a police officer. After his death, protests began all over the country over a wide range of policy issues: women’s rights, police harassment, economic failure and, particularly, the massive unemployment rate. Six years later, Tunisians are again taking to the streets to protest…

SEATTLE — On March 15, 2017, Jerome Jarre, an internet personality famous for his energetic videos of interacting with people on the streets, started a social media campaign to aid Somalia. The star posted on his twitter about a call he received from volunteers in Somalia who recalled a story about a six-year-old girl dying from dehydration. Somalia is currently in the middle of a famine that has hit many eastern African countries, due to the severe drought that has plagued the region for years. As recently as 2011, Somalia suffered a famine which killed around 260,000 people. Now, Somalia…

SEATTLE — In 2008, the massive economic recession hit Europe and many countries around the world. Countries like Great Britain, France, Germany and the United States have since been able to recover, but others, like Greece, Italy, Ireland and Portugal, are still recovering. Unfortunately for Portugal, the prolonged recession has turned the country into a stronghold for the black market. Here are the three things you need to know about the black market in Portugal. The black market in Portugal is large and growing The Portugal News Online reported that in 2013 unofficial and undeclared work was at a high of…

COLOMBIA — For the past five decades, there has been a constant battle between the Colombian government and rebel group the National Liberation Army (ELN). The ELN claims that it represents the rural poor in Colombia, but has been named a terrorist group by the U.S. and the EU for its guerrilla warfare tactics.On March 8th, 2017, both groups met in neutral territory, Ecuador, after a recently agreed ceasefire. The Colombia and ELN peace talks are one of the most important meetings in the recent history of the nation. Over the past five decades, 220,000 people have died, 25,000 people…

SEATTLE — Illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border is a recurring issue for both countries that has been taking place for decades. The border is 1,951 miles long from California to Texas. Even though security measures on the border within the last 10 years have been amplified, Latin Americans are risking their lives every day by taking extreme measures to make better lives for themselves. This begs the question: how many U.S.-Mexico border deaths are there every year? Since 1998, about 6,000 bodies have been found on the U.S. and Mexico border. U.S. border security measures have increased to secure…