Latina Weekly

With so many free and ticketed events, New York City is the place to be this fall! The season got off to a great start with New York Fashion Week. Now that’s over, there are many more great things to do in the city, including the New York Film Festival beginning at the end of September. Then there’s a month long celebration of Hispanic culture on top of it all! From September 15th through October 15th, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the rich cultural heritage and contributions of Hispanic and Latinos in America. Notice that it does not begin on the… Read more: New York Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

In today’s rapidly changing health care landscape, it can be challenging to gain access to quality and affordable care. Luckily, new technologies and online sites are now making it easier than ever to access highly rated facilities and evaluate the quality of care. Hospital and physician review websites, online courses, artificial intelligence and even phone app databases can allow patients to make better decisions. With these gadgets and some simple tips, one can potentially access the finest medical care available and reduce risk. Here are some ways to take charge of your healthcare: 1) Maintain a personal regularly updated list… Read more: Health Care & The Consumer : Know Your Rights

Enchiladas Suizas is a dish shrouded in a mysterious past. Literally translated Enchiladas Suizas means “Swiss enchiladas,”  a name attributed by some to the large amount of cheese and cream resembling the Swiss alps and by others to culinary influences from Swiss immigrants on Mexican cuisine. Enchiladas are a traditional staple deeply rooted in Mexico’s past. Derived from corn, tortillas originated in Mexico and date back to Mayan times. Corn is one of the most ancient food staples. Originally known as maize (Zea mays), corn or maize is believed to have been selectively domesticated in Mexico from a wild grass… Read more: The Mystery of Enchiladas Suizas ~ Controversies, Cuisine & History

Years later, the film “The Zero Theorem” has stood the test of time. One great song is called “To Drift Away” by Gresby Nash. The same song is also featured in the movie trailer for “Addicted to Life- Nuit De La Glisse 2014,”  a French documentary on extreme sports featuring stunning nature and videography.  Movie Trailer from “Addicted to Life”    

Seven centuries is a great reason to celebrate ! This year marks 700 years since Mexico City was originally founded as Tenochtitlan, the ancient capital of the Aztec empire. No longer known by its original Aztec name, Mexico City is one of Latin America‘s most populous cities but it’s not the largest. São Paulo Brazil currently holds the title of Latin America’s largest city with a population of over 22 million people. And although Mexico City is older than São Paulo, it’s not as old as the ancient indigenous cities of Caral Peru and Quito Ecuador. The title of the oldest… Read more: Mexico City Celebrates 700th Birthday

The United States government has imposed sanctions against Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel and other Cuban officials due to “the unjust detention and torture of the July 2021 protesters.”  In a recent statement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized, “the US will continue to stand for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Cuba, and make clear no illegitimate, dictatorial regimes are welcome in our hemisphere.“ In the past, public protests were unusual in Cuba. More recently, however, the island nation has been plagued by worsening inflation, food and medicine shortages. Failed economic reforms, supply chain problems,… Read more: Cuban President Diaz-Canal accused of human rights violations

New York City has no shortage of creative and vibrant cultural experiences. This summer don’t miss the spectacular line up of events taking place from June 11th through August 9th as part of Lincoln Center’s “Summer for the City.” The 2025 schedule has hundreds of free and optional “choose what you pay” events and performances. Latin culture will be on full display during Brazil week from July 16-20. Over the course of five celebratory days, Lincoln Center will showcase some of Brazil’s most vibrant art and cultural traditions via a series of scheduled programs and events. Interactive activities, food and several… Read more: Lincoln Center’s Brazil Week – Free Concerts and Events

Ecuador’s 2024 raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito shocked the international community and severed diplomatic ties between the two nations. Raiding a foreign embassy is tantamount to trespassing upon a foreign country’s property. The political fallout has not been trivial — Mexico filed an ICJ (International Court of Justice) lawsuit and cancelled all current and future diplomatic relations with Ecuador. Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico’s President at the time of the incident) called the raid a “flagrant violation of international law and the sovereignty of Mexico.” Mexico’s current President Claudia Sheinbaum has maintained the diplomatic suspension “for as long… Read more: Mexico’s Cold War with Ecuador

According to several recent reports, FEMA is on the proverbial “chopping block” for upcoming budget cuts. The proposed plan aims to shift climate risk financial responsibility away from the federal government and back to state and local governments (and insurance companies). What could this mean for the housing market? One can only guess but it’s clearly not a positive sign for anyone who owns property in a designated flood zone. Interestingly, this is another area where FEMA may be phased out — the assignment of flood zone risk. There’s a “new kid on the block” and this company offers cutting… Read more: Is FEMA being phased out?

National Puerto Rican Day returns to New York City on June 8, 2025. Held annually, it celebrates the achievements and rich culture of New York City’s Puerto Rican community. The highlight of the event is the Puerto Rican Day Parade — the oldest and longest running Latin heritage parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. One of the largest parades in the United States, it runs from 42nd street all the way up to 79th street this year. Expect large crowds, music and lots of entertainment. To help plan your visit, New York City has an official map available on its… Read more: New York City Celebrates National Puerto Rican Day June 8th

Inflation, tariffs, the stock market, politics etc. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out these days. Here’s an idea – ignore the negativity and indulge in some of life’s simpler pleasures. Take some time to relax and enjoy a sunset view somewhere. Bring along your favorite soda, sparkling water or whatever beverage you prefer. Add a twist of lime or rose water to an ordinary club soda. For something sweeter, add a dash of Mexican vanilla to a glass of Cola and pour over ice. Maybe toss in a Maraschino cherry for fun. Or some fresh mint. Personally, I… Read more: Great Wine Finds – Viña Los Vascos from Chile

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a response following multiple adverse events linked to unapproved weight loss drugs. Dosing errors related to unapproved drugs have resulted in several hospitalizations, including a few fatalities. Drugs lacking FDA approval have not been reviewed by the agency for safety, effectiveness, or quality—unlike FDA-approved medications that meet strict regulatory standards. In an effort to better educate and inform the public, the FDA issued a statement to address its concerns over the use of unapproved Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, the active component of popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Both… Read more: FDA Responds to Concerns Over Unapproved Weight Loss Drugs

Despite proposed international tariffs and political turmoil, robust demand for Ozempic along with international medical tourism continues to thrive. In fact, it’s nothing new. It’s been happening for years and shows no signs of slowing. Access to healthcare and pharmaceuticals has become prohibitively expensive. As a result, people will travel thousands of miles for discounted drugs and medical care — especially in the face of rising inflation and costs of living in the United States. More and more Americans are willing to travel to countries like Mexico where popular weight loss drugs such as Ozempic can be purchased for a… Read more: US Citizens Travel to Mexico – for Ozempic

As inflation continues to spread globally, Latin America grapples with rising costs and supply chain challenges. In certain countries like Cuba, the situation has become critical with 12% of the population failing to meet their daily caloric requirements.1 Food shortages and power outages have become increasingly frequent in a country already facing a series of political and economic challenges. Multiple industries have been affected. Specifically, fuel and vehicle shortages have negatively impacted Cuba’s sugar industry as both are essential for sugar cane production. Once an exporter of sugar, Cuba is now required to import sugar to meet its own domestic… Read more: Cuba’s Legendary Rum Producers Grapple with Latest Sugar Shortage – Update

Scattered beyond the seawall of Cuba’s historic Malecón, small groups of inventive fishermen rely on corcho rafts — ingenious vessels self-crafted from a combination of polyfoam, aluminum rods and wood propelled by oars and small engines.  Derived from the Spanish word “corchos,” meaning “cork,” these DIY rafts exemplify human creativity and resourcefulness. In a country where the average fishing boat costs upwards of 30,000 dollars, an amount beyond the financial reach of many Cubans, corchos have become a vital part of daily life. Corcho fishermen design and build their own small innovative platform rafts — and they’re surprisingly buoyant and… Read more: Unable to Afford Boats, Cubans Build Corchos

In February, Rayo celebrated its third anniversary by introducing a bold new menu. Rayo’s newest innovative menu was designed in collaboration with a local perfumer “Tamach” and is a tribute to Mexico’s sophisticated cultural heritage. Once again focusing on cocktails as both an experiential and sensory journey, it begins with a curated box featuring aromatic profiles from all ten of their signature cocktails. Additional details are provided by the latest press release: About Rayo: “Rayo, located in Mexico City, was inspired by the legend of Mayahuel, a Mexican goddess who descended to earth for love and was struck by lightning,… Read more: How Rayo’s “Hecho en México” fragrance driven menu is revolutionizing cocktail culture

The Pastry War may sound like the title of a comedy film. In fact it was a little-known war which took place from November 1838 to March 1839.  What was the cause of this oft forgotten conflict? The Pastry War was named after events related to the ransacking of Mexico City’s Parisian marketplace back in 1828. Rarely mentioned in history, it was named “The Parian Riot” in reference to its location. Parián is the Spanish word for market. In an unprecedented event, a mob of 5,000 people descended upon Mexico’s capital and ransacked an upscale marketplace. Numerous luxury shops and… Read more: The Pastry War : A Forgotten Chapter in Latin American History

The New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) is gearing up for its 125th anniversary celebration scheduled to take place in April 2025. Special events will take center stage, including new immersive experiences, expert guided tours, an expanded EV test track, Bentley’s hand painted ‘Belonging Bentayga’ and the World Car Awards live! An annual event, The New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) is one of the world’s most longstanding, iconic and influential automotive events. Currently held at the internationally acclaimed Jacob Javits Convention Center, it became the world’s first modern car show when it originally opened at Madison Square Garden in 1900.The… Read more: World’s Oldest Car Shows : The New York International Auto Show (NYIAS)

Apple keyboard shortcut : How to add tilda Spanish accents and other diacritical language marks

In the latest list of new and innovative AI applications in the field of Artificial Intelligence, a sensor linked to an artificial neural network can accurately analyze both solid foods and liquids. Developed by a research team from Penn State, the “AI tongue” can detect specific characteristics such as freshness, quality and authenticity. Referring to authenticity, one example cited (see Rubin Hassid’s You Tube video embedded below) was AI’s ability to distinguish between Coke vs Pepsi. Results were published in Nature magazine in October; the article is entitled “Robust chemical analysis with graphene chemosensors.” According to the authors, “the AI… Read more: Is It Safe to Eat ? Artificial Intelligence AI Tongue Predicts Food Safety and More

One of the world’s most underrated foods has to be the serrano chile pepper. Most people are familiar with the world famous jalapeno or the infamously hot habenero. The serrano deserves widespread recognition for its incredible flavor profile, multicultural recipes and medicinal uses.

The battle against aging and its deleterious effects is expanding scientifically as well as commercially. For anyone concerned about premature aging, this is welcome news. The idea of “turning back the clock” has always fascinated people. More than a decade ago, Researchers Shinya Yamanaka and John B Gurdon discovered that mature lab cells could undergo “reverse aging” (they were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012). In more recent news, another group published “an age reversing cocktail.” A recent study1 revealed “the global Anti-Aging market size was worth around USD 200.12 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD… Read more: Global Anti Aging Market Predicted Growth – Over 400 Billion by 2030

Latin America’s 50 best restaurant list was officially announced at the Museu Histórico Nacional in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, November 26 2024. This year’s top spot went to Don Julio in Buenos Aires, winning The Best Restaurant in Latin America and Argentina for 2024. Buenos Aires continued to shine as one of the world’s top restaurant destinations with eight Buenos Aires establishments making the list. In close competition, Lima and São Paulo followed Buenos Aires with seven restaurants each making the list. A detailed press release also highlighted the following: For more information visi : https://www.theworlds50best.com/stories/News/latin-americas-50-best-restaurants-2024-list-revealed.html?utm_source=50Best_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2024-11-27

Aloe Vera is well-known for its skin benefits, healing and anti-inflammatory qualities. Widely cultivated as a house plant, it’s also agriculturally grown for its topical medicinal properties. Aloe vera has been used in traditional medicine for centuries due to antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties derived from naturally produced bacteriostatic anthraquinones and polysaccharides. To obtain the gel, select a thick healthy leaf, cut it and squeeze out the liquid inside. Aloe vera’s gel form is typically used in skin care, wound healing, insect bites, sunburn, dental and hair care. Acne is another condition where Aloe Vera may provide some relief. Also… Read more: Aloe Vera : A Natural Acne Skin Care Remedy

Mexico City’s popular Rayo Cocktail Bar has announced the expansion of their award-winning program with the arrival of two key new leadership team members : Luis Miguel Cardona (Alquimico) as Head Bartender and Audrey Hands (Trailer Happiness, Havana Club) as Head of Strategic Partnerships and Guest Experiences. The announcement reflects Rayo’s continued pursuit of excellence by incorporating and embracing industry leaders with extensive experience at renowned establishments with refined understanding of global and regional cocktail culture. Creating unique tastings and conceptual experiences are a key element contributing to Rayo’s highly successful ascent to becoming one of the world’s best bars.… Read more: #5 Bar in North America Rayo Cocktail Bar Announces New Leadership

In the past, when consumers thought of rum, popular name brands like Bacardi were at the top of the list. More recently, however, a group of newer highly specialized rum producers have gained in popularity and interest amongst rum aficionados. As discussed in prior posts, alcohol consumption must be weighed against its associated health risks. When considered for personal or culinary uses, it should be of high quality and made with exacting standards. Guatemala has created some of the purest and most high quality rum products in recent years. Several characteristics distinguish Guatemalan rums from others, including but not limited… Read more: Guatemala’s Hidden Secret – Incredible High Altitude Volcanic Rum

The Consorzio Delle Venezie DOC Pinot grigio is the first supra-regional experiment ever in Italy able to unite two regions (Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto) and one autonomous province (Trentino).   The new Delle Venezie DOC was created in 2017 as a direct result of the history and culture of generations involved in the creation of the great “Triveneto vineyard”. Over the past few years, the “Triveneto vineyard” or Triveneto zone in the northeastern part of Italy has become one of the most important wine regions in the region. In terms of geography, for oenological purposes the Veneto region is divided into… Read more: Pinot Grigio Wine Excellence – Delle Venezie DOC