BELatina’s Weekend Recap: Tokyo Olympics, Protests in Puerto Rico, and More

BELatina’s Weekend Recap is a weekly summary of the most important news you should know before starting the week.

Happy Monday morning.

We begin this summer week with empowering news from Tokyo, protests in Puerto Rico, and Mexico’s support for Cuba in a time of terrible need.

Here’s the news you need to know to start your week.

Farewell Bob Moses

On Sunday, the world said goodbye to Bob Moses, a civil rights movement leader who used mathematics as a tool toward equality. Often overlooked in the history of the civil rights struggle, Moses was also the victim of beatings and imprisonment while registering black voters in Mississippi during the 1960s. Two decades later, he founded Project Algebra, a math education initiative aimed at rural and inner-city students. He died July 25 at his home in Hollywood, Florida, at age 86.

From Tour de France to Olympic Gold, the Success of Richard Carapaz

Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz stood on the highest Olympic podium on Saturday when he won gold in cycling, just weeks after emerging victorious in the Tour de France. Carapaz became the second Ecuadorian Olympic gold medalist in history after Jefferson Perez won the race walk at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Protests are heating up in #rincon over the construction of a pool on the beach. pic.twitter.com/guU5eexdnD

— Bianca Graulau (@bgraulau) July 23, 2021

Oceanfront Swimming Pool Sparks Protests in Puerto Rico

Over the weekend, protesters and environmental activists demonstrated against the construction of a fence and a swimming pool on the coastline of Los Almendros beach in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

According to police figures, about 200 protesters showed up in front of the Sol y Playa condominium in Rincón over the weekend, especially after images were released of sea turtles that have had problems nesting because of the work located on the beach. 

U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team in Second Place for First Time in Over a Decade

The Americans — including Simone Biles — finished second to Russia in Sunday’s qualifying round, marking the first time since the 2010 World Championships that they have failed to place first in either the qualifying round or the team finals at the World Championships.

Although the Americans came to Tokyo with a big lead to win their third consecutive Olympic gold, something seems to have gone wrong.

Although Biles bounced off the mat on the floor exercise, and her feet nearly slipped out from under her, we hope the team will have a better chance next Tuesday.

Mexico Sends Navy Ships with Food, Medicine to Cuba

As reported by NBC News, after President Lopez Obrador blamed the U.S. embargo for the crisis and subsequent protests on the island, his government sent two navy ships loaded with food and medical supplies to Cuba.

The ships left the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz on Sunday, carrying syringes, oxygen tanks, and masks along with powdered milk, cans of tuna, beans, flour, cooking oil, and gasoline.