The foremost defenders of undocumented immigrants at the national Spanish-speaking media, suddenly bit their tongues and skipped telling their audiences that the two Guatemalan men arrested in Richmond, Virginia, for allegedly planning a 4th of July mass shooting, were, in effect, illegal immigrants who have connections to a drug gang that operates in Mexico and the U.S.
Instead, the three reports that added up to just over three minutes and aired over Telemundo, Univision and CNN En Español (CNNEE), on July 7th, omitted the information about the unnamed men, shifting instead to the subject du jour at the corporate networks: the big, bad guns.
Watch Univision's take from July 7 on the alleged plan (a bit of news that was quickly bumped from the news cycles):
BORJA VOCES: And look, July 4 could have been worse if another massacre had happened, but thanks to an informant they call a hero today, who thwarted another shooting and saved many lives. That person called the police in Richmond, Virginia, three days earlier claiming that he had overheard a conversation in which someone planned to attack during the celebration of the Dogewood Dell amphitheater, where there were about 2,400 persons. Following the call, two Guatemalans were arrested, and two assault rifles and a pistol – listen to this - with 200 bullets were seized. Look at that.
“Following the call, two Guatemalans were arrested, and two assault rifles and a pistol – listen to this – with 200 bullets were seized”, anchor Borja Voces said in awe, while leaving out important information like the one published by The Washington Post, linking the men to the “Zetas”, a well-established gang with operations in Mexico and the United States.
At CNNEE anchor Ione Molinares and correspondent Gustavo Valdes spoke about a terrorist attack, gun and munitions, and how an anonymous hero saved thousands, but they ‘forgot’ to offer any details of the aliens, even while twice mentioning their nationality and country of origin. Watch:
IONE MOLINARES: In Richmond, Virginia, what could have been a potential attack was dismantled, it seems, and there are Hispanics involved. Tell us a little more.
GUSTAVO VALDES: Thanks Ione. And it's something we found out about yesterday; authorities said they arrested two Hispanics, apparently of Guatemalan origin, who had planned a massive attack also on July 4 at an amphitheater in that city where about 2,400 people can fit.
(....)
VALDES: The Guatemalan consulate in Maryland, through its Twitter account, is reporting that they are trying to access these suspects. The Department of Homeland Security is also involved in the investigation.
Reports such as the ones shown above only confirm the disregard that the national Spanish-speaking media have for their public, that also access many other sources to stay abreast of the news. Latinos deserve better.
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