AMERICAS PRESS REVIEW

Headlines: two years after the death of George Floyd, what is the situation for African Americans?

Protesters raise their fists as they march during an event in remembrance of George Floyd in Minneapolis, May 23, 2021. © AFP / KEREM YUCEL

Text by: Achim Lippold Follow

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Two years ago, African-American George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, suffocated by the knee of the officer who had tackled him to the ground.

“ 

 ” – “

 ” – these were his last words during his slow agony which lasted 7 minutes and 46 seconds.

His death sparked an unprecedented movement in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

Two years later, what is the situation of blacks in Minneapolis?

The American press investigated.

And according to the

, things haven't really changed, at least if you listen to the testimonies.

" 

 ," an African-American activist told The

.

According to the newspaper, the behavior of the Minneapolis police has also not changed since the death of George Floyd.

Internal reports show that officers continue to discriminate against African Americans.

They are also more violent with blacks than with whites, the newspaper adds.

Changing Joe Biden's Speech

As a candidate, he was calling for police reform after the death of George Floyd.

But today, as president, he's instead encouraging cities to hire more police, writes The

.

The newspaper believes that Joe Biden could very well have decided to reform the police by decree.

But the White House deemed such a measure too risky.

In this election year, Republicans are trying to put Democrats on the defensive, portraying them as those who want to “ 

 ,” which would spark a wave of violence in the country, according to conservatives.

The American occupation in Haiti at the beginning of the 20ᵉ century

It is an investigation published by the

, to be read in English, French and Creole.

The newspaper consulted numerous archives and traces the history of the American occupation in Haiti, which lasted 19 years, from 1915 until 1934. " 

 ,” writes the

. “ 

 »

Because the reason for the invasion was indeed economic.

Officially, it was a question of securing a “ 

 ” country, but in truth, it was Wall Street, the banking sector and in particular the National City Bank of New York which pushed the American government to invade Haiti.

The United States left the country bloodless, with most peasants living in near starvation state, according to a 1949 UN report.

Petrobras boss sacked, "

a political decision

" by Jair Bolsonaro

In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro has sacked the boss of oil giant Petrobras.

He had been in office for only 40 days.

A purely electoral decision, analyzes the news site

.

Jair Bolsonaro is concerned about rising fuel prices.

Earlier this month, Petrobras raised the price of diesel by more than 8%, which angered President Bolsonaro, writes

.

According to

, the government is now looking for a way to freeze fuel prices, at least during this election year.

Guillermo Lasso, what assessment after a year in power

?

In Ecuador, conservative President Guillermo Lasso came to power a year ago.

A mixed record, according to the newspaper

, which recognizes the success of the vaccination campaign against Covid.

But contrary to the announcements of the government, which says it has generated more than 300,000 jobs, the situation on the labor market remains dramatic.

Only one in three Ecuadorians has a stable job.

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• Newspaper

• Americas press review

• United States

• Racism

• Haiti

• Jair Bolsonaro

• Brazil

• Ecuador

• Guillermo Lasso