by Sarah Fournier – BASICS Online – May 2010

It was lively at Café Lurin Tapas (St. Clair Avenue West) on the evening of Friday, April 30th. Community members gathered around food, drinks, and music to celebrate May Day and raise funds for Toronto’s new left progressive Latin American newspaper America Latina.

America Latina is a monthly Toronto-based newspaper. The first issue was released in November 2009. The subjects presented in the newspaper are diverse and the articles are written by various contributors as well as correspondents from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Pedro Valdez, editor of America Latina, accepted to give a short interview to talk about the newspaper. Valdez explained that the paper is not neutral, nor does it pretend to be.  In response to the mass media, its mission is to provide honest media, defend truth and justice, and denounce violations of human rights. Ultimately, America Latina is a community-oriented newspaper which seeks to defend the working class.

Interestingly enough, the tickets for the solidarity party read “International Proletariat Day” as opposed to the more common names for May 1st – May Day or International Workers’ Day. When asked about this, Valdez responded that he finds it more appropriate to refer to May 1 as Proletariat Day because it is far more inclusive. The word “proletariat” applies more broadly to all people who do not possess the means of production. In addition to active workers, it also includes most students and the unemployed.

To contact America Latina write to a.latinapaper@hotmail.com

May 1 Arts + Culture, Toronto