El Tecolote

04/01/2026

A rapidly organized protest drew more than 400 people to downtown San Francisco on Saturday, January 3, following news of an overnight United States military operation in Venezuela that included airstrikes in the capital city of Caracas, and resulted in the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro has led Venezuela since 2013 and has long been the target of U.S. sanctions and criminal charges, but the operation marked a rare instance of direct U.S. military action against a sitting foreign head of state.

Sanika Mahajan, director of community engagement and organizing at Dolores Street Community Services, pointed to what she described as a contradiction between the Trump administration’s treatment of Latino immigrants in the United States and its stated justification for intervening in Venezuela. 

“It’s really one and the same, the people who are going to benefit off the war in Venezuela, and [from] the deportations of our community members who are immigrants here” Mahajan said. “If we really cared about the Venezuelan people, we would allow them into this country, we would allow full rights for all immigrants.”

Follow the link in our bio to read more.

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📝: Maura Corkery

03/01/2026

More than a hundred people gathered in downtown San Francisco on Saturday to protest the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The protest came hours after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a military operation in Caracas. President Donald Trump said the United States would take control of Venezuela’s government and oil industry, a move that has sparked international condemnation and fears of prolonged U.S. military involvement.

📸: Maura Corkery

31/12/2025

When President Trump was elected, our team knew the year ahead would be incredibly challenging.

As 2025 comes to a close, here’s how El Tecolote stepped up to meet a moment of profound uncertainty for San Francisco’s working-class and immigrant Latino communities.

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re sharing some of our most impactful initiatives from the year.

28/12/2025

If you got off BART at Mission and 24th streets and followed the colorful papel picado hanging above the Latino Cultural District corridor, you may have met the man responsible for putting it up. And if you didn’t meet him, chances are Ricardo “El Tigre” Peña saw you pass by.

Ricardo was a constant presence outside his store, Mixcoatl, on 24th Street and South Van Ness — greeting neighbors with respect and love, and quietly guarding the heart of the Mission.

Ricardo Peña passed away suddenly on Dec. 8. He was 54.

He leaves behind a loving family of danzantes, including his wife and co-owner of Mixcoatl, Connie Rivera, and their two children, Xóchitl and Cuauhtémoc. Together, they led Grupo Mixcoatl Anáhuac, sharing Aztec dance and ceremony across the Mission District and beyond.

Visit eltecolote.org to read the full remembrance and tributes from the community.

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28/12/2025

If you got off BART at Mission and 24th streets and followed the colorful papel picado hanging above the Latino Cultural District corridor, you may have met the man responsible for putting it up. And if you didn’t meet him, chances are Ricardo “El Tigre” Peña saw you pass by.

Ricardo was a constant presence outside his store, Mixcoatl, on 24th Street and South Van Ness — greeting neighbors with respect and love, and quietly guarding the heart of the Mission.

Ricardo Peña passed away suddenly on Dec. 8. He was 54.

He leaves behind a loving family of danzantes, including his wife and co-owner of Mixcoatl, Connie Rivera, and their two children, Xóchitl and Cuauhtémoc. Together, they led Grupo Mixcoatl Anáhuac, sharing Aztec dance and ceremony across the Mission District and beyond.

Visit eltecolote.org to read the full remembrance and tributes from the community.

📝: .flo_sf
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18/12/2025

On Wednesday morning, as San Francisco crews towed RVs in the Bayview, Yerservi M. and his pregnant wife Katia S., stayed inside their home, terrified that stepping out would mean losing it. Officials eventually left, towing three unattended RV homes without permits instead. 

Hours later, the threat of a tow truck was replaced by a different city presence: investigators questioning the couple about a city worker with the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) team who they say sold them a parking permit they desperately needed for $500 in cash.

The couple had told El Tecolote about the alleged permit sale on Nov. 20. After the newsroom contacted the Department of Emergency Management, city officials said permits are not for sale and that the allegation would be taken seriously. El Tecolote’s inquiry was quickly escalated to senior city officials and is now under investigation.

“When something like this happens, they need to pause their [program],” said Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness. “It just opens up the door for exploitation, and that’s exactly what happens.”

Go to eltecolote.org to read our investigation.

17/12/2025

More than 40 faith leaders and immigrant rights activists were arrested outside of San Francisco’s immigration courthouse on Tuesday morning for blocking the entrances to the building. The organized demonstration called for an end to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and demanded due process for immigrants.

Demonstrators chained themselves to the building’s door, locked arms and sang hymns as the San Francisco Fire Department cut through chains and locks. Behind the glass doors, masked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents watched as the arrests unfolded.

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10/12/2025

Ricardo “El Tigre” Peña, one of the Mission District’s most beloved elders and cultural leaders, passed away late Sunday night. Peña leaves a profound legacy in the Bay Area. He worked with youth as a teaching artist at Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, led Danza Azteca performances alongside his wife, Connie, and helped run Mixcoatl, the family’s vibrant 24th Street storefront known for its Indigenous handcrafts.

Peña’s unwavering commitment to preserving Indigenous traditions made him a guardian of memory for the community. The sound of his drums will continue to echo throughout the halls and streets of the Mission, carrying his spirit forward. Peña leaves behind a family and a community who loved him deeply.

As we honor his life, El Tecolote is creating space for community voices. We invite you to share an anecdote, memory or photograph of Ricardo that you are willing to share with us. Selected submissions will be published in the Jan. 8 print edition of El Tecolote, our first issue of the new year. Thank you for helping us preserve his legacy.

Follow the link in our bio to submit your story.

09/12/2025

Advocates warn that SNAP pauses and political standoffs are only a preview of looming, long-term federal cuts that could push more than half a million Californians into food insecurity.

Read more at the link in our bio.
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27/11/2025

¿Ha estado tomando estas pastillas peligrosas?

Si las está tomando para aliviar el dolor crónico, consulte a su doctor  para que le guíe en el proceso seguro para suspender su uso y buscar alternativas de tratamiento más seguras.

El beneficio temporal de su uso tiene graves consecuencias: 

Artri King está empeorando los problemas de salud de muchas personas y, en algunos casos, puede llegar a ser mortal. Además de desarrollar moretones e hinchazón, muchas personas que lo consumen,  han tenido efectos secundarios graves, como: trastornos hormonales, debilitamiento de huesos, diabetes, tumores raros incluso la muerte.

Para mayor información, visite la pagina web eltecolote.org.

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26/11/2025

As a child, Alexis Puentes was so immersed in making music that he would forget to eat. “My mother would have to remind me that I was human, that I needed food,” he said. Raised in Artemisa, Cuba, his musician father taught him how to play guitar. By fourteen he picked up the bass: “And that was the point of no return.”

Today, under the stage name Alex Cuba, he is an internationally acclaimed artist known for blending traditional Cuban folk with North American soul, pop, funk and jazz. He has won a Grammy, multiple Latin Grammys and two Juno Awards for his industry-shaking sound.

Cuba will headline this year’s Encuentro del Canto Popular at Brava Theater on Saturday, December 6, 2025. The concert is Acción Latina’s annual fundraiser supporting El Tecolote’s newsroom and arts programs. This year’s lineup also includes the Afro-Peruvian ensemble Warango, Chicana rap artist Diabbla, and DJ Lizzy al Toque from Chulita Vinyl Club.

Ahead of his performance, El Tecolote spoke with Cuba about how he developed a musical language that transcends genres, cultures and borders.

Follow the link in our bio for the full interview.

21/11/2025

San Francisco began enforcing its new two-hour parking policy for RVs and other large vehicles on Nov. 1. The only vehicles exempt from the rules are those covered by the city’s Large Vehicle Refuge Permit, created for residents experiencing vehicular homelessness who had their RVs parked in the city by May 31, 2025.

The permit grants protection from towing and citations. But some immigrants and families say they meet residency requirements, yet are still being denied for reasons they cannot resolve: inoperable vehicles, expired registrations, failed smog tests or missing paperwork from previous owners. Several told El Tecolote they submitted every document they could, yet were still rejected. 

The policy leaves these residents with no path to maintain their only shelter, accelerating the risk of towing, displacement and deeper instability for their families.

Go to eltecolote.org to read more.
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El Tecolote is celebrating 55 years of bilingual, bicultural journalism serving immigrant and working-class Latinos. From now until Dec. 31, every monthly or annual membership gift is matched dollar-for-dollar by NewsMatch, doubling your impact. This is the best time to support our newsroom. Become a founding member at the link in our bio. 🦉