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DO R A L

Bilingüal Newspaper | FREE

August 2020

• No. 190

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September, 2020

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City of Doral and Florida Blue Help Hundreds with GROCERY STORE GIFT CARD EVENT

he City of Doral has proudly partnered with Florida Blue, the state’s leading health insurer, to provide gift cards from area grocery stores to local families in need. The program is part of Florida Blue’s ongoing support during the COVID-19 crisis and designed to support local supermarkets as well as hundreds of Doral area families facing hardship during these difficult times. “Doral is the longtime home of our regional headquarters, the City is a longstanding partner of ours, and our company is deeply committed to helping the residents of Doral during these challenging times,” said Florida Blue Market President Penny Shaffer. “The health and wellbeing of the community has been the focus of Florida Blue for more than 75 years, and food security efforts like this one are even more important than ever given the pandemic.” The first gift card pick-up took place August 17th and 18th in Downtown Doral Park, with safety guidelines in place to protect attendees and staff. Four hundred gift cards were handed out during the 2-day event, for which individuals and families were required to preregister online. Each card was for redemption at an area grocery store, in order to support those local businesses. Due to the overwhelming positive response from the community, Florida Blue expanded the program, distributing 200 more on September 3rd, with the support of partners, Doral Family Journal and OrthoNow. “It’s extraordinary to witness the great work Florida Blue has done, especially during these times of need and it’s an honor to be part of this partnership to give back to our community,” said Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez. “I look forward to expanding the program and helping even more residents through public-private partnerships like this.” The City of Doral and Florida Blue will continue to look at ways to work together during the COVID-19 public health crisis in order to meet the needs of local individuals, families and seniors.

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September, 2020

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City of Doral ANNUAL BACKPACK GIVEAWAY

very year before the start of the new school year, the City of Doral works with community partners and sponsors to provide hundreds of FREE backpacks and supplies to local children. This year was no exception, even though the format of the event was changed to that of a “drive-thru” to best observe safety regulations in place due to COVID-19. On August 29th, participants that had preregistered for a backpack,

collected them from Doral Central Park. Mayor Bermudez and City Council were all present to distribute the bags and wish all families a bright 2020-2021 school year! The City is very grateful to all the sponsors that helped make this event possible by providing the items in the backpacks, which included face masks, glue sticks, pencils, notebooks and more.

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Meet the CANDIDATES for City of Doral MAYOR 2020 BY: MARÍA ALEJANDRA PULGAR

hat up to mid-July looked like was going to be an uncontested election changed when two residents decided to challenge Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez on his reelection race; they are Emmanuel “Manny” Sarmiento and Victor Cámara. Although Cámara had registered in May as candidate for Seat #3, he made the change to run for the Mayoral seat before the qualification period ended. Interviewing Mayoral Candidates with an incumbent involved,

JUAN CARLOS BERMUDEZ (INCUMBENT MAYOR) Juan Carlos Bermudez won the election to serve as First Mayor of the City of Doral in 2003, after being involved in the process of incorporation along with members of the organizations West Dade Federation and One Doral. Born in Cuba, came to the US at three years old, as political refugee along with his family. From a very young age, he was involved in human rights activism for immigrants not only from Cuba but from other nationalities as well. He is an attorney and has a vast experience on community issues such as immigration, transportation, housing, etc.; as elected official over the years has been appointed to different committees to deal with those issues at National, State and County levels. Having left City Hall in 2012, Bermudez won back the Mayoral seat in 2016, with 67% of the residents’ votes in a runoff election against then incumbent Luigi Boria. Now he is seeking reelection for another four years. He has been a resident of Doral for more than 20 years, along with his wife Vivian and his three daughters.

On his motivation to run for Mayor:

entailed additional efforts geared towards providing Doral electors with complete, unbiased profiles of those candidates who agreed to share their platforms with Doral Family Journal’s readers. We conducted the interviews independently, on similar settings, with same time limits and conditions, and discussed the same issues within the context of their experiences and current positions. Herewith you have summaries of those conversations, as the second part of our “Meet Doral Candidates” series for 2020 Elections.

[…] people that have the same belief in efficient and effective government, in transparent government, in growth, but controlled growth; And a group of people that really do believe in why we founded the City. “That is not to say that new people that might just get to the City might not have good intentions. […] I am concerned that we would have outside interests. We have to avoid that.”

On Covid-19 impact and recovery

“We have to be realistic that there is going to be an impact on the [City] budget, not only this year but more so next year. I think the budget hit is probably going to be in the range of 5 to 6 million dollars, next year might be even more. The way we fill that void is to lobby to try to make sure that we can get federal dollars directly. “I was one of the three individuals assigned by the League of Cities to try to negotiate with Miami-Dade County to try to get some of the CARES-ACT dollars […] We had an agreement and the agreement went in the other direction, the County only allotted 30 million, for 34 municipalities. In talking to Mayor Gimenez it was proposed back to 100 million and that is where we are right now. “There are a number of programs to help our businesses, before the potential grant program we are trying to set up right now. One of them is for small businesses and the other one would be for some sort of rent and mortgage reimbursement […] we just got the resolution passed. “Before that we did a number of things: the program where we allowed outdoor dining, […] we’ve done testing, we’ve done not only food drives, and we’ve probably delivered about 130,000 dollars in meals to the residents of Doral, most of them to the elderly and the needy.

“One of the new proposals that we have, which hopefully we can expand in this intermediate period, is hopefully getting funding for COVID testing for our residents, which would be key for people getting back to work. “I have been on the forefront fighting the County trying to get those dollars, […] we’ll continue to fight to get those COVID dollars. This is where being a municipality that has great reserves because we established them from before helps, because some other municipalities

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“One of the reasons why I am running again is I would like to make sure that we leave a stable team of people that have the same reasons for running that I do. I think if there was one mistake that maybe I made in the first years as the Founding Mayor was that I really didn’t worry about who was following me. I think that with the Council we have today and if Oscar Puig, who I am supporting openly, […] wins, I think we will have people that we may disagree on some things, but our philosophy and our reason for running is the reason why we all of us worked, to incorporate the City,

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Two residents challenge incumbent Mayor Bermúdez

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can’t afford this. “Our residents have done a great job at listening to our messages. We have over 2000 cases, but when you look at the percentages from the County that is not as high as most other large cities, which is a tribute not only to the city but is a tribute to the residents and the businesses that follow the rules. “Many times, what we have seen in the past two months is that people, who get sick, did because a relative or friend came to visit, and got everybody sick. We all have to be vigilant but there are limitations that we have. We are trying to get people to comply. Last week alone we gave away over 100 masks our police department and code compliance, to residents. “I think what could have been done differently was get those federal dollars quicker to the municipalities, so we could have instituted some of those programs earlier.

On pending goals for the next four years

“There are a number of loose ends: First and foremost […] I want to leave a City Council that is committed to open and transparent government, effective and efficient government and that the city would continue to grow, [...] in a controlled manner consistent with

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EMMANUEL “MANNY” SARMIENTO

Manny Sarmiento migrated from Cuba with his family as a child in 1968. He is a longtime resident of Doral, along with his wife Carmen. The past five years he has also taken care of his father, who has Alzheimer’s, after the passing of his loving mother. He has a grown up daughter who lives in Atlanta. He is an entrepreneur, author, and the founder / CEO of the Doral Chamber of Commerce, an organization that supports the development and education of hundreds of Doral business owners since 2008; A lifelong and passionate learner, he is constantly attending trainings, looking for opportunities to expand his knowledge, especially on tools, methodologies and trends that can be useful for business owners in Doral. Manny credits his family for instilling on him the main values of honesty (“Always saying what I think”), respect and solidarity (“Always taking care of each other”), which he has translated to his work on providing development and training opportunities to the businesses in the area, and that he desires to put to the service of the residents as Mayor of Doral.

On his motivation to run for Mayor:

“I thought there were going to be other candidates

the master plan. Second, I would like to see the parks bond completed the right way that is being done […] “I am working on a project now, which is trying to convert some of the Army Corp of Engineers land, that is in dispute with some developers in the north, into a passive park[…], I need to get the land owner to give us the land for free which is always a big fight, that is one of my pet projects. “We had a great accomplishment, in appealing the decision of the State regarding the landfill in Medley. They have imposed 12 new restrictions and it goes a long way towards solving that problem; but we still have the resource recovery facility in Doral, the contract runs out I think in 2024 or 2023. That is my next battle. […] I believe the County can have a better facility somewhere else that is not so close to residents. I have objected to the County’s extension to that contract, I will continue to object to that. “I promised last campaign we’d get a seat on the Transportation Plan Organization, and we did it, I am committed to continue working on the traffic issue, even though is a regional issue.” Regarding legislation, “I signed a letter recently because we are about to become a Community Development

who were also well qualified, I was expecting for them to run, but when I realized that they were not going to, so I decided that we needed change in the city, I did not want four more years of the same thing. I wanted change. So I decided to be it! “I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t take action. I want change. This is my City. […] The Council, the Mayor doesn’t own the City. I want to give it back to the residents.”

On a “Dream Team” Council and City Staff

“I think Mr. Rafael Pineyro would be a great councilman. He has eight years of experience working for Mayor Bermudez and Mayor Boria. I like Albert Chavez because he is a wonderful, spiritual, caring person, who cares about kids, and has volunteered for the Broncos for many years. I would like myself in the dais. And I would like to have Oscar Puig replacing Cabrera, now, not in two years.” “We have excellent staff in the City, starting with Connie (Díaz, City Clerk) she is amazing; also the Public Information officer. The staff is so caring and awesome. I wonder what the working environment is there when 140 people quit last year. We have to look what is going out there.” “I think we have a good City Manager I have told him for a long time “it should have been you” and it is finally him. I need to find a good Chief of Staff.”

Block Grant (CDBG) city. Every person that responds the census counts, because we get federal dollars based on the census, and by becoming a CDBG we will get more federal dollars. That is very important.”

On Plans for the Future

“I want to leave a group of people that can continue to make Doral the premier place to live, work, play and learn. And do it the right way […] hopefully with the reelection of Claudia Mariaca and the election of Oscar Puig we can continue that path.” “I want to leave the city where we brought it back to when we were out of track. Two years after we came back Money Magazine named us the 22nd best place to live in the Country; I want to leave us in that position.” “I’d like to keep that thing we had when we started which was a sense of community, […] we chose a long time ago in our community to create a culture of transparency, honesty, efficient and effective government, of building the community from the ground up not from the top down. It was a culture that we built and we need to protect that culture, we know what happened when we did not do it.”

On Covid-19 impact and recovery

“Sometimes the information coming from the City is great but oftentimes is late; an example is what happened with COVID and the CARES-

On Plans for the future as Mayor

VICTOR CAMARA In spite of all our contact efforts, it was impossible to agree on terms and opportunity for an interview with the candidate on time before closing this edition. According to his official campaign website, besides his career as an actor, Cámara has done “philanthropical” work in various humanitarian causes around North America and South America. During this time he began to focus on advocacy for different groups of minorities. Today, as a resident of the city of Doral for more than 18+ years, he is focused on developing our community with integrity and drive, working on the preservation, education, and conservation of our community.”

Remember that voter registration for November 3rd general elections ends October 5th, Vote-by-mail ballot request deadline is October 1st and Early Voting will take place from October 24 - October 31. Voting is your right and duty. Do not miss the opportunity to have your voice heard.

September, 2020

“I want to protect our children, it is very important to me; and show support our police. In these times where there has been so much aggression and disdain towards the police we need to show them we will be there for them no matter what. “I want to have after school programs or summer camps that are affordable or free. We need to get better programs, figure it out. We need to keep our children educated, busy, and safe and support our parents so they have affordable places; it is too expensive for many. […] Our top priority should be our kids.” “Educate our residents in that you have a voice and how to use that voice. You have the Citizen’s Academy, but the majority does not attend. Let’s

find a way to educate them so they know they have a voice in the City and how to voice themselves. Whether there is via email, or showing up to the Council meeting or contacting your councilmember or the Mayor, hopefully a Mayor like me, who makes himself available. And also, changing the meetings to times when most of the people can attend. Attendance right now is lousy and in my opinion that is done on purpose.” “The number one thing is figure out how to help people, our businesses, and our residents; go back to transparency, get rid of the funny business and make this a nice clean working city, watch our development and be there for each other. Remembering that it is not about the Mayor or the Council; we are here for the city and our residents. That is my take.”

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ACT program. “When it was approved I was on top of it, our Chamber was on top of it […] and we put the information out the same day that PPP was there, the same day the SBA loans were announced. Two, three, four weeks later then the City sent out the information. We need to improve our communications with our residents, put ourselves out there understand that the resident’s, they own the City, […], it is not about the current mayor or the current council, we have to give the City back to the residents because right now it is hijacked by a Mayor who doesn’t really display that he has a passion for the residents and the needs of his residents.” “[…]I have concrete actions: Number one is those grants [CARES ACT from Federal funds]; we have to get that money out to the residents. One of the grants Miami-Dade County brought out and is very helpful to many people was paying the rent for the businesses. Number two, we can help them with marketing. We’ve done it with marketing in the part of the Chamber, […], we even include non-members, who do not have the budget, that needed help. “The city can get involved the same way we did, having more sympathy and empathy, and figuring out what the actual problem is and what the actual solution can be. “I am not a politician; I am not running for this position for me. I am running for this position to help all these businesses that right now are suffering […] We are at a different time in a unique situation; we need to get out everyone who is responsible. We have tools and we can help. The residents need to get involved. We need to Shop Doral, we need to Shop local, and help each other out. I want to figure out who needs help, I want to have some kind of committee or council that figures out and do whatever it takes to help these people out.”

16 September, 2020

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Between the skeptics and the believers of the coronavirus vaccine BY: DIANA BELLO ARISTIZÁBAL

September, 2020

n March 2020, life changed in almost every country in the world when the WHO declared the coronavirus disease as a global pandemic. Since then, three questions remain: When will the vaccine come out? Is it the best option we have? And are we willing to get vaccinated? Answering these questions is not easy for anyone regardless of what side we are on; scientists, parents, survivors of the coronavirus, or victims’ relatives. We are all part of the problem and the solution. But, it is difficult to know what stand to take on the vaccine when we are barraged with information about this matter daily, much of which confuses and divides a public already overwhelmed by school education, unemployment, or the economic crisis. It seems there is no consensus in the public’s comments we see daily. This was demonstrated recently with a national Gallup poll shared in early August. According to the poll, more than a third of Americans would not get the COVID-19 vaccine at the present moment, even if it was free and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA. There is also no consensus among political leaders and the scientific community even when they pursue the same dream of ending a virus that, as of the closing time of this issue, registered more than 24 million cases worldwide. The lack of consensus was evident when Russia announced to the world that it had the first COVID-19 vaccine in early August. Although the president revealed his daughter was vaccinated, the World Health Organization expressed doubts regarding its effectiveness because phase 3 had been skipped. Of course, this is not the only vaccine under development. There are hundreds of vaccines in the world undergoing clinical trials in different phases. The ones that are from Oxford University and AstraZeneca and several from China are taking the lead. At the local level, the government has provided funds to various companies seeking to develop the vaccine, such as Novavax, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Moderna. It is expected that 300 million doses of a safe and effective vaccine will be delivered by January 2021. In Moderna’s case, the company announced on July 27 that it was entering phase 3 of clinical trials in which the

Miami Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami is participating. Amid this scenario, there are arguments both for and against the vaccine, but the decision to get vaccinated or not remains on the citizens. For this reason, we spoke with several of them to learn where they stand. It should be noted that most of the people we approached were reluctant or refused to express their opinion for fear of exposing themselves on social media and becoming the target of attacks, which speaks of the tense and conflictive atmosphere that we live in today.

SIDE EFFECTS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The main argument put forward by those who are against the vaccine has to do with its effects. In a survey made by this journal on social media, more than 300 comments were posted. The vast majority were against getting the vaccine. Many expressed distrust towards pharmaceutical companies, considering they haven’t had time to study the repercussions. “I will not get the coronavirus vaccine because I do not trust the speed with which the investigations are being conducted,” said one social media user. “There are vaccines that take 5 to 10 years to study without being approved,” she adds. Alexandra Bodkin, an insurance agent who lives in Miami-Dade County, agrees with this view and says she will not get the vaccine because she is not certain about its safety. “Some vaccines have ingredients that are harmful to our health, such as mercury and aluminum, and the pharmaceutical manufacturers do not take responsibility for the damage this may cause,” she adds. Bodkin began having doubts about vaccines in 2008 when she got the flu shot. A week later, the worst cold she has endured in her life, which ended in pneumonia,

started developing. She then decided not to vaccinate her daughter against the flu and, oddly, the girl was the only one in her classroom who didn’t fall ill with the disease. Fidelio Simé has a similar opinion. Although he has never experienced side effects with a vaccine, he believes that right now, companies compete for who launches the COVID-19 vaccine first without really analyzing what this may bring. “Apart from finding a cure, companies are also trying to make money, because those in the process of developing a vaccine can increase their share price on the stock market, which can result in a higher income than with the vaccine’s sales alone,” he says. He also thinks that there is also a political interest since the country that releases the vaccine first will have the upper hand. It will be able to put it into circulation faster. “I don’t want to be part of an experiment when I am not sure that all the procedures are followed to protect our health,” he says. But against these arguments, some people say that the key is to be well informed. Juan Rutilo, journalist and real estate agent, is one of them. Confident that he will get the vaccine once it’s available, he thinks each person is responsible for researching thoroughly before making a decision. “I would get the vaccine if I feel it has been tested

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enough to know its possible effects. I would learn from which company comes from, what results it has produced, evidence of effectiveness, and monitor the studies that come out after being put on the market,” says Rutilo. María Daniela Silva, an internist, and geriatrician with studies in nutrition, who plans to take the vaccine, says that misinformation is doing a lot of harm to the population. “We are in an era in which everyone thinks they are an expert by reading a couple of articles on the Internet, and that is not the case. For this reason, many people attribute to vaccines a series of side effects that are not documented,” says Silva. Considering this, she advises people to evaluate the pharmaceutical companies that offer the vaccine before making a decision. “Moderna and AstraZeneca are publishing in highly reputable medical journals about their vaccines’ development and production process. I understand there is mistrust towards some companies that want to gain profits, but I don’t think this is the case,” she states. In this regard, Dr. José Antonio Cisneros, consultant in clinical research projects and specialist in health systems, comments that precisely because of the risk factor is that hundreds of thousands of people are tested before launching a vaccine. “Most vaccines are about 60 to 70 percent effective. Of course, there is a risk, and people may experience discomfort, irritation, fever, or hives, but I don’t know anyone who has died from a reaction to a vaccine,” explains Dr. Cisneros. This means that 7 out of 10 vaccinated people will not develop the disease, but three will. “It is expected that of those three who get the disease, they don’t develop severe symptoms.” On the subject, Dr. María Alcaide, professor of infectious diseases at the Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami and researcher of the clinical trials carried out by the university on COVID-19 vaccines, states that although, indeed, most vaccines take much longer to be manufactured, there’s an immediate need to mitigate the damage that the coronavirus is doing now. “The pandemic continues to move on a fast pace, the economy and hospitals are collapsing, and many people are dying around the world. Trying to do the normal process and waiting many years to release the vaccine would only cause bigger damage. Throughout history, nothing has saved more lives than vaccines,” she explains. Dr. Cisneros agrees with this point of view. His opinion is that a pandemic of this magnitude could only be stopped with a vaccine. “It makes no sense not to get vaccinated because everyone will be infected sooner or later, which is equivalent to be “self-vaccinated,” he says. Natalia Ribero, who works in a bank’s treasury area, is sure about taking the vaccine even if it means dealing with any possible side effects. She chooses the vaccine over continuing to feel scared of getting sick. Her fear is justified. She used to think that the coronavirus happened to other people until the disease knocked on her door when three relatives were infected, of which two died. “Once that happens, your reality regarding the coronavirus changes. I was terrified to think that it could happen to someone like my daughter. It is a social responsibility to get vaccinated because it is not just about you, but about others who may be more vulnerable,” she points out. She doesn’t believe that young people are immune to the disease or that only affects those with underlying conditions. “My uncle died in a matter of three weeks, and we all thought he was the healthiest. But when he was in the hospital, we found out he had high blood sugar. You can see yourself as a healthy person and later discover you aren’t. Nobody is immune to this disease,” she warns.

20 September, 2020

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September, 2020

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La Vacuna de la DUDA

September, 2020

n marzo del 2020 la vida cambió en casi todos los países del mundo cuando la enfermedad por el coronavirus fue declarada por la OMS como una pandemia global. Desde entonces, tres preguntas siguen en el aire: ¿Cuándo saldrá la vacuna?, ¿es la mejor opción que tenemos? Y ¿estamos dispuestos a vacunarnos? Responder estas preguntas no es fácil para nadie sin importar en qué lado del espectro nos encontremos; científicos, padres de familia, sobrevivientes del coronavirus o familiares de víctimas. Todos somos parte del problema y de la solución. Pero, es difícil saber qué posición tomar frente a la vacuna cuando somos bombardeados a diario por noticias alusivas al tema, muchas de las cuales confunden y dividen a un público ya abrumado por la educación escolar, el desempleo o la crisis económica. Y es que pareciera que no hay consenso en esos comentarios con los que nos encontramos a diario, tal como lo reveló una encuesta nacional de Gallup publicada a principios de agosto. De acuerdo con ésta, más de un tercio de los estadounidenses no se pondría la vacuna del COVID-19 en este momento aunque fuera gratis y estuviera aprobada por la Administración de Medicamentos y Alimentos de Estados Unidos (FDA por sus siglas en inglés). Tampoco hay consenso entre líderes políticos y la comunidad científica, aunque persigan el mismo sueño de acabar con un virus que a la fecha de cierre de esta edición registraba más de 24 millones de casos en todo el mundo. No hubo un punto de encuentro cuando, por ejemplo, Rusia le anunció al mundo que había sacado la primera vacuna contra el COVID-19 a principios de agosto. Pese a que el mandatario reveló que había vacunado a su hija, la Organización Mundial de la Salud manifestó tener dudas frente a la eficacia de la misma porque se había saltado la fase 3. Esta vacuna no es la única que estaba en curso, pues en el mundo hay cientos de vacunas que están en pruebas clínicas en fases diferentes, destacándose la de la Universidad de Oxford y AstraZeneca y varias de China. A nivel local, el gobierno ha proporcionado

fondos a diversas compañías que buscan desarrollarla como Novavax, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca y Moderna y se espera que para enero del 2021 se entreguen 300 millones de dosis de una vacuna segura y efectiva. En el caso de Moderna, la compañía anunció en julio 27 que estaba entrando a su fase 3 de pruebas clínicas en las cuales está participando el Miami Miller School of Medicine de la Universidad de Miami. Ante este panorama, existen argumentos tanto a favor como en contra de la vacuna y son los ciudadanos quienes al final decidirán si se la ponen o no. Por esta razón, hablamos con varios de ellos para conocer su postura. Es preciso señalar que la mayoría de las personas que abordamos, se mostraron renuentes o se negaron a expresar su opinión por miedo a exponerse en redes sociales y ser blanco de ataques, lo cual habla del clima tenso y conflictivo que se vive en la actualidad.

EFECTOS SECUNDARIOS Y RESPONSABILIDAD SOCIAL

El principal argumento que presentan quienes se oponen a la vacuna tiene que ver con sus efectos. En un sondeo realizado por este medio en redes sociales, en el

Entre los incrédulos y los adeptos de la vacuna del coronavirus POR: DIANA BELLO ARISTIZÁBAL que se registraron más de 300 comentarios, de los cuales la gran mayoría iban en contra de ponerse la vacuna, muchos manifestaron desconfianza hacia los laboratorios farmacéuticos por considerar que no han tenido tiempo de estudiar sus consecuencias. “No me vacunaré contra el coronavirus porque no confío en la rapidez con la que se están haciendo las investigaciones”, dice un usuario. “Hay vacunas que se demoran estudiando entre 5 y 10 años sin ser aprobadas”, comenta. Alexandra Bodkin, quien es agente de seguros y vive en el condado de Miami-Dade, está de acuerdo con esta postura y asegura que no se pondrá la vacuna porque duda mucho de su seguridad. “Algunas vacunas tienen elementos que son nocivos para la salud como el mercurio y el aluminio y los laboratorios no se hacen responsables del daño que esto pueda causar”, añade. Su desconfianza comenzó en el 2008 cuando se puso la vacuna contra la gripe y una semana después le empezó el peor resfriado que ha tenido en su vida que terminó en neumonía. Luego, decidió no vacunar a su hija de lo mismo y curiosamente fue la única de su clase que no se enfermó de gripe. Fidelio Simé, por su parte, aunque jamás ha experimentado los efectos de una vacuna, cree que las empresas están en una carrera por quien saca la vacuna del COVID-19 primero sin de verdad analizar las repercusiones que podría tener. “Aparte de buscar la cura, persiguen un fin económico porque aquellas que están en proceso de desarrollarla pueden subir el precio de sus acciones en el mercado de valores y ganar mucho más que con solo la venta de la vacuna”, asegura. Además, piensa que también hay un interés político porque el país que lance primero la vacuna tendrá la delantera y podrá ponerla más rápido en circulación. “No quiero ser parte de un experimento porque no tengo certeza de que se sigan todos los procedimientos para proteger nuestra salud”, comenta. Pero frente a estos argumentos, algunas personas aseguran que la clave está en informarse

miles de personas antes de lanzar una vacuna. “La mayoría de las vacunas tienen una efectividad de alrededor del 60 y el 70 por ciento. Claro que hay un riesgo y se puede presentar malestar, irritación, fiebre o urticaria, pero no conozco a nadie que haya muerto por reacción a una vacuna”, explica. Esto significa que 7 de cada 10 personas vacunadas no van a desarrollar la enfermedad, pero 3 si. “Se espera que de esas 3 que tengan la enfermedad, no la tengan de una forma tan severa”, concluye. Sobre el tema, la Dra. María Alcaide, profesora de enfermedades infecciosas del Miller School of Medicine de la Universidad de Miami e investigadora de los ensayos clínicos que adelanta la universidad sobre las vacunas del COVID-19, asegura que aunque es cierto que la mayoría de las vacunas tardan mucho más tiempo en fabricarse, urge mitigar el daño que está haciendo el coronavirus en este momento. “La pandemia está avanzando rápidamente, la economía y los hospitales están colapsando y un gran número de personas están muriendo en todo el mundo.

Entonces, intentar hacer el proceso normal y esperar muchos años, solo causaría un daño más grande. A lo largo de la historia, nada ha salvado más vidas que las vacunas”, explica. El Dr. Cisneros comparte una opinión similar, pues considera que una pandemia de esta magnitud solo podría pararse con una vacuna. “Es absurdo no vacunarse porque todo el mundo tarde o temprano se va a contagiar que es lo mismo que autovacunarse”, dice. Natalia Ribero, quien trabaja en el área de tesorería de un banco, asegura que prefiere lidiar con cualquier posible efecto secundario que seguir con el miedo constante de enfermarse. Su miedo está justificado. Antes solía pensar que el coronavirus era algo ajeno a ella hasta que la enfermedad tocó las puertas de su casa cuando tres familiares se contagiaron, de los cuales dos fallecieron. “Una vez pasó eso, tu realidad con respecto al coronavirus cambia. Me entró una angustia terrible porque me daba pánico pensar que le podía pasar a alguien como mi hija. Siento que es una responsabilidad social ponerse la vacuna porque no se trata solo de ti, sino de otros que puedan ser más vulnerables”, puntualiza. Tampoco cree que la excusa de ‘no me la pongo porque no tengo condiciones preexistentes y soy joven’ sea válida. “Mi tío se murió en cuestión de tres semanas y todos pensábamos que era el más sano. Pero cuando estaba en el hospital, descubrimos que tenía el azúcar alto. Tú puedes creer que estás sano y resultar que no. Nadie es inmune a esta enfermedad”, advierte.

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bien. Juan Rutilo, periodista y agente de bienes raíces, es uno de ellos. Seguro de que se pondrá la vacuna cuando esté disponible, comenta que es responsabilidad de cada quien investigar exhaustivamente antes de tomar una decisión. “Yo me pondría la vacuna si siento que ha sido lo suficientemente probada para conocer sus posibles efectos. Investigaría de qué laboratorio viene, qué resultados ha arrojado, su margen de efectividad y monitorearía los estudios que salieran posteriormente luego de ser lanzada al mercado”, comenta. María Daniela Silva, internista y geriatra con estudios en nutrición, quien piensa ponerse la vacuna, asegura que la desinformación le está haciendo mucho daño a la población. “Estamos en una era en la que todo el mundo se cree experto por leer un par de artículos en Internet y eso no es así. Por eso, muchas personas le atribuyen a las vacunas una serie de efectos adversos que no están documentados”, dice. Por eso, considera que antes de tomar una decisión sobre la vacuna hay que evaluar los laboratorios que las ofrecen. “Moderna y AstraZeneca están publicando en journals médicos de alta reputación todo el proceso de desarrollo y producción de sus vacunas. Entiendo que exista desconfianza hacia algunas farmacéuticas que solo quieren lucrarse, pero no creo que este sea el caso”, afirma. Al respecto, el doctor José Antonio Cisneros, consultor en proyectos de investigación clínica y especialista en sistemas de salud, asegura que precisamente por el factor riesgo es que se hacen pruebas en cientos de

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Doral Cultural Arts Center

Doral will have a space for ART and CULTURE It is expected that the construction of this center, dedicated to cultural and artistic development, will begin at the end of October. BY: EDDA PUJADAS

September, 2020

ach year, the City of Doral offers a wide variety of events and programs, both artistic and cultural, and soon they will have their own space, the Doral Cultural Arts Center. This was announced by Maggie Santos, Communications and Protocol Manager for the City of Doral, who explains that the Doral Cultural Arts Center is one of the projects that was approved by the voters as part of the Park Bond. The intended use of this center will be for photography and art exhibitions, audiovisual festivals such as short films, theatrical presentations, musical concerts, dance performances, and art classes. “Even when this year we have been forced to modify some of the activities that we usually support to virtual events due to the safety and social distance measures that Covid 19 has imposed over all of us, the City of Doral continues to care about the development of the culture in our city and a sample of this is this Art Center,” states Santos. The Doral Cultural Arts Center will be located between 53rd Street and 53rd Terrace, adjacent to the City of Doral Government Center. Among the features that will make this cultural center truly a special place is an ample space for an art gallery, a multi-purpose room, an amphitheater, and outdoor courtyards. This center will also include an office area, a lounge, a roof terrace, a lobby, a shipping and maintenance area, public restrooms, and an irrigation system, among other amenities. The outdoor areas mixed with beautiful landscaping will make this architectural project something truly exceptional. Santos informed us that the building of the Doral Cultural Arts Center is scheduled to begin at the end of October 2020, unless there are setbacks. The estimated preliminary construction schedule is comprised of 365 days; however, she was clear in stating that these times are a preliminary estimate that could be adjusted according to the development of the project.

DORAL AND CULTURE

While the construction of the Doral Cultural Arts Center further promotes art manifestations in our city, it is important to remember that Doral has an important history in cultural and artistic events. Among these, we

can highlight the Photography Exhibit “Capture Doral”, the “Hispanic Heritage Festival”, “Ritmo Doral” and “Opera Doral”, all of which are events associated to the Sister Cities program. One of these important artistic manifestations that has been taking place since 2017 at the Doral Government Center is the Photography Exhibit “Capture Doral”. This exhibit showcases the evolution of Doral, its communities, and its parks, all captured through the lenses of local artists. Cultural diversity, social inclusion, and equity are some of the concepts that define us as immigrants in this multicultural city. Many of these concepts have been highlighted every year since 2004 through the “Hispanic Heritage Festival”. Through this event, the City of Doral sponsors an art exhibit that includes both painting and sculpture that is designed under the vision of highlighting the deep and positive influence that Hispanics bring to this city and country, through their strong and firm commitment to both their family, faith, service and hard work. Locations such as the Miami International Mall, Ronald Reagan Doral Senior High School, Miami Dade College in Doral and the Doral Government Center are some of the venues in which the “Hispanic Heritage Festival” have taken place, and now they will take place at the Doral Cultural Arts Center facility.

“Ritmo Doral” is the name of the cultural and community event that the City of Doral holds every year to boost our economy through local tourism, cultural development and diplomatic exchange. This event has always been completely dedicated to family recreation and will always be focused on celebrating the rich cultural diversity of our city and to the international engagement of the Doral community through live music, culture, food, and entertainment. This event will also take place from now on at the Doral Cultural Arts Center. Another cultural event that is held annually by the City of Doral is “Opera Doral”. This event has always featured great voices and it has been taking place in Doral since 2010, but this year it will be showcased virtually due to Covid-19. This event has taken place both in Ronald Reagan Doral Senior High School and in Miami Dade College, but in the future, it will take place at the new Doral Cultural Arts Center. The Doral Cultural Arts Center will open an important space to support and expand the cultural and artistic expressions of Doral. These cultural celebrations are important because their goal is to engage both residents and visitors of the city in its promotion as a place that is culturally speaking, artistic, diverse, and creative.

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Doral Cultural Arts Center

Doral tendrá un espacio para el ARTE y la CULTURA Se espera que la construcción de este centro dedicado al desarrollo cultural y artístico comience a finales de octubre. POR: EDDA PUJADAS

September, 2020

ada año, la Ciudad de Doral ofrece una amplia variedad de eventos y programas, tanto artísticos como culturales, que muy pronto tendrán su propio espacio, el Doral Cultural Arts Center. Así lo anunció Maggie Santos, gerente de comunicaciones de la Ciudad de Doral, quien explica que el Doral Cultural Arts Center es uno de los proyectos aprobados por los votantes como parte del bono de parques y que estará destinado a las exhibiciones de fotografía y arte, festivales audiovisuales como cortometrajes, manifestaciones teatrales, conciertos musicales, presentaciones de danza e incluso, clases de arte. “Si bien este año nos hemos visto obligados a modificar algunas actividades a medios virtuales debido a las medidas de seguridad y distanciamiento social impuestas por la pandemia del COVID 19, la Ciudad de Doral sigue preocupándose por el desarrollo cultural y una muestra de ella es este centro de arte”, comenta Santos. El Doral Cultural Arts Center estará ubicado entre la 8395 Avenida NW y la 53 calle, adyacente a las instalaciones de la Alcaldía de la Ciudad de Doral. Entre las características que harán de este centro cultural un lugar verdaderamente especial destacan un amplio espacio para una galería de arte, una sala de usos múltiples, el anfiteatro y patios al aire libre. Igualmente, contará con un área de oficinas, una sala de descanso, una azotea, el vestíbulo del edificio, una zona de abastecimiento, baños públicos y el sistema de riego, entre otras comodidades. Las áreas al aire libre, mezcladas con un hermoso paisajismo, hacen que este proyecto arquitectónico sea, realmente, excepcional. De acuerdo a lo informado por Santos, la edificación del centro cultural de Doral está programada para

iniciarse fines del próximo mes de octubre del 2020, salvo que se produzcan contratiempos y el cronograma de construcción preliminar estimado es de 365 días. Sin embargo, aclaró que estos tiempos son una estimación preliminar que será ajustando de acuerdo al desarrollo del proyecto.

DORAL Y LA CULTURA

Si bien la construcción del Doral Cultural Arts Center viene a impulsar aun más las manifestaciones de arte en nuestra ciudad, bien vale la pena recordar que tenemos una amplia historia de eventos culturales y artísticos, entre los que podemos resaltar la exhibición fotográfica “Capture Doral”, el “Festival de la Herencia Hispana”, el evento “Ritmo Doral, el musical “Opera Doral” y los eventos asociados con la ciudades hermanas. Una de las manifestaciones artísticas que, desde el 2017 se está haciendo en las instalaciones del Palacio de Gobierno de la Ciudad de Doral y ahora tendrá su propio espacio en el Doral Cultural Arts Center es la exhibición de fotografía “Capture Doral” que ha venido mostrando la evolución de Doral, sus comunidades y sus parques capturados a través de las lentes de las cámaras de artistas locales. Diversidad cultural, inclusión social y equidad, son algunos de los conceptos que nos definen como inmigrantes en esta sociedad multicultural. Muchos de estos conceptos son destacados anualmente y desde el año 2004, en el “Festival de la Herencia Hispana”, en el que la Ciudad de Doral patrocina la exhibición de obras de arte, como pinturas y esculturas, todas ellas diseñadas bajo la óptica de destacar la influencia profunda y positiva de los hispanos en nuestro país a través de su firme compromiso con la familia, la fe, el

trabajo duro y el servicio. Sitios como el Miami Internacional Mall, las instalaciones del Ronald Reagan High School, la sede de Miami Dade College en Doral y la misma Alcaldía de nuestra ciudad son algunas de las sedes utilizadas para el “Festival de la Herencia Hispana” que, también podrá realizarse, en lo sucesivo, en las instalaciones del Doral Cultural Arts Center. “Ritmo Doral” es el nombre del evento cultural y comunitario que realiza la Ciudad de Doral como una forma de impulsar nuestra economía a través del turismo local, del desarrollo cultural y del intercambio diplomático. Siempre ha estado completamente dedicado al esparcimiento familiar y estará enfocado en celebrar la rica diversidad cultural de nuestra ciudad y el alcance internacional de la comunidad de Doral a través de la música en vivo, la cultura, la comida y el entretenimiento y será otro de los espectáculos que contará con el Doral Cultural Arts Center para su desarrollo. Otro de los eventos culturales que, anualmente, realiza la Ciudad de Doral, es “Opera Doral”. Si bien esta actividad musical, que siempre ha contando con impresionantes voces, se celebra desde el 2010, este año deberá realizarse de forma virtual debido al COVID 19, pero si bien, en ocasiones anteriores se ha efectuado en el Ronald Reagan High School y en MDC en Doral, también será trasladado al nuevo centro de arte. La mayor relevencia que tendrá el Doral Cultural Arts Center es que vendrá a darle un espacio, apoyar y expandir las manifestaciones culturales y artísticas. Estas celebraciones culturales son muy importantes pues tienen como objetivo involucrar a los residentes y visitantes de la ciudad en la promoción de la misma como un lugar culturalmente artístico, diverso y creativo.

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This generation is being seen as the new real estate investors

GENERATION Z is coming into the Housing Market A study reveals that 40% of Generation Z want to have a house of their own before they turn 25 years of age. BY EDDA PUJADAS

any of them have not yet reached the legal age to drink, but they are already thinking about buying their first house. We are speaking about Generation Z, this group of young people that were born between 1996 and 2010 and whom are coming now into the real estate market in the role of investors. The oldest members of this Generation Z are today older than 20 years of age, and a majority of them are starting to enter the real estate market for the first time as it is being evidenced by TransUnion, one of the credit bureaus, where they show that the purchase of real estate among these youngsters is skyrocketing. A new report from TransUnion shows that the number of consumers from Generation Z that actually got a mortgage increased in 112% from the second quarter of 2018 to the second quarter of 2019. This means that in 2018, a total of 150,000 young persons had acquired a mortgage, and in 2019 this figure increased to 319,000. A survey from Realtor.com states that among members of Generation Z, it was shown that they wish to have a house before they turn 25 years of age and that their main reason to have this ambitious goal is that they want to become investors. They are buying cheap properties, not to live in them but to rent them instead, in such a way that through the rents they will charge, the property pays itself, while they continue enjoying living at Mom’s and Dad’s home. For example, the average price of one of the properties purchased by the Generation Z youth is $160,000, they provide a down payment of $16,000 or 10%, and even when at that moment they do not get anything back, the property will pay itself thought the profit from the rents, and in approximately 15 years, they will have a fully paid property plus the appreciation of the same. This generation has an entrepreneurial inclination. Many of them are trying to avoid getting into a traditional professional career. They are more inclined to getting independent jobs, one that allows them to have more and different options from the ones that older generations have had to live through while battling financial crises. This entrepreneurial preference from Generation Z is mainly due to their massive use of technology. This internet era has opened different ways in which people can get immerse in real estate without leaving their home, nevertheless this plan to become investors has, at the same time, three big obstacles: first, Millennials (the generation before them, those born between 1981 and 1996) and the Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964; and the decline in real estate interest rates in

recent months. Why? Millennials, who have been criticized because they are coming in late to the real estate market, are awakening now, and they now represent 34% of the housing sales in 2019. Even when they lived for many years renting houses in the entertainment districts such as Miami Beach and Brickell, now they prefer to live and buy in the suburbs and those areas of the city that are cheaper. They now encounter a fight with the Generation Z youth, for houses that every day are scarcer, especially in the range of price that the younger generations search. On the other side, Baby Boomers are also interfering with the entrepreneurial plans of the younger generation, most of them their own grandchildren, because they refuse to move out. They have already paid off their homes, they are comfortably living because they only need to pay for the property taxes, on which they also have exemptions, the property insurance, and the homeowner’s association. They are no longer interested in selling, and this also limits the inventory of real estate. Interest in home purchases has fallen to its lowest levels in the last 50 years, reaching limits of 2.98% for 30-year loans. This abysmal drop in interest rates has increased the number of buyers, increasingly limiting the inventory of existing homes and therefore diminishing the options for young investors who, now, must be willing to make more solid offers if they really want to buy a property.

WHAT ARE THE YOUNGER BUYERS SEARCHING FOR?

Generation Z members tend to be energetic and enthusiastic, and they are willing to listen and learn; this can compensate for their lack of experience. They are also experts in technology, they are practical, and they hate to lose time and money, therefore for them, the best way to search for anything is to do it online. Millennials and Generation Z are close in age and have similar communication styles; they value continuing education, freedom, flexibility, and stability, and for this reason, when they search for something, it doesn’t matter

if it is a house or a pencil, they conduct daily controls via digital platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. They trust the reviews, comments, and recommendations of previous buyers. For both generations to buy a house is a good investment. According to the survey conducted by the website Porch, 86.4% of Millennials and 85.6% of Generation Z believe that real estate is a productive investment and one that is growing at this time. Both groups of young adults search for similar characteristics in their real estate investments: that they are economic, that these do not need fixes or renovations, because, among other things, they do not have the time nor money to work on them, and also that these properties have a low maintenance cost. In comparison with Generation Z, Millennials are searching for this type of housing to live in. They also want them to have outdoor spaces, intelligent devices with which to control temperature, wireless security cameras, and entry locks controlled by smartphones, as an example. They also wish to have energy-efficient devices, and they are willing to pay between 2% and 3% more for these improvements, which in turn will reduce their electric bills. While the real estate market is still the most lucrative investment opportunity among the public in general, its future depends on the interest, commitment, and continuous activity of the younger members of this market, which has been highly stimulated in these last years by the decrease in the mortgage interest rates.

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September, 2020

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Se vislumbran como los nuevos inversionistas inmobiliarios

La GENERACION Z esta entrando al mercado de vivienda De acuerdo a una encuesta realizada por realtor.com, el 40 % de los miembros de la Generación Z aseguran que quieren tener una casa antes de cumplir los 25 años de edad POR: EDDA PUJADAS

September, 2020

uchos de ellos aun no tienen la edad legal para tomarse un trago de licor, pero ya están pensado en comprar su primera casa. Estamos hablando de la Generación Z, ese grupo de jovencitos nacidos entre los años 1996 y 2010, quienes están entrando en el mercado de la vivienda a jugar el rol de inversionistas. Los más viejos de la Generación Z ahora tienen más de 20 años y muchos están comenzando a ingresar al mercado inmobiliario por primera vez, por lo menos así lo evidencian los datos del buró de crédito TransUnion que muestran que la compra de viviendas entre estos jóvenes se está disparando. Un nuevo informe de TransUnion evidencia que el número de consumidores de la Generación Z que obtuvieron una hipoteca aumentó en un 112% desde el segundo trimestre del 2018 hasta el segundo trimestre del 2019. Esto quiere decir que, en el 2018, un total 150 mil jovencitos habían adquirido un crédito para comprar una vivienda y el año pasado esta cifra se elevó a 319 mil. Una encuesta realizada por realtor.com entre miembros de la Generación Z, demostró que ellos aspiran tener una casa antes de cumplir 25 años de edad y la principal razón de esta ambiciosa meta es que quieren ser inversionistas. Están comprado propiedades económicas, no para vivir en ellas, sino para rentarlas, de tal manera que se paguen solas, mientras ellos siguen viviendo en la casa de papá y mamá. Por ejemplo, el precio promedio de una propiedad comprada por los jóvenes de la Generación Z es de $160 mil dólares, dan una inicial del 10% ($16 mil dólares) y seguramente, no le ganan nada de momento, pero se paga sola con la ganancia de la renta y en unos 15 años, ya tienen la vivienda pagada más la apreciación del inmueble. Y es que esta nueva generación tiene una inclinación empresarial. Muchos de ellos están evitando una carrera profesional tradicional, optando por un trabajo independiente, que les permita tener más opciones que las generaciones mayores que han tenido que vivir y luchar contra crisis financieras. Esta inclinación empresarial de la Generación Z se apoya mucho en su masivo uso de la tecnología. La era de internet ha abierto formas para que las personas se sumerjan en la inversión inmobiliaria sin tener que abandonar su hogar, sin embargo, este plan para abrirse paso como inversionistas, tiene tres grandes obstáculos: los Millennials (la generación que los precede y nacieron entre 1981 y 1996), los Baby Boomers, nacidos entre

1946 y 1964; y el descenso de las tasas de intereses inmobiliarios en los últimos meses. Por qué?. Los Millennials, que han sido criticados por entrar tarde al mercado inmobiliario, están despertando ahora, representando el 34% del total de las ventas de viviendas realizadas en el 2019. Si bien, vivieron muchos años rentados en zonas más orientadas al entretenimiento, como Brickell o Miami Beach, ahora prefieren los suburbios y sectores más económicos para comprar y vivir, por lo que están entrando en una lucha con los miembros de la Generación Z por el inventario de viviendas disponibles que cada vez es menor, especialmente en el rango de precios que buscan los más jóvenes. Por su parte, los Baby Boomers también están interfiriendo en los planes empresariales de los más jóvenes (muchos de ellos sus propios nietos), pues no se quieren mudar. Ya pagaron sus casas, están cómodos porque sólo deben pagar los impuestos a la propiedad (sobre los cuáles tienen exenciones), el seguro y la asociación de propietarios, así que ya no están interesados en vender, lo que también está limitando el inventario de viviendas. Los intereses para la compra de viviendas han descendido a los niveles más bajos en los últimos 50 años, llegando a límites de 2.98% para préstamos a 30 años. Esta abismal bajada de intereses ha hecho que aumente el número de compradores, limitando cada vez el inventario de viviendas existentes y por ende, disminuyendo las opciones para los jóvenes inversores que, ahora, deben estar dispuestos a realizar ofertas más sólidas si de verdad quieren comprar una propiedad.

¿QUÉ BUSCAN LOS JOVENES COMPRADORES?

Los miembros de la Generación Z tienden a ser enérgicos, entusiastas y dispuestos a escuchar y aprender, lo que puede compensar su falta de experiencia. También son expertos en tecnología, prácticos y detestan perder tiempo y dinero, así que, para ellos, la mejor forma de buscar algo es online. Los Millennials y la Generación Z tienen una edad cercana y tienen estilos de comunicación similares,

valorando la educación continua, la libertad, la flexibilidad y la estabilidad, por lo que, cuando buscan algo (que puede ser desde un lápiz hasta una casa) realizan controles diarios en plataformas digitales como Instagram, Snapchat y YouTube y confían en las revisiones, comentarios y recomendaciones de compradores previos. Para ambos grupos generacionales comprar una vivienda es una buena inversión. Así lo asegura una encuesta realizada por el sitio web Porch, según la cual 86.4% de Millennials y 85.6% de los jóvenes de la Generación Z consideran el sector inmobiliario una productiva inversión que, además, está en crecimiento. Estos dos grupos de adultos jóvenes buscan similares características en sus inversiones inmobiliarias: que sean económicas, que no haya que realizarle arreglos ni renovaciones porque no tienen tiempo ni dinero extra para ocuparse de esto y que tengan pocos gastos de mantenimiento. Como, a diferencia de la Generación Z, los Millennials están buscando propiedades para habitarlas, también quieren que estas viviendas tengan espacios al aire libre, dispositivos inteligentes (termostatos de programación automática, cámaras de seguridad inalámbricas y cerraduras de entrada controladas por teléfonos inteligentes, por ejemplo) y eficiencia energética (están dispuestos a pagar entre un 2% y un 3% más por las mejoras que reducirían sus facturas de electricidad). Si bien, el sector inmobiliario continúa siendo la oportunidad de inversión más lucrativa entre el público, su futuro depende de que los miembros más jóvenes del mercado se mantengan interesados, comprometidos y activamente moviendo su dinero, lo que ha se ha estimulado en los últimos tiempos por las significativas bajas en las tasas de interés hipotecarias.

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Great Tips to improve your CREDIT SCORE

ou’re ready to take out a loan to buy a house, a car or get a credit card. You fill out the application and wait to hear back from your bank on its decision whether to loan you the money. And then you get the dreaded phone call. Your credit score wasn’t high enough to approve the loan! Was there anything you could have done to get a higher credit score? Getting and maintaining a high credit score is just like playing a game. But just like any game, you first need to understand the rules so you can create a winning game plan. Here are the rules of the credit score game you need to understand so you can get the highest score possible. • Rule 1 – Pay your bills on time (Comprises 35% of your credit score equation). Payment history is the most important component of your credit score and is pretty straightforward – it’s a record of whether or not you’ve paid your bills on time. Action: Don’t be late paying your bills! A one-time late payment may not affect your score, but multiple late payments will drag down your score. Even better, understand what vendors report your payment history and which ones do not. • Rule 2 – Refrain from maxing out your credit (30%). Just because you have a $10,000 credit limit doesn’t mean you should use it all. Using close to or all of your credit limit signals to lenders that you may be a high-risk borrower. Insurance companies also love to use high-limit spending as a reason to increase your home and auto insurance, so be forewarned! Action: Don’t use more than 25% of your available revolving credit, and pay the outstanding credit card balance in full each month. • Rule 3 – Build a long history of using credit responsibly (15%). Lenders want to see a track record that you can handle being entrusted with a credit limit. If you have old credit accounts that are still open and in good standing, that signals your trustworthiness, which is reflected in a higher credit score. Action: When you open a credit account, keep it active for as long as possible. If you stop using an account, consider leaving that account open, but only if it will help your score and not hurt you in obtaining new credit. • Rule 4 – Use multiple types of credit (10%). Lenders like to see you with both revolving debt (credit cards) and installment debt (car and house loans). Action: If you have a low credit limit, request a limit increase. Many banks will honor the request, especially if you’ve had a history of making on-time payments. If you don’t have a history of using installment loans, consider making a small purchase (such as an appliance or electronic device) using an installment loan. • Rule 5 – Avoid too many credit inquiries (10%). Applying for many loans or credit cards in a short period of time tells lenders you may be attempting to acquire more credit than you can handle. Action: Apply for only one type of credit at a time. Multiple inquiries for the same type of credit, for example a mortgage loan, within a short period of time will only count as one inquiry. You can improve your credit score by understanding these rules and putting them into practice.

Excelentes consejos para mejorar su PUNTAJE CREDITICIO

sted está listo para solicitar un préstamo para comprar una casa, un automóvil u obtener una tarjeta de crédito. Usted llena la solicitud y espera recibir noticias de su banco sobre su decisión de prestarle el dinero.Y luego recibes la temida llamada telefónica. ¡Su puntaje de crédito no fue lo suficientemente alto para aprobar el préstamo! ¿Podría usted haber hecho algo para obtener un puntaje crediticio más alto? Obtener y mantener un puntaje crediticio alto es como jugar un juego. Pero al igual que con cualquier juego, primero debe comprender las reglas para poder crear un plan de juego ganador. Estas son las reglas del juego del puntaje crediticio que debe comprender para poder obtener el puntaje más alto posible. • Regla 1: Pague sus facturas a tiempo (comprende el 35% de la ecuación de su puntaje crediticio). El historial de pagos es el componente más importante de su puntaje crediticio y es bastante sencillo: es un registro de si pagó o no sus facturas a tiempo. Acción: ¡No se retrase en el pago de sus facturas! Es posible que un pago atrasado único no afecte su puntaje, pero múltiples pagos atrasados reducirán su puntaje. Aún mejor, comprenda qué proveedores informan sobre su historial de pagos y cuáles no. • Regla 2: Abstenerse de maximizar su crédito (30%). El hecho de que tenga un límite de crédito de $ 10,000 no significa que deba usarlo todo. El uso cercano o total de sus límites de crédito indica a los prestamistas que usted puede ser un prestatario de alto riesgo. A las compañías de seguros también les encanta usar los gastos de límite alto como una razón para aumentar su seguro de hogar y automóvil, ¡así que está advertido! Acción: No use más del 25% de su crédito renovable disponible y pague el saldo pendiente de la tarjeta de crédito en su totalidad cada mes. • Regla 3 - Desarrolle un largo historial de uso responsable del crédito (15%). Los prestamistas quieren ver un historial que pueda manejar cuando se les confíe un límite de crédito. Si tiene cuentas de crédito antiguas que aún están abiertas y en buen estado, eso indica su confiabilidad, que se refleja en una puntuación de crédito más alta. Acción: Cuando abra una cuenta de crédito, manténgala activa el mayor tiempo posible. Si deja de usar una cuenta, considere dejarla abierta, pero solo si ayudará a su puntaje y no lo perjudicará para obtener un nuevo crédito. • Regla 4: utilice varios tipos de crédito (10%). A los prestamistas les gusta verlo con deudas renovables (tarjetas de crédito) y deudas a plazos (préstamos para automóviles y viviendas). Acción: Si tiene un límite de crédito bajo, solicite un aumento de límite. Muchos bancos aceptarán la solicitud, especialmente si ha tenido un historial de pagos a tiempo. Si no tiene un historial de uso de préstamos a plazos, considere realizar una compra pequeña (como un electrodoméstico o dispositivo electrónico) mediante un préstamo a plazos. • Regla 5 - Evite demasiadas consultas de crédito (10%). Solicitar muchos préstamos o tarjetas de crédito en un período corto de tiempo les dice a los prestamistas que puede estar intentando adquirir más crédito del que puede manejar. Acción: Solicite solo un tipo de crédito a la vez. Varias consultas para el mismo tipo de crédito, por ejemplo, un préstamo hipotecario, dentro de un período corto de tiempo solo contarán como una consulta. Puede mejorar su puntaje crediticio si comprende estas reglas y las pone en práctica.

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September, 2020

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September, 2020

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IRS Announces Common TAX SCAMS

September, 2020

he IRS recently announced its 2020 edition of its annual Dirty Dozen list of tax scams with a special emphasis on aggressive and evolving schemes related to COVID-19 tax relief, including Economic Impact Payments. Here are six of the more common scams. PHISHING. Phishing refers to potential fake emails or websites looking to steal your personal information. Remember the IRS will never initiate contact with you via email about an outstanding tax bill, refund or Economic Impact Payment. What you can do. If you receive any suspicious phishing emails, forward them to phishing@irs.gov. Fake charities. Criminals frequently exploit natural disasters and other crisis situations such as this year’s pandemic by setting up fake charities to steal donations. Fraudulent schemes normally start with unsolicited contact by telephone, text, social media, e-mail or even in person. What you can do. Verify the charity’s existence by searching for it using the IRS’s search tool. (www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search) Threatening phone calls from IRS impersonators. IRS impersonation scams include phone calls threatening arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don’t pay a bogus tax bill. The IRS will never demand immediate payment or ask for financial information over the phone. What you can do. If you received a phone call, contact your local IRS office to verify whether you owe any taxes. Social media scams. A scammer will use social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to obtain personal information from you, then use that information to trick you into providing them with confidential information. For example, the scammer could impersonate a family member, friend or co-worker in an attempt to obtain financial information. What you can do. Be careful of publishing confidential information on social media. Verify the identity of any person or organization that asks you for confidential information. Economic impact payment or tax refund theft. Criminals file false tax returns or supply other bogus information to the IRS to divert refunds or Economic Impact Payments to wrong addresses or bank accounts. What you can do. Contact a qualified professional to help walk you through how to report identity theft to the IRS. Senior fraud. Senior citizens have become more comfortable with various technologies such as social media. This has opened the door for scammers to take advantage of senior citizens by using fake emails, text messages and fake websites to steal personal information. What you can do. Be the eyes and ears for the senior citizens you come in contact with. According to the IRS, anecdotal evidence indicates that senior fraud decreases substantially when a trusted friend or family member takes an interest in the senior’s affairs.

he most effective way to defeat scammers is to know how to identify scams. You should just hang up on any call you’re uncertain of and ignore suspicious emails. Scammers are always finding new ways to steal your money and personal information by exploiting your fears. One common tactic scammers use is posing as federal agents and other law enforcement. They may claim your Social Security number is linked to a crime. They may even threaten to arrest you if you do not comply with their instructions. Just hang up. As a reminder, you should continue to remain vigilant of phone calls when someone says there’s a problem with your Social Security number or your benefits. If you owe money to Social Security, we will mail you a letter explaining your rights, payment options, and information about appealing. There are a few ways you can identify a scam call. If you do business with us, remember that we will never: • Threaten you with benefit suspension, arrest, or other legal action unless you pay a fine or fee. • Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment. • Require payment by retail gift card, cash, wire transfer, internet currency, or prepaid debit card. • Demand secrecy from you in handling a Social Security-related problem. • Send official letters or reports containing personally identifiable information via email. If you do not have ongoing business with our agency, it is unlikely we will contact you. If you get a suspicious call claiming to be from Social Security, you should hang up and report it to our law enforcement office at oig.ssa.gov.

El Seguro Social quiere informarle sobre ESTAFAS RECIENTES

a forma más eficaz de derrotar a los estafadores es saber cómo identificar las estafas. Solo debe colgar el teléfono por cualquier llamada de la que no esté seguro e ignorar los correos electrónicos sospechosos. Los estafadores siempre encuentran nuevas formas de robar su dinero e información personal explotando sus miedos. Una táctica común que usan los estafadores es hacerse pasar por agentes federales y otras oficinas o administraciones de orden público. Pueden afirmar que su número de Seguro Social está vinculado a un delito. Incluso pueden amenazarlo con arrestarlo si no cumple con sus instrucciones. Solo cuelgue el teléfono. Como recordatorio, debe seguir estando atento a las llamadas telefónicas cuando alguien le diga que hay un problema con su número de Seguro Social o sus beneficios. Si debe dinero al Seguro Social, le enviaremos una carta en la que se explicarán sus derechos, opciones de pago e información sobre cómo apelar. Hay algunas formas de identificar una llamada fraudulenta. Si hace trámites con nosotros, recuerde que nunca: • Lo amenazaremos con suspensión de beneficios, arresto u otra acción legal a menos que pague una multa o tarifa. • Prometeremos un aumento de beneficios u otra asistencia a cambio del pago. • Exigiremos el pago con una tarjeta de regalo, efectivo, transferencia bancaria, dinero electrónico, o tarjeta de débito prepaga. • Exigiremos que mantenga en secreto el manejar un problema relacionado con el Seguro Social. • Enviaremos cartas o informes oficiales que contengan información de identificación personal por correo electrónico. Si no tiene trámites pendientes con nuestra agencia, es poco probable que nos comuniquemos con usted. Si recibe una llamada sospechosa que dice ser del Seguro Social, debe colgar el teléfono e informar a nuestra oficina de orden público en oig.ssa.gov/espanol.

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Social Security informing you about RECENT SCAMS

September, 2020

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Diplomacia y Networking 501 – 2

La forma correcta de usar, dar y recibir una TARJETA DE PRESENTACIÓN POR: ARTURO E. ENAMORADO-CARACCIOLI, DR.H.C.

September, 2020

ara un ejecutivo, directivo o bien un e\ mprendedor es muy importante siempre contar con una herramienta muy potente para el inicio, o bien continuar desarrollando negociaciones, estoy hablando de la tarjeta de presentación. A pesar de ser un elemento, que para muchos, no sienten la necesidad; en la vida cotidiana, tanto presente y futura lo es. La tarjeta de presentación, es precisamente eso; el objeto vital, que debería resumir, y digo, debería; pues a veces las mismas [tarjetas] son cargadas con demasiada información. De tal manera, que el hecho de contar con la tarjeta de presentación en el momento justo de provocar el intercambio del mismo, éste, reúne unos ciertos protocolos correctos tanto para dar la tarjeta, como para recibirla. A su vez, con estos protocolos que recomiendo en este segmento, se aumentan las posibilidades para que la persona que recibe una tarjeta, sobre todo si se encuentra en un evento que recibe múltiples tarjetas, te recuerde. Al mismo tiempo, el saber entregar la tarjeta, en el momento correcto, da una mayor posibilidad para que la persona recuerde de una manera más fácil al que se la ha facilitado. Renata Roa – consultora de imagen y relaciones públicas, comenta esto sobre lo que he indicado anteriormente, detallando el proceso de una manera más científico. Roa, enfatiza lo que se desea obtener en el ejercicio del intercambio: “Lo que buscamos es que el hemisferio derecho se combine con el hemisferio izquierdo. El hemisferio izquierdo se encarga de leer la parte lingüística, científica y matemática, mientras que el derecho se encarga de ver la estética, la creatividad y las emociones, así que entregarlo de la forma adecuada hará que se combine la función de estos dos hemisferios: el impacto visual de tu tarjeta con la lectura adecuada y el sonido de tu voz”. Por ello, lo principal al momento de entregar una tarjeta de presentación, se recomienda que la misma se tome por esquina superior izquierda para que el receptor tenga una visual completa de la tarjeta que está recibiendo. A su vez, al momento de recibirla se debe tomar con una mano, si la delegación es oriental, entonces

se recomienda con las dos manos; sin embargo, es sumamente importante que la tomar la tarjeta se lea su contenido, hay que tomarse por lo menos uno o dos segundos para leerla; pues con esto se denota respeto e interés a la otra persona. Una observación es que la tarjeta de presentación se guarde ya sea en un tarjetero o en la bolsa principal de la chaqueta o camisa; no es recomendable meterla en los bolsillos laterales y mucho menos en una cartera de dinero trasera de hombre; el punto clave es hacerle ver a la persona que se le tiene respeto y que hay un grado de interés; aunque no lo haya. La educación y ética ante todo. Para terminar, recomiendo que en la parte reversa de la tarjeta de presentación se coloque el logo de la empresa, y de ser posible el website [sitio web] de la misma. Esto se debe a que no solamente se utiliza al 100% el papel que utilizamos, sino que en caso de que esa tarjeta se cae, por casualidad de ese lado reverso, simplemente con el logo, captará la atención de una persona. Espero que ésta sección de Diplomacia y Networking 501 haya sido de su agrado. Nos vemos en la próxima edición.

Ya que se conoce el arte de dar y recibir, y que siempre debes llevarlas a mano, un consejo muy importante en la tarjeta de presentación, es el contenido. La tarjeta de presentación debe tener la información actualizada, no entregues una tarjeta de presentación con información incorrecta; al mismo tiempo, es muy importante que tenga lo siguiente: • Logo de la Empresa o Nombre en vez del Logo • Dirección • Teléfono con código de área accesible a marcado internacional i.e. +1(305)499-9999 • Nombre de la Persona • Cargo • Correo Electrónico • Página Web de la Empresa o Empresario • Fax, en caso de tenerlo

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September, 2020