Austin Landis

Multimedia journalist in Colombia 🇨🇴, covering migration & Latin America | Previously covered the Biden admin. for Spectrum News | @UFJSchool alum

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

New 🧵: I visited the first US processing center for migrants here in #Colombia, where UN staff have been screening people for ~a month.

I found these offices may not achieve what they advertised: preventing people from trekking toward the border by offering "rapid" U.S. entry

[Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @ReichlinMelnick]

NEW: @Documentedny reports that one of the Venezuelans deported to El Salvador is a 19-year-old with with no criminal record and no tattoos who wasn't even the target of an ICE operation — but ended up sent there anyway. An ICE agent even said "He's not the one" when arrested!

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

@halhod @TheEconomist Hi Hal! Austin in Colombia here. Can you DM me a good email to send you a pitch, or point me where to best do that?

[Eugene Daniels @EugeneDaniels2]

WHCA STATEMENT ON WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCEMENT

[Peter Baker @peterbakernyt]

@EugeneDaniels2 .@EugeneDaniels2 on behalf of @whca: "In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps."

[Jacqui Heinrich @JacquiHeinrich]

Moreover - in every administration, WHCA has advocated to expand access to news events, beyond just the pool. Making an event 'open press' or 'pool only' is up to the White House. Oftentimes, administrations limit access to 'pool only' because of security or space constraints. WHCA's job in that scenario is to ensure that the pool includes representation from each constituency (radio, tv, wires, print, stills, new media) to get the news out to the fullest possible extent. Our job is to advocate for the MOST access possible.

[Jacqui Heinrich @JacquiHeinrich]

This move does not give the power back to the people - it gives power to the White House. The WHCA is democratically elected by the full-time White House press corps.

WHCA has determined pools for decades because only representatives FROM our outlets can determine resources all those outlets have - such as staffing - in order to get the President's message out to the largest possible audience, no matter the day or hour.

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

@NPRinskeep thank you so much for your measured, thoughtful coverage today. It’s so essential in times like this.

[Nick Schifrin @nickschifrin]

.@PressSec says @petrogustavo reverses:
"The Government of Colombia has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay. Based on this agreement, the fully drafted IEEPA tariffs and sanctions will be held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement. The visa sanctions issued by the State Department, and enhanced inspections from Customs and Border Protection, will remain in effect until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned. Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again. President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation's sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States."

[Juan Forero @WSJForero]

Let's not overlook the humor in the Trump vs. Colombia dustup. In a 700-word missive, Colombian President Petro begins like this: "Trump, I don’t really like traveling to the United States; it’s a bit boring." And boy, does it get better.

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

For @bbcworldservice + @BBCtrending, I contributed reporting from Colombia to this important doc from @____elainezyx about "blessing scams" targeting Chinese women in the UK.

Could "Devil's Breath," which grows here in Colombia, be part of the crime?

https://t.co/A9B25Etjow

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

But now, he's moving out. And he's not the only one.

Full story for @lazo_mag:

https://t.co/GDdh6EceuZ

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

This year, Comuna 13 became Medellin's #1 tourism destination. 136,000+ tourists visit per month. So why are locals moving out? Hint: It's not gentrification... 🧵

@lazo_mag

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

Ramirez has lived in Comuna 13 nearly his whole life, and he's watched as his home has turned from dangerous conflict zone to creative, cultural hub and tourism hotspot.

The transformation is miraculous, he says, and tourists are welcome.

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

@CaitlinKellyNYC Thank you!

[Camilo Montoya-Galvez @camiloreports]

NEWS — The Biden administration will not be extending the legal status of tens of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who were allowed to fly to the U.S. under a sponsorship program, according to officials and internal documents.
https://t.co/KCL5242Ncn

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

My full story for Al Jazeera: https://t.co/b6XYhsNuQk

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

$1,150 = The price for Colombia to buy a 1-year supply of HIV drug dolutegravir, in 2023.

Today? The same 1-year supply costs the government $45.

Colombia can now treat 26 people for the price of 1.

What changed?

[Austin Landis @_AustinLandis]

Why dolutegravir? It's a first-choice treatment, according the World Health Organization.

Dolutegravir:
- Works quickly
- Has few side effects
- Is less likely to cause a person's body to reject the medicine