Since Donald Trump began his run for president, people wearing brown berets and military insignias have been evident at ongoing protests and counter protests across northern California. Recently, at a gathering of Native Americans to protest the proposed lithium mine at Thacker Pass in remote northern Nevada, two people were in attendance wearing brown berets, fatigues, and rank insignia.
The Nevada Brown Berets were not available for an interview, so we went up the chain of command and spoke with Colonel Jessica Aguallo-Hurtado, officer of communications for the Brown Beret national organization La Causa.
Aguallo-Hurtado came to the Brown Berets through her husband Jesse Hurtado. Hurtado is 62 and has been part of the Chicano movement since he was a teenager and officially joined the Brown Berets 20 years ago. Since then, he has become one of the youngest generals in movement’s history.
We spoke with Jessica Aguallo-Hurtado by phone from her home in northern California.
“Anything that impacts humanity in a negative way, we are involved. We are not specific to just anything that is just affecting the Mexicano/Chicano community. We have been called to be present in many causes that are not related to our people. Because at the end of the day, it is humanity that suffers, and we need to come together in the name of humanity,” said Jessica Aguallo-Hurtado.
Music credits as reported to the Public Radio Exchange, in order of appearance
Song: Synthakon
Artist: Bostich
Album: Nortec Collective: the Tijuana Sessions Vol. 1
Label: Palm Pictures
Date: 1900
Duration: 2:16
Song: 4:15am
Artist: Nortec Collective
Album: Corridos Urbanos
Label: Nacional Records
Date: 1900
Duration: :11
Song: And L
Artist: Panoptica
Album: Nortec Collective: the Tijuana Sessions Vol. 1
Label: Palm Pictures
Date: 1900
Duration: 2:20
Song: El Vergel
Artist: Bostich
Album: Nortec Collective: the Tijuana Sessions Vol. 1
Label: Palm Pictures
Date: 1900
Duration: 4:20
Song: Eso Esperamos
Artist: Nortec Collective
Album: Corridos Urbanos
Label: Nacional Records
Date: 1900
Duration: :49
Song: El General
Artist: Nortec Collective
Album: Corridos Urbanos
Label: Nacional Records
Date: 1900
Duration: :49
