Stories about Spanish from July, 2008
Tube Adventure: A Bilingual Quest Game on YouTube
The popular Spanish YouTube channel Pinofas has created a novel project: it's an hero adventure quest live-action game that takes advantage of the new tagging, linking and commenting capabilities that YouTube has implemented, called Tube Adventure.
Bolivia: The Custom of El Poro
Camiri Digital [es] proudly writes about the use of the drink “el Poro” in Camiri, Bolivia, and its customs such as pouring the drink to your right.
Peru: Movie Places Machu Picchu Incorrectly
Luis Ramos of Cinencuentro [es] complains about another movie that mistakenly places Machu Picchu in another country. This time it is placed in Mexico.
Costa Rica: Concerts, riots and concerns.
Journalist Cristian Cambronero from popular Costa Rican blog Fusil de Chispas posts a recount of Sunday's Concert where youth rioted and destroyed the campus of the Universidad Latina in the capital city of San José. It seems that when around 3000 of them were not allowed entrance to the free concert venue where already 5000 spectators were waiting for the concert some of the irate teens destroyed the university buildings, storefronts,dismantled cars, damaged the church in the vicinity, looted, threw chairs, rocks and bricks everywhere.
Cuba: July 26th
This past weekend, on July 26th, Cuba marked the 55th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago that came to be recognised as the start of the Cuban Revolution. Bloggers react to President Raul Castro's much-anticipated speech at the event.
Ecuador: New Constitution Ready For Vote in Referendum
A draft proposal for the new Constitution in Ecuador is ready for approval by a nationwide referendum to be held in September. However, reports of a Constituent Assembly under pressure, a change of assembly president, and questionable legal conditions placed on the text leave some unsure of their vote. In spite of this, local bloggers recommend that everyone read the entire 200-page text before making a decision and that it is important to be a part of the process.
Ecuador: Guayaquil Celebrates its Past and Present
“Cheers, Guayaquil on your Anniversary!” writes Alex Anazco of Cambiemos Ecuador [es]. He writes about its past, but also about its present, which boasts the best airport in Latin America...
Panama: Proposal of Life Sentences for Murderers
Tu Política [es] writes that PRD candidate for president in Panama is proposing life sentences for murderers, which would move towards a tough stance on crime.
Paraguay: Breaking Cycle of Corruption
Liam of Políticamente Incorrecto [es] writes that the new Paraguayan government's biggest challenge is to break the cycle of corruption and “that the corrupt has become someone to be imitated,...
El Salvador: Photographer Nominated for Journalism Prize
Photographer Álvaro López was recently nominated for the prestigious Ibero-American New Journalism prize for his series called Terrorism in El Salvador. His photos showed a violent confrontation between a protestor...
El Salvador: Unemployment Rates for Young People
A young person in El Salvador does not have the same opportunities than in other countries writes JJ Mar at Hunnapuh [es] and in addition they represent the sector with...
Russia: OSCE Election Observers Accused of Espionage
Da Rússia (SPA) comments on the claims by a member or Russia's Central Election Commission that OSCE election observers are Western spies.
Guatemala: Helping Senior Citizens During Food Crisis
Rudel M. Alvarez of El Blog de Rudel [es] participated in a campaign to distribute food to senior citizens in response to the rising food prices in Guatemala and he...
Uruguay: Fundraising for Pereira Rossell Hospital
The Pereira Rossell hospital in Montevideo, Uruguay is where the greatest number of children are born each year. Parte Pagana [es] writes about a fundraising campaign that benefits this busy...
Costa Rica: Indigenous Communities in the Media
Alejandro Vargas Johannsen publishes a list of recommendations created by students from the Costa Rica University for communicators in how they write about indigenous communities without negative stereotypes [es] and...
Colombia: Continued Support for Suso
Catalina Restrepo of Cosas del Alma [es] updates readers on the continued efforts by members of the ConVerGentes blogging community in Medellín, Colombia in support of Suso, a local resident...
Chile: Media Produced by Residents of Colón Oriente
Chilenos Todos [es] writes about the action taken by residents of the neighborhood Colón Oriente in Santiago, Chile. They published a newsletter called “La Chicharra” that seeks to combat disinformation...
Cuba: Cyber-Citizens?
“Never having become citizens in the real world, it is hard for us to behave as citizens on the web”: Yoani Sanchez at Generation Y shares her thoughts about the...
Dominican Republic: Tires as Toys
Children in the Dominican Republic can be seen playing with tires for a lack of other toys. Reynaldo Brito of Imagenes Dominicanas [es] writes about his experiences in the Herrera...
Ecuador: Interest in Literature Continues
The ExpoLibro 2008 (Guayaquil Book Fair) recently came to a close, which according to organizers, drew hundreds of thousands of visitors with more than 210 stands. This proves that the reading is not dead, as had been predicted with the arrival of the internet. Interest in literary works is alive in well in Ecuador and during this past week, four authors contributed to the culture and literature of the country.
Colombia: Freedom March Around the World
After the rescue of 15 high profile hostages held in the FARC's power on July 2nd 2008, the same group that organized the last global march on February 4th against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) decided that there should be a another one on July 20th, the day when Colombia's Independence from Spain is celebrated. The following videos and photographs show the way this Independence celebration and liberation march was celebrated around the world, and also some of the contrasting thoughts regarding the meaning of nation and freedom.
