Stories about Spanish from August, 2008
Americas: Celebrating BlogDay
August 31 is BlogDay around the world, which is an event where bloggers recommend 5 blogs to be discovered by others. The Latin American team from Global Voices Online is participating by collectively recommending 5 blogs from across the region.
Ecuador: Abortion a Controversial Topic in New Constitution
In a deeply religious country like Ecuador, the topic of a woman's right to choose an abortion is of concern and may determine some voters' decision in the upcoming Constitutional Referendum. Bloggers provide some views about how this controversial topic is seen by the country.
Peru: Views Towards the Indigenous Protests
The protests by indigenous groups in Northern Peru are not always understood in other parts of the country. Some bloggers examine attitudes and views by others, who often look down upon the indigenous groups saying that they are protesting for the wrong reasons or incapable of organizing themselves.
Guatemala: Pizza and Blogs 2008
Javier Aroche invites Guatemalan bloggers to gather at Pizza and Blogs 2008 [es] on August 30.
Dominican Republic: Visit by Junot Díaz to Santo Domingo
Junot Díaz is a Dominican-American writer, who recently won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Joan Guerrero writes about the recent visit to Santo Domingo by the author [es].
Chile: Trolley Bus in Valparaíso
Contenidos Locales [es] covers the recent publication by Jacqueline Gonzalez from the Chilean city of Valparaíso, who writes about the trolley bus that has been running since the 1950s.
Costa Rica: President Arias Asks Dalai Lama to Postpone Visit
Costa Rican president Oscar Arias asked Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama to postpone a private visit to the country, citing that Arias won't be in the country to receive him. However, many bloggers believe that the request coincided with a planned official visit from Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Venezuela: Yukpa Indians, Chávez and land disputes
Citizen media videos have been uploaded informing of the situation arising in Venezuela between the Yukpa Indians of the Perijá Mountains, landowners and President Chávez. This dispute over land limits is 30 years in the making, when military forces displaced the Indigenous communities of the Yukpa by force and established landowners who have cattle ranches and have been working the lands ever since.
Guatemala: Protection of La Danta
Many Guatemalans and foreign journalists are concerned about the plight of the region around La Danta, one of the world's largest pyramids. A group from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting recently visited Petén to document the environmental threats to the region. La Danta is also the name for the tapir, which also requires conservation attention.
Peru: Work on Lima Streets Taking Too Long
Luis Ramos of Vivir Lima [es] complains about the time that it is taking for the work on some Lima streets. He also republishes the results from a recent survey...
Peru: Blogger Inducted to Academy of Spanish Language
Daniel Salas from Gran Combo Club [es] salutes the induction of Camilo Fernádez Cozman to the Peruvian Academy of Spanish language. Camilo, besides an academist is also a blogger. His...
Paraguay: President Lugo to Forgo Salary
Fernando Lugo's presidency started with an announcement that he would forgo his monthly salary. "I don't need that salary, which belongs to the poor," said Lugo. Different local bloggers see things differently, as one applauds the decision and another wonders how Lugo will pay for his own expenses.
El Salvador: The Strategy of Fear in the Presidential Elections
Hunnapuh [es] compares the current FMLN candidate for the Salvadoran presidency, Mauricio Funes, with the late Shafick Handall and how the rival party used the strategy of fear to defeat...
Mexico: Thoughts from A Grandfather
Soron of La Vida es Sueño [es] writes a tribute to his grandfather, Germán, who spoke about life in Mexico City back when, “one could see on a daily basis...
Venezuela: Antonio Lauro and His Classical Guitar
Antonio Lauro is well-known for composing waltzes for the classical guitar. As part of the group Trio Cantores del Trópico, Lauro managed to contribute to the Venezuela's musical heritage converting original European structures into melodies that sound very much like the Venezuelan idiosyncrasies. He toured extensively around neighboring countries to spread the sounds of Venezuelan music.
Dominican Republic: Gold Medal in Boxing
Duarte 101 [es] celebrates the gold medal of Félix Díaz for his win in the Olympics. It was the first time since 1984 that a boxer from the Dominican Republic...
Argentina: Weblogs Day 2008 in Buenos Aires
The 2008 version of Weblogs Day recently took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This year, topics went beyond the discussion of blogs, and included information about web 2.0 entrepreneurs and other online events. Global Voices Online was also presented by Argentina author Jorge Gobbi.
Peru: Government Attempts to Halt Protests in the North
The news media has started to provide more coverage of the protests taking place in Northern Peru. The newspaper La República writes that the commission headed up by Environmental Minister...
Mexico: Videos raise awareness of kidnapping crisis
Mexico has seen a steep rise in kidnapping for ransom cases this year, and a group of videobloggers have decided to take a stand and make videos proposing solutions for this problem. According to the Analisis a Fondo blog, according to the Dutch NGO Pax Christi and local authorities, Mexico has surpassed Colombia in the number of kidnappings, which take place mostly in the capital and neighboring areas.
Mexico: Attempt to Close Radio Ñomndaa
Notilibertas [es] posts a video about the attempt by federal police to close Radio Ñomndaa, an indigenous radio station in Guerrero, Mexico.
Colombia: Narcotours in Medellín
In Medellín, Colombia, “narco”-tours are being offered for foreigners to visit sites associated with the drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, writes Jorge Gobbi of Blog de Viajes [es].
