Stories about Spanish from February, 2009
Paraguay: Why Do Fellow Citizens Leave the Country?
“Why do Paraguayans leave our country?” writes Jasy Moroti on Somos Paraguayos [es] and lists some of the reasons including not being given opportunities, sometimes based on the personal interests...
Video: Community Radios Fill the Information Gap
In a highly globalized and digitalized world, sometimes we may forget that in many regions of the world, not even electricity is available, and the possibility of using internet as an alternative information source is still a distant dream. It is in locations like Guatemala, Chad and India that community radio rises as the alternative for native communities to speak about their concerns, hear news and stories, receive information and all this in their native languages.
Colombia: Restrictions and Curfew in Medellín
In Medellín, Colombia, Juan David Escobar is critical about the new restrictions for male passengers on motorcycles and a city-wide curfew for bars outside of designated areas [es]. He points...
Bolivia: Donations Other than Ambulances
With the recent crisis involving dengue fever throughout Bolivia, Carlos Gustavo Machicado of Guccio's [es] writes that there are more pressing health concerns in which donations other than ambulances are...
Mexico: Criticizing Wasteful Government Spending
The Mexican federal government recently updated information about its expenses and its budgets for various public institutions on their transparency portal. Using this public information, many bloggers have identified expenses for questionable recreational activities that have cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pesos.
Costa Rica: Radio Santa Clara Celebrates 25 Years
Radio Santa Clara in northern Costa Rica is celebrating 25 years of programming writes Jaguar del Platanar [es].
Uruguay: Gathering of Web Designers and Entrepreneurs
Martin will be attending Punta del Este 2009, an international gathering of entrepreneurs and web designers in Uruguay [es]
Colombia: Another Illegal Wire Tapping Scandal
The news magazine Semana recently revealed that the "secret police" of Colombia had been illegally wire tapping politicians, journalists, magistrates, intellectuals and even government officials close to President Álvaro Uribe. Even worse, some of these agents allegedly had been “selling to the highest bidder” the information obtained to guerrillas, paramilitaries or drug traffickers. Colombian bloggers react to these revelations.
Chile: Faces Along Commute Using Transantiago
Andrea Zamora narrates her daily commute to the Municipality of Peñalolén in Santiago, Chile [es] and some of the people she observes riding the Transantiago public transportation system.
Peru: Cholesterol Levels Rising for Lima Residents
Cholesterol levels for Lima residents are rising according to a report cited by Letra Suelta [es].
Chile: Parking Spaces for Disabled Drivers
Mario Carrasco Berrios describes some of his recent experiences in the city of Talca, Chile with the lack of parking spaces for disabled drivers [es], as well as the problem...
Mexico: Urban Artists in Monterrey Take to the Internet
In the streets of Monterrey, a city best known for being the industrial and technological mecca of Mexico, graffiti and other urban artists are utilizing user-friendly electronic media in order to showcase their painted works and murals on the internet, but also in some cases to take advantage of the anonymity needed when painting illegally on public spaces.
Costa Rica: Creativity Through Collectivity
Like a delicious recipe, artistic, musical and visual talents are placed together as ingredients in a functional and creative tendency: collectives. Across Costa Rica, many creative groups and collectives are using social media to showcase their work and connect with like-minded enthusiasts. These are some examples of collectives in the fields of film, music and the visual arts.
Dominican Republic: A Tsunami of Garbage
Duarte101 [es] writes about a planned urban art event called “Urban Solid Residue” which will show the reality of the amount of garbage in the form of a “tsunami of...
Peru: Portrayal of Andean Life in Llosa's Movies
The recent film "The Milk of Sorrow" by Peruvian director Claudia Llosa was recently awarded with the Golden Bear at an international film festival in Berlin. Even though the film has yet to open in Peru, debate has started whether or not Llosa's portrayal of Andean life is accurate or in some cases racist towards the indigenous communities that figure prominently in her movies.
Chile: NGO for Victims of Delinquency Brings Together Citizens
The NGO Víctimas de la Delincuencia [es] (Victims of Delinquency) was created in Chile's capital city of Santiago in 2006 to protect, guide and inform the victims of violence in this city. On their website, citizens have been marking episodes of violence (muggings, assault, robbery, rape and abuse) on a map, uploading videos and testimony of when and how they were victimized. The organization's goal is enable the changing of laws in Chile, which so far, according to Víctimas de la Delincuencia, tend to benefit delinquents instead of their victims.
Colombia: Drawing Attention to the Cause of Minority Groups
Minorities in Colombia, such as indigenous groups, have not been given much importance and Carlos Correa of Palimpsesto [es] suggests that they follow the example of the Cauca indigenous community...
Paraguay: Mistake During Her Time as Nanny
L.M. shares her story with Somos Paraguayos [es] about her mistake of stealing from the family she had been working for as a nanny in Miami and the lessons she...
Costa Rica: The Budget for 4 Public Universities Cut
Costa Rican president Oscar Arias recently cut the budget for four public universities and La Foto Salio Movida [es] writes that this will affect scholarships and infrastructure.
Guatemala: President Colom Apologizes for the Bay of Pigs
In preparation for the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961, the government of Guatemala allowed the CIA to train Cuban exiles on their soil for the operation. Even though the invasion failed, the memory still remains. Nearly 50 years later, the current president Álvaro Colom visited Cuba and took the opportunity to “officially ask Cuba for forgiveness." He also presented former Cuban leader Fidel Castro with the Order of the Quetzal, which is the highest honor given by Guatemala.
Honduras: Zelaya's Drive Around San Pedro Sula
Honduran president Mel Zelaya took a ride around the streets of San Pedro Sula on one of the tractors that were donated by the government of Venezuela writes El Sampedrano...
