Stories about Spanish from March, 2012
Bolivia: The Wandering Hands of the Santa Cruz Mayor
Santa Cruz Mayor Percy Fernández is in hot water because of his apparent inappropriate touching of city council member Desirée Bravo, which was caught on tape by the media during a public event. The behavior may be a repeated pattern of bizarre actions by the controversial mayor.
Puerto Rico: A Small and Modest Art Blog
Check out artist Omar Banuchi's blog on Tumblr: “a small and modest blog of images.”
Puerto Rico: Youth, Facebook, and News
A recent survey of 130 college students [es], mostly from the Río Piedras campus of the University of Puerto Rico, shows that many of them actually use Facebook to read news.
Puerto Rico: “He Leaves at Last”
Blogger and historian Yvonne Acosta comments on the recent dismissal [es] of the Superintendent of the Police Emilio Díaz Colón.
Chile: Open Letter to Daniel Zamudio Goes Viral
Chilean netizens were deeply moved by an open letter to Daniel Zamudio, a young gay man who died after a brutal beating, written by Felipe E. Mercado and published on...
Mexico: One Year After Birth of “Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity”
Mexicans speak out about the first anniversary of the beginning of the “Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity,” which is related to the death of activist and former poet Javier Sicilia's son during the "war" the current administration has declared against organized crime.
Nicaragua: Blogs Tell What the Press Ignore About Sexual Diversity
In Nicaragua, the mainstream media sensationalize news about homosexuality among men and women. That is just one of the findings of a recent study. However, blogs help to tackle the issues from a another perspective.
Peru: Focusing on Technology for Social and Economic Development
What if Peru were more committed to supporting and developing technology? This is what Oscar Montezuma asks in the blog Blawyer [es]. He looks at the current cabinet of ministries...
Video: Cropshare System Unites Landowners and Land-less Farmers in Spain
Shared Vegetable Gardens (Huertos Compartidos) is a project in Spain that brings together people who wish to grow their own food but don't have the land, with landowners who may have the...
Spain: General Strike After Only 100 Days of Government
Spain's main trade unions have called a general strike for today, March 29, with the aim of paralyzing the country, and forcing the government to back down on implementing measures that will weaken workers' rights and cut social services.
Guatemala: Indigenous and Rural Communities March to Defend Their Land
Thousands of Guatemalan indigenous people and countrymen participated in a nine-day march to defend their lands, protest forced relocations, and call attention to other issues affecting rural communities. We share some images of the march posted online by blogger and photographer James Rodríguez.
Chile: Daniel Zamudio, Victim of a Brutal Hate Crime, Passes Away
Daniel Zamudio, a young gay man, became the victim of a brutal attack on March 3. In this post we show some of the reactions from blogs, online news sites and Twitter since the news broke and until March 27, when his death was announced.
Chile: Blogging About Government Transparency in ‘El Vaso’
Ciudadano Inteligente, an organization that aims to make Chilean politics more transparent, has created a blog titled ‘El Vaso’ [es] to inform and promote a discussion about technology and government...
Bolivia: Promoting Internet Connectivity in the ‘Real’ and ‘Virtual’ World
Blogger Mario R. Durán from Palabras Libres [es] lists the recent accomplishments of a group of activists that make up the Facebook group “Más ancho de banda para Bolivia” (“More...
Argentinians Ask to #Freethebooks
The coming into force of a resolution that restricts the importation of books has caused a new controversy. Here we bring together reactions that Argentinians have been sharing in recent days on their blogs and on Twitter with the hashtag #liberenloslibros (#freethebooks).
Cuba: Who will the Pope Support?
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Santiago de Cuba on Monday, the second visit by a Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church to the island in 14 years. The web, especially Twitter, has become a battleground for dissidents and government supporters.
‘Mujeres Construyendo': Empowering Women, One Blog at a Time
Mujeres Construyendo, the first platform for female bloggers in Spanish, wants to convert Hispanic women into creators of internet content. We talk to its founder, Claudia Calvin, about this growing community of bloggers.
Nicaragua: Film on Consequences of Leaked Sex Videos Seeks Crowdfunding
An award-winning team of producers and actors is coming together in rural Nicaragua to make a movie on the consequences of teenagers making an intimate video which then becomes public by mistake. They are looking for extra funding to cover costs on location in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, and all the money raised will be spent locally.
Mexico: Protests and Celebrations Mark Pope Benedict's Visit
On the streets and via social networks, Mexicans celebrated as well as protested (even with nudity) the pastoral visit of the Pope of the Catholic Church, Benedict XVI, to Guanajuato from March 23 to 26, 2012.
Cuba: Pope Benedict XVI Takes a Glance at Cuba's Future
Pope Benedict XVI's arrival at the western province Santiago de Cuba placed the Caribbean nation at the Twitter Trending Topics. Blogs and social media are raging with netizen's opinions on the Pope's visit to the island.
Chile: Twitter Debates Therapeutic Abortion While the Senate Waits
While the senate continues to postpone the debate over the legalization of therapeutic abortion, the exchanging of opinions has continued unabated in Chilean cyberspace, most noticeably following two televised debates on the subject.
