Stories about Spanish from February, 2013
Christian Protests Target Puerto Rico's Rising LGBTQ Rights
In the past few weeks various key events have occurred with respect to LGBTQ rights, the most prominent of which may be a demonstration organized by conservative Christian groups called "Puerto Rico Rises Up" to protest against proposed amendments that would extend legal protection to same sex couples in cases of domestic violence.
Powerful Union Leader “La Maestra” Arrested in Mexico
The arrest of union leader Elba Esther Gordillo for money laundering has caused a stir in Mexico. "La Maestra" is already behind bars at the Santa Martha Acatitla Social Rehabilitation Center in the outskirts of Mexico City.
Online Course in Spanish on Election Coverage
The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas is offering a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in Spanish on “How to Improve Electoral Coverage.” The course will be taught by Colombian journalist María Teresa Ronderos from March 8 to April 19, 2013. Ronderos says the course is for journalists and...
Colombia: “Let's Revoke Congress”
Colombian netizens are using the the hashtag #revoquemoselCongreso [Let's Revoke Congress] to expose the reasons why the country's members of Congress should leave their jobs.
Costa Rica: Time of the Vanquished
In the post titled “Time of the vanquished” [es], the blog Furia raises profound reflections about what happens when quietness comes. It concludes its reflections by saying: “in order to conquer the silence of the serenity, the vanquished ones invent new ghosts that whisper in their ears. To win, to...
VIDEO: In Bolivia, Indigenous Women Draw Society's Short Straw
Marisol, an indigenous Bolivian woman, says that in her country "being an indigenous woman is the worst thing that can happen to you." Her testimony is part of a news report by Mario Munera which explores the lives of Bolivian women in the contexts of education, politics and sexist violence. The report "Women in Bolivia" was published in Periodismo Humano.
Uruguay Has South America's Fastest Net
Not that long ago, I'd never thought I could report this, but here we are. According to Netindex, Uruguay is the country with the fastest average speed in Latin America, with 9,53Mbps, and that places us 57 at a global level, over Chile (58), Mexico (71) and Brazil (75). The...
Football Fireworks Claim Minor and Media Ethics in Bolivia
Bolivian media used the Facebook image of a 14-year-old boy to cover his tragic death at an international football match where he was hit by celebratory fireworks in Oruro city. But was this move ethical, moral, or even legal?
Get it Right: “It's Colombia, NOT Columbia”
In an attempt to fix a common spelling error and improve the image of their country, four young Colombian professionals launched the social media campaign "It's Colombia, NOT Columbia." Despite its quick success, the campaign has not been free from criticism.
Panama: TV Nostalgia
With a nostalgic touch, the blog El Panameño reviews [es] some 70s and 80s TV series, and challenges readers to see if they can match the titles with the posters included in the post.
Cuban Yoani Sánchez's Arrival in Brazil Makes Noise
Acclaimed Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez left Cuba this past Sunday for the first time since 2004. Sánchez will visit and speak at universities, NGOs and government forums in Europe, Latin America and the United States. While many voices around the world have expressed joy and excitement about Sánchez’s tour, responses have not all been positive.
Bolivia's President to Seek a Second (or Third?) Term
After Bolivia's ruling party announced that President Evo Morales will seek re-election in the next president contest scheduled for December 2014, debate ensued over whether his current term counts as his first or second, and whether the country's four-year-old constitution would allow him to run again.
Ecuador's Political Future After Correa's Reelection
On February 17 Rafael Correa was re-elected as the president of Ecuador. According to the quick count, the ruling party also obtained at least 96 of the 137 seats in the new National Assembly. Bloggers were quick to analyze the political future of Ecuador under a new Correa mandate and a new political force in the role of the opposition.
Yoani Sánchez Divides Opinions on a Visit to Brazil
Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez was received in Brazil by pro-Cuban government protesters, who accuse her of receiving money from the United States' government and of being a CIA agent. The ones that support the dissident's actions accuse the Brazilian government of collaborating with the Cuban government's repression.
Chile Takes Twitter User to Court Over Parody
A Twitter user is facing jail time in Chile after powerful business mogul Andrónico Luksic accused him of identity theft for creating parody accounts of him on the microblogging site.
The Spanish Government's ‘Obscene’ Hashtag Makes Waves on Twitter
The Spanish governing party launched the hashtag #QuelaenseñeRubalcaba [#ShowyoursRubalcaba] in order to urge the leader of the opposition to publish his income tax return. The hashtag has been received with great furore on Twitter and became a Top Trend within a few hours. In this article we've collected some of the wittiest tweets, as well as numerous images which surfers have been uploading on the social network. [All links lead to Spanish language pages unless otherwise stated]
Global Voices in Sesión de Control
We are pleased to announce that, as of a few weeks ago, Sesión de Control, an online Spanish political affairs magazine, is republishing articles from Global Voices on its website.
Bolivia: Indigenous Communities Battle for Territory
Plans for a road which would cut through the heart of the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory, or TIPNIS, continue to provoke debate and cause conflict in Bolivia. Here we bring you the latest developments on the matter as well as a related video produced for our Video Activo project.
President Correa, “Citizens Must Control Technology”
It is increasingly important that citizens control technology. That is why we must expand the use of these open tools in our society. The Free Software Association of Ecuador has published an open letter [es] to the recently re-elected president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, encouraging him to take action and...
“Ask Angy” Humanizes the Experience of Undocumented Immigrants
Angy Rivera shares her immigration story with the world in hopes of humanizing this complex experience, particularly in the United States. Two years ago she publicly announced that "she did not fear being undocumented," and since then she writes a column entitled Ask Angy, in which she responds to questions, doubts, and comments.
Matisse Bustos Hawkes, Witness and the Power of Video
We spoke with Matisse Bustos Hawkes, communications manager at Witness, an international non-profit organization that uses the power of video and narrative to open the world's eyes to human rights' abuses.
