Stories about Spanish from February, 2011
Bolivia: Interview with blogger Patricia Vargas (@arquitecta)
Hugo from Serbolivianoes [es] posted a video interview with blogger [es] Patricia Vargas (@arquitecta on Twitter), “one of the first bloggers and one of the most influential Twitter users in...
Venezuela: Views of Caracas from the Local Blogosphere
A huge number of texts, descriptions, stories and articles have been written about Caracas; the blogosphere also plays an important role in describing the Venezuelan capital. Laura Vidal gathers bloggers who devote themselves to recounting the latest developments in the lives of the Caraqueños, some out of a desire for a better city and a love for its culture, and others from a feeling of nostalgia for the noble Caracas of times past.
Puerto Rico: A Travelling Girl
Kanchita, a seven-year old girl from Puerto Rico, has started a blog [es] in which she is recording her thoughts during her wonderful travels through South America. Kanchita is also...
Equatorial Guinea: Writer on Hunger Strike
The writer and poet from Equatorial Guinea, Juan Tomás Avila Laurel [es], has gone on a hunger strike [es] in protest against the dictatorship of Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Obiang and...
Brazil/USA: “Can the US shutdown the Internet?”
On his blog, brazilian journalist Altamiro Borges writes [pt, en] about the capacity of the USA to shutdown the internet in moments of crisis while commenting on an article by...
Venezuela: Netizens Comment on Possible Gasoline Use Restrictions
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced possible measures to start rationing gasoline. This matter constitutes a very sensitive issue for Venezuelans, since Venezuela is a country with one of the world's lowest gasoline prices. After the announcement, bloggers and Twitter users reacted in different ways.
Uruguay: Ceremony Kicks Off Bicentennial Celebrations
Sebastián Chocca from El Informante [es] was present in the Legislative Palace in Montevideo, Uruguay during the opening ceremony of this year's Bicentennial celebrations. He details his experience and comments...
Costa Rica: Crowdfunding Costa Rican Film “El Regreso”
In Fusil de Chispas [es], Cristian Cambronero writes about how the Costa Rican film “El Regreso” (“The Return”) is using crowdfunding through Kickstarter to try to raise $40,000 USD by...
Colombia: Truck Driver Strike Causes Road Chaos in Bogotá
Since February 2, 2011, Colombian truck drivers have been on national strike due to certain government reforms. On February 15, the issue became one of the most discussed on citizen media sites because of traffic congestion in the capital, Bogotá,
Cuba: Cyberwar? Video Sparks Debate, Anger, Skepticism
A video posted February 1st on Vimeo features a 52-minute presentation on new information technologies and a “ciberguerra” allegedly being waged on Cuba by the United States government and US-based NGOs. Initial reports called this a classified government video that had been leaked, but some bloggers (on and off the island) are questioning this assertion.
Bolivia: 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit La Paz
In Citizen of La Paz [es], Luis Ramos lists 10 reasons why you should visit La Paz, Bolivia, including: its nightlife, its surroundings, El Alto, Lake Titicaca, and more.
Latin America: Conversations About OCD Iberoamérica
Juan Arellano spoke to Soraya Sacaan [es] and Juan José Retamal [es] of OCD Iberoamérica [es], a Chilean initiative whose mission is to “contribute to knowledge of digital communications in...
Panama: Crowdsourcing to Map Corruption and Crime
Periodismo Ciudadano [es] describes Mapa Transparente [es], a crowdsourcing initiative in Panama which allows users to track corruption, theft, homicides, sexual assaults, kidnappings and other forms of crime on a...
Colombia: Outrage after failed FARC hostage release
On December 8, 2010, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced they would release five hostages in an open letter to former senator Piedad Córdoba. However, things did not go as planned on Sunday: two hostages were not present at the coordinates provided by FARC. Many Colombian Twitter users expressed their outrage as a result.
El Salvador: Citizen Reactions to disclosure of wages in the Legislative Assembly
The disclosure of Legislative Assembly employee wages, some a lot higher than expected, has sparked outrage among Salvadoran bloggers.
Cuba: What do the Cables from Havana Say? (Part II)
Speculation about the health of the former President of Cuba, Fidel Castro Ruz, was one of the main issues discussed in various cables revealed by WikiLeaks. In this second part of a series, our author Elaine Díaz analyzes the content of the controversial diplomatic cables.
Puerto Rico: “I Support My Alma Mater”
“I stand behind my country’s public university and what it should be: an accessible institution that promotes the advancement of different types of knowledges, provides spaces to discuss and solve...
Puerto Rico: UPR President Resigns
In the midst of a severe crisis, the president of the University of Puerto Rico, José Ramón de la Torre, resigned allegedly due to “personal reasons.” The student digital publication...
Colombia: If Mubarak were Colombian
Around the time Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was scheduled to deliver his disappointing speech on February 10, 2011, the hashtag #siMubarakfueracolombiano ("If Mubarak were Colombian") started trending on the local twittosphere.
Peru: Inambari Hydroelectric Project Generates Rejection
The Inambari hydroelectric project in the Peruvian Amazon jungle has sparked public debate and generated rejection due to its potential impact on the local ecosystem and because 80% of the energy produced will go to Brazil. Inambari would be the fifth largest central in the region, with an installed capacity of 2,200 megawatts, and its construction will require an investment of U.S. $4 billion.
Cuba: What do the Cables from Havana Say? (Part I)
Around 506 diplomatic cables of the 250,000 released by WikiLeaks on November 28, 2010 proceed from the American Section with Interests in Havana. Until February 2011, only 34 messages had been declassified. Global Voices author Elaine Díaz analyzes their content in the first part of a series on the cables and Cuba.
