Stories about Spanish from April, 2011
Puerto Rico: Art for a Cause
The digital artist collective UNDOdigital has opened a virtual art gallery [es] for a cause: the proceeds will be donated to the family of Yamil Emanuel, who was born with...
Cuba: Reflection before the Congress of the Communist Party
Blogger, journalist and LGBT activist Francisco Rodríguez Cruz reflects on his political trajectory [es] before participating in the VI Congress of the Cuban Communist Party.
Puerto Rico: Debate on Domestic Violence Continues
In Puerto Rico, the public debate on domestic violence has reached a boiling point. Individuals and organizations react online, and offline, to the recent court decisions regarding the application of the Law against Domestic Violence.
Chile: Nurse Expedites Organ Transport Using Twitter
Cristina Bizama, a nurse at Talca hospital in Chile, has devised a way to speed up the transport of organs from the city of Talca to the capital, Santiago, some 260 kilometers away. Everything started with one tweet: "Incredible! There is no way to transport 5 organs to [Santiago]."
Guatemala: Maximón and Other Holy Week Traditions
The different and special elements of religiosity in Guatemala make Holy Week (in Spanish, 'Semana Santa') quite a unique experience. Somehow the Catholic religion has been "hacked" to incorporate indigenous peoples' gods, goddesses, rites and ceremonies while integrating elements of Catholicism.
Colombia: Anti-Personnel Mines and the “Remángate” Campaign
April 4, 2011, marked the celebration of the International Day of Awareness of Anti-personnel Mines. In Colombia, the Presidential Program for Action Against Anti-personnel Mines (Paicma) joined corporate groups and social organizations to promote the "Remángate" campaign. The campaign relies on its website, Twitter account (@remangate) and hashtag #Remangate.
Costa Rica: Climate Change Affecting the Cloud Forest
The Monteverde Now project documents the stories of 11 members of the Monteverde Community through short video interviews where they explain how their life has been transformed and how they are adapting to sustaining their diverse and delicate ecosystem in the face of climate change.
Cuba: Communist Party Ushers in Entrepreneurism and Term Limits
For the minority of Cubans who are within it, the blogosphere provides a space to exchange ideas. And there were plenty prompts for discussion this week, with the Castro brothers holding the first Congress of its Communist party since 1997 (it is supposed to be every five years) and announcing term limits for leadership on the island.
Nicaragua: Holy Week in the Countryside
While most Nicaraguans and foreign tourists like to spend their holidays in the beach, Ronald Hill Alvarez in Sueños del Caribe [es] recommends spending the ‘Semana Santa’ (Holy Week) holidays...
Bolivia: Sharing a Meal with Aymara Women
Pablo Andrés Rivero [es] blogs about a “collective, ritual meal of the Andean region” he shared with Aymara women in the Palca municipality, close to La Paz. When he was...
Mexico: Felipe Calderon's Cabinet on Twitter
In mid-April, the government headed by Felipe Calderon announced with much fanfare that every member of the cabinet was now registered on Twitter, and prepared to deal more directly with the public via social media. The initiative, however, is shadowed by a concurrent report ranking Mexico just 78th out of 133 countries in terms of its effective use of information technology.
Colombia: Teen Produced Web Series about Gay Youth
Nineteen year old Jhoncito Arango's most recent web project has certainly caught the local media's eye in his native Colombia, where his web series Yonkis has had a very good reception considering that it tackles a topic that is still considered highly sensitive in this Catholic country: homosexuality.
Mexico: The Reality of Public Transportation in Mexico City
Bloggers in Mexico City narrate their experiences and express their opinions on two of the most popular means of public transportation in that city: the Metro and the Metrobús.
Argentina: Judge Recognizes Armenian Genocide
An Argentinean judge issued a historic ruling in which he condemned the Turkish state for committing the crime of genocide against the Armenian population. Argentina received an important stream of Armenian immigrants fleeing the genocide, whose descendants maintain their customs and traditions grouped under distinct institutions that form the Armenian Collective.
Equatorial Guinea: Few, but Strong Virtual Voices
In Equatorial Guinea, where only 2% of the population has access to the Internet, and there are about 11,000 Facebook users and two known blogs. Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel and Eyi Nguema are the only bloggers writing in Equatorial Guinea. For them, blogging is a true commitment with democracy.
Blogging Latino Literature and Technology
Valerie Russo founded a successful blog named Literanista. Five years after its inception, this Puerto Rican-Sicilian writer talks with Global Voices about her vision, achievements and future goals.
Mexico: Netizens Deploy the “Failed State” Meme
The idea of Mexico as an actual or potential "failed state," pending since its introduction into public discourse in 2008 following news of a report to this effect by the U.S. Joint Forces, has become a popular meme in its own right on the Internet, as bloggers and other netizens deploy the parlance (signaled on Twitter by the ubiquitous hashtag #estadofallido) for their own critical purposes.
Puerto Rico: Blogging Again
After a long hiatus, one of Puerto Rico's blogging pioneers, Manuel Clavell Carrasquillo, has returned to Estruendomudo [es]. He comes back with a brief reflection [es] on Pablo Casals and...
Puerto Rico: Performance and Roots
Music scholar, musician and blogger Raquel Z. Rivera interviews [es] the Puerto Rican dancer and choreographer Noemí Segarra about her latest piece, “de rumbo de rumba.”
Puerto Rico: What is a consensual relationship?
Journalist and blogger Mari Mari Narvaez reflects on the Supreme Court's decision [es] to exclude “adulterous” victims from the special protections offered by the Law against Domestic Violence of Puerto Rico.
Peru: Reactions Following the First 2011 Electoral Round
After celebrating the elections in Peru, the results indicate a second round between Ollanta Humala and Keiko Fujimori. Bloggers, candidates, and analysts coincide that the result is principally a "vote of punishment" for the economic policies managed by governments in recent years, that have fomented growth and created a new economic prosperity that does not reach everyone.
