Stories about Spanish from October, 2012
Cuba: Cell Phone Use on the Rise
Puertasabiertas [es] reports that thousands of Cubans are purchasing cell phone service for the first time because of a new plan offered by Cuba's cell phone company, Cubacel, that began...
Mexico: Central American Mothers in Search of Missing Migrants
In the last six years around 70,000 migrants have disappeared in Mexico. Central American mothers of abducted and missing migrants are traveling in a caravan all over Mexico looking for their sons and daughters who have disappeared on their way north. The women also hope to capture the media's attention and raise awareness on this issue that has been largely ignored.
Chile: What is Poderopedia and How Does it Work?
Poderopedia is an editorial and crowdsourced data journalism platform that maps who's who in business and politics in Chile.
Panama: Protests Erupt in Colón Over Land Law
The sale of the land in the tax free zone of Colón has sparked a series of protests in Panamá. Government and protesters face off, and neither side seems to want to budge.
Bolivia: Vice President Keeping Track of Netizens’ Insults
A debate on the control of social networks was rekindled in Bolivia after vice president Álvaro García Linera stated that he is monitoring and taking note of netizens who are insulting President Evo Morales. Members of the opposition consider the statement a threat to freedom of speech, others support regulation, and some suggest the government should pay attention to other important issues people demand online.
Chile: #LosQueSobran Campaign to Pull Youth to Polls
A group of Chilean NGOs have come together in a fun campaign to encourage young people to vote in the Municipal elections this Sunday, October 28. For the first time in Chile, voter registration is automatic and the vote is voluntary.
Ecuador: Cofiec Banking Loan Irregularities Unleash Outrage
Antonio Buñay, former executive chief of Cofiec Bank – a state owned bank- and the alleged responsible person for the Cofiec case, which is causing stir in the Ecuador legal system and among citizens, appeared before the prosecutor's office on October 16, 2012. The #CofiecCase, as Ecuadorian Twitter users have named it, was uncovered after irregularities were found in a Cofiec banking loan for US$800,000 granted to the Argentinian investor Gastón Duzac.
Colombia: How Attacks on Energy Infrastructure Affects Citizens
A rise in the number of attacks on Colombia’s energy infrastructure by guerrilla groups FARC and ELN have had a profound impact on the lives of many Colombians.
Peru Holds Annual Processions for the Lord of the Miracles
Every year during October, Lima (Peru's capital city) shows its devotion to the Lord of the Miracles. Here's a brief summary of the history behind this huge Peruvian religious event, and a taste of how citizens have been commenting and covering the processions through citizen media.
Puerto Rico: Journalism Called Into Question
Former President of the Association of Puerto Rican Journalists (ASPPRO), Wilda Rodríguez, wrote a scathing column [es] on the current state of journalism in Puerto Rico for local blog 80grados.net....
Colombia: The “Lleras Law” and Content Creation
We talk with Pilar Sáenz of the Karisma Foundation about the evolution of the controversial Lleras Law, which changes the framework for legislation and regulation of copyrights and intellectual property. Furthermore, we present a video with producer Armadillo Media TV about how the creativity of Colombian internet users could be affected by this law.
Colombian Senator Removed and Disqualified, Triumph for Social Networks?
On October 16, 2012 the Attorney General's Office dismissed Senator Eduardo Merlano from office, disqualifying him from holding public office for 10 years after finding him guilty of taking advantage of his position as senator to avoid a traffic ticket. News of the dismissal was well received among Colombian netizens, who attributed the achievement to a successful campaign calling for Senator Merlano to resign.
Panama: TEDxPanamaCity 2012
Porto Diao [es] reviews TEDxPanamaCity 2012, an independently organized TED event held on October 10, 2012. The post lists the best five conferences, providing a short overview of each one....
Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica Continue on the Road to 2014 World Cup
Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica advanced to the final qualifying round in the Concacaf (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) competition to reach the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Football fans on various social networks have been discussing the exciting qualification matches.
Radio Campaign to Protect Colombian Human Rights Defenders
Front Line Defenders has joined Colombian social movement ‘MOVICE‘ [es] (National Movement of Victims of State Crimes) in a campaign to develop a series of 6 radio Public Service Announcements...
United States: Hispanic Perspective on Second Presidential Debate
The second debate which took place in New York's Hofstra University on October 16th showed a much more energetic Barack Obama than in the first debate. Twitter saw high levels of activity surrounding the debate. According to reports, more than 100,000 tweets were recorded per minute when the subject of immigration arose.
Latin American Netizens Join Forces to Overcome Poverty
Regional organization TECHO is using Facebook [es], Twitter [es], Google Plus and YouTube [es] to raise awareness about poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean on October 17, International Day for the...
United States: The Fight for Young Undocumented Immigrants
Hundreds of thousand of young undocumented immigrants rejoiced at the news: President Barack Obama's Government authorized registration for the deferred action plan, which allows them to resolve their immigratory and laboral status for two years.
The Authors Behind the Venezuelan Literary Boom
This is the second part of an interview with Guillermo Parra of the blog Venepoetics, where he shares his reflections on the new rise of Venezuelan literature and his translations of Venezuelan poet Jose Antonio Ramos Sucre. In this part of the interview we will share Guillermo's take on the new authors who are painting the landscape of new Venezuelan narratives.
Controversy over Nobel Peace Prize to European Union
The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union (EU) has sparked a lively debate in the media and on social networks in Europe and the rest of the world.
Costa Rica Advances in Legislation for Wildlife Protection
Costa Rica is advancing in legislation to protect wildlife. On October 10, President Laura Chinchilla signed a decree that strengthens the controls on shark finning in Costa Rican waters. Furthermore, on October 2, the Legislative Assembly approved the first reading of a reform for the Wildlife Conservation Law, which proposes the elimination of hunting sports in the country.
