Stories about Spanish from April, 2009
Ecuador: Fernandina Volcano Continues to Erupt
The volcano Fernandina located on the Ecuadorian Galapagos archipelago continues to erupt writes La Voz de Guamote [es].
Ecuador: Handing Out Gifts During Signature Drive
In the Chillogallo neighborhood of Quito, Ecuador, Andrés Rodríguez of Modestamente Humano [es] has photos of workers supporting the campaign of Alvaro Noboa handing out bags of oats to “supporters”...
Dominican Republic: Traffic Fatalities Due to Alcohol
Over the course of the Holy Week holidays, 57 people lost their lives due to traffic accidents in the Dominican Republic. Rocío Díaz of Monaco [es] notes that 70% were...
Peru: Traditional Music Takes on Internet Love
While internet romance has lost its shock value to many online veterans, certain segments of the population who have so far remained outside of the online revolution are just catching up with these changes and are exploring the pros and cons of cyber-romance. Here we bring you three music videos for songs by Peruvian folklore singers who provide us their Andean perspective on these new ways of finding and bonding with romantic partners.
Ecuador: Creation of New Social Security Bank
With the social security system in need of serious reform in Ecuador due to past corruption and confusing language in employee and employer responsibilities, President Rafael Correa is backing a plan to create a new Affiliates Bank. This new entity will have more oversight by the central government, but place control in the hands of 5 individuals, re-opening worries that there might be potential for some of the previous problems that plagued the funds.
Peru: Unanswered Questions After Sentencing of Fujimori
With the sentencing of Peruvian ex-president Alberto Fujimori, Eland Vera of Comunicación y Desarrollo Peru [es] has some unanswered questions such as, “Is it possible that history repeats itself if...
Paraguay: Typical Bread Called Chipa
Camino Al Paraguay [es] has photos of Chipa, a typical kind of bread from Paraguay.
Ecuador: The Impact of the Installation Festival for Open-Source Software
Open-source software enthusiast in Ecuador, Rafael Bonifaz, writes about the impact [es] that the Latin American Installation Festival (FLISOL) has had on his country.
Argentina: Mi* Platform for Budding Spanish Speaking Citizen Journalists
From Argentina, the Mi * (asterisk) citizen journalism website has sprouted up, with the intention of becoming the platform for budding Spanish speaking citizen journalists to post their work and receive comments, discuss topics, receive training and share content. So far citizen journalism workshops have been given in Argentina, Ecuador and Dominican Republic, and citizens from these and other countries have been participating on the site.
Mexico: Foreign Artists Commenting on Internal Matters
French musician and activist Manu Chao was recently in Mexico, where he referred to the riots in Atenco to be an example of "state terrorism." As a result, there was reports that he was being investigated by the government for violating Article 33 of the Mexican Constitution, which prohibits foreigners from becoming involved in the internal matters of the country.
Argentina: A Wall Separating Two Neighborhoods in Buenos Aires
A wall built between two neighborhoods in northern Buenos Aires leaves residents and bloggers wondering whether this is the best way to combat crime or whether it just a way to separate people of different classes. Even though in a local newspaper poll, most people support the wall because of the problem of security that many face, it was torn down by those in opposition leaving little to show for the public investment of funds.
Peru: Ex-President Fujimori Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison
Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori received his sentence: 25 years in prison convicted for crimes against humanity during his 1990-2000 administration. He was found to be guilty in his role of 25 murders during the operations against the Shining Path terrorist insurgency that gripped the nation. Peruvian bloggers react to the decision.
Cuba: 10th Havana Biennial
Havana Times posts photos of installations featured in the 10th Havana Biennial, which continues until the end of April, while Yohandry's Weblog [ES] wonders whether there are two biennials.
Nicaragua: Failure in the Use of ICTs
Even though Nicaragua was the 2nd Latin American country to get the internet, a recent 406 page study shows that it has failed to take advantage of the use of...
El Salvador: The Death Penalty as the Only Solution
The only solution to halt the wave of violent crime in El Salvador is to restore the death penalty writes MPITES [es] and does not think that human rights groups...
Ecuador: Cell Phone Robberies in Quito
The younger brother of Andrés Rodríguez of Modestamente Humano [es]
Colombia: Humanitarian Minga Recovers Bodies of Awá Indigenous
A group of 470 Colombian indigenous participated in a humanitarian minga, which is a collective mission towards a common goal, to recover the bodies of members of the Awá indigenous communities that were killed by the FARC, who accused them of cooperating with the army. The blog from the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) provided regular updates on the progress of the minga, as well as the situation that led to the action.
Ecuador: Blogs, Twitts and Beef Get-together
iPab [es] announces the Blogs, Twitts and Beef get-together in Quito, Ecuador scheduled for April 18.
Colombia: Dream Traffickers Copyleft Publishing House
Carolina Botero of equinoXio introduces the copyleft publishing house “Dream Traffickers,” which recently was in Bogotá, Colombia for a talk at the National University of Colombia.
Egypt: Social Resistance Blog Available in Spanish
“News of the Egyptian social resistance is now available in Spanish and Catalan,” reports Arabawy, from Egypt.
Argentina: A Land of Immigrants and Emigrants
Argentina is a country built by immigrants primarily by Europeans who escaped war and hunger in the early 20th century. Later, South Americans and Asians also made a new life in the country having to adapt to new surroundings. However, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Argentineans also left their country due to the presence of a military dictatorship, and later a political and economic crisis. All of this movement makes Argentina a land of immigrants and emigrants.
