Stories about Spanish from June, 2012
Ecuador: #CasoSatya, Homophobia and Freedom of Expression
Nicola Rothon and Helen Bicknell are a lesbian couple from the United Kingdom that legalized their union in Ecuador; however, they were not allowed to both register as mothers of Satya, conceived by artificial insemination. Some editorials have generated various opinions on social networks about issues like the limits to freedom of expression and homophobia.
Peru: Mayor of Espinar Arrested Amid Mining Conflict
Amid a heavy police deployment, the mayor of the province of Espinar, Oscar Mollohuanca, was arrested on May 30 at midday. The mayor had been in hiding after a state of emergency was declared in the area because of the conflict between the community of Espinar and the mining company Xstrata Tintaya, and especially after learning there was an arrest warrant out for him.
Argentina: The Return of ‘Cacerolazos’, Pot-banging Protests
On May 31 the 'cacerolazo' - a protest where people bang pots and pans - returned to Argentina in reaction to new foreign exchange measures, insecurity, and corruption, Argentines organized through social networks to protest in the streets and from their homes.
Uruguay: Students Recall Receiving First “Ceibalitas” Five Years Later
In a video [es] published on YouTube, the first generation of Uruguayan students who received their “ceibalitas” -the OLPC XO-1 laptop computers that are part of Plan Ceibal (Ceibal Project)-...
Spain: “Wanted: The Ones Responsible for the Crisis”
Following the departure of Rodrigo Rato as chairman of the financial institution Bankia, with over a million euros in indemnity payments and without any kind of explanation as to why the bank has ended up in its current state, groups of activists linked to the 15M movement have created a digital platform with the aim of making the people responsible for the crisis accountable.
Peru: Conflict Between Espinar Community and Mining Company
At the time of writing this post, the socio-environmental conflict in the province of Espinar, Cusco region, between the community and the mining company Xstrata Copper - Tintaya is on the eighth day of a strike by the community -protests are escalating in both violence and repression.
