Stories from Quick Reads and Costa Rica
About Homeland, Lanterns, Parades and Independence in Costa Rica
On her blog Anchas Alamedas, Solentiname remembers how she used to spend Costa Rica independence day, September 15, when she was a schoogirl, and the parades with lanterns and flags: Teníamos estandarte y era un honor reservado para los mejores estudiantes de todo el colegio y solo tres: el que...
Words From a Patient Who Got a Second Chance
Some months ago, on her blog Anchas Alamedas, blogger Solentiname started to share the different stages she's gone through, since the moment she found a lump in her breast. On her latest blogpost, she writes to someone she calls Mimí and she tells her how she felt after the surgery...
Costa Rica's Pre-Columbian Stone Spheres Declared World Heritage
Four archaeological sites with pre-Columbian stone spheres located in the canton of Osa, Puntarenas, in Costa Rica were included in UNESCO's World Heritage List. The decision was announced on Monday, June 23, 2014, during the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in Doha, Qatar. Costa Rican former president Laura...
Costa Rica: Ongoing Teacher Strike
On Tuesday, May 13, the teacher strike in Costa Rica had been going on for 13 days, and President Luis Guillermo Solís called educators’ [es] attention asking them to get back to their classrooms and calling on their patriotism: “With all due respect and humility, I am asking the teachers...
Costa Rica: “God Bless your X”
On Sunday, April 6 2014, Costa Rica held the run-off to elect a new president [es]. After governing party's candidate Johnny Araya retired his campaign, the whole process lost intensity, and abstentionism was a threat. Making an analogy with football soccer [es], website Costa Rica Azul says: Con su equis,...
‘Costa Ricans Are Fed Up’
A myriad of articles about the recent Costa Rican elections have proclaimed the country’s “turn to the left.” Perhaps some do this because it is simply too convenient to whip up an article or op-ed about leftist victories in El Salvador and Costa Rica. Or perhaps some are still trapped...
El Salvador and Costa Rica to Hold Runoff Elections
El Salvador and Costa Rica held presidential elections yesterday, February 2, but both countries will define their president in a runoff vote. In El Salvador, “results show Salvador Sanchez Ceren (FMLN) winning 49%, just short of the 50% he needed to win in the first round. Norman Quijano (ARENA) is...
Costa Ricans Go to the Polls to Elect a New President
Glenda Umaña, a Costa Rican journalist who is covering today's presidential elections, comments on Facebook [es] and Twitter: Ya me encontré en padrón electoral. Se me salen las lágrimas de la emoción de votar! #CNNTICO @cnnee @ pic.twitter.com/RHua1KrN8L — Glenda Umaña (@glendacnn) February 2, 2014 I found my name on...
From Barcelona to Madrid for the Love of a Candidate
Blogger Denise Duncan makes a confession [es] on her blog: ¿Por qué voy a viajar 1400 kilómetros para votar por Luis Guillermo Solís? ¿Por qué ir y volver de Barcelona a Madrid en 24 horas? ¡Pero es un voto, nada más!, podría pensarse. ¿Qué diferencia hay? Una: estoy enamorada. Why...
Online Platform ‘Ojo al Voto’ Seeks to Lure Young Costa Rican Voters
The interactive platform Ojo al voto [es] wants to provide young voters with useful and straightforward information about the upcoming presidential and legislative elections in Costa Rica, scheduled for February 2, 2014. The Hivos Central America website explains: Ojo al voto is an interactive platform, independent from the mainstream media,...
Costa Rica's ‘Green Judges’ vs. Illegal Property Developers
In Culture Unplugged you can watch a short documentary called “Costa Rica, a Land for Sale“: Between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the smallest country in Central America is now the planet’s champion in biodiversity. However, for several years, the success of ecotourism has been driving Costa Rica...
Costa Rican Blogger (Almost) Meets Obama
While Laura [Chinchilla] was talking, at one point he [Obama] turned and looked toward my direction. I took the opportunity and put on my best smile and raised my hat as a greeting. With my other hand I was holding his book over my chest. And you know what? He...
#FLISOL 2013: Hundreds of Latin Americans Installing Free Software
From the Patagonia to Havana, hundreds of computer users across Latin America are choosing freedom over control by installing free software on their computers. On April 27th, groups of free software enthusiasts will be installing free software in dozens of cities across Latin America as part of FLISOL [es], the...
Developing Latin America: A Summary
Desarrollando América Latina (Developing Latin America) has published a video summary of the regional hackathon DAL 2012, where 400 participants and 70 social experts developed 80 applications. Here [es] you can see Global Voices’ coverage of the event.
Racism in Costa Rican Football
José Medrano in Carepicha Blog [es] speaks out against racism in football games and in society in general. I think that racist insults should be punished with a high fine or with community work, along with the obligation to attend courses where they are taught about history and ethics, everything...
Costa Rica: Time of the Vanquished
In the post titled “Time of the vanquished” [es], the blog Furia raises profound reflections about what happens when quietness comes. It concludes its reflections by saying: “in order to conquer the silence of the serenity, the vanquished ones invent new ghosts that whisper in their ears. To win, to...
“Should Women Be Pretty?”
That's the question raised by Nathy2310 from Costa Rica on her blog post “Women, should they be pretty?” and writes [es]: Today I want to tell all those women who criticize other females’ bodies: THAT'S ENOUGH!!! Stop demanding women to have svelte bodies, magazine women bodies, stop watching them with...
Costa Rica: Of Mills and a New Year
There were days when I felt the mill go slowly, too slowly, desperately slowly. Other days, I felt the mill spinning vertiginously, so I couldn't take a breathe and just wanted to get off the mill and run away. Heidy, from Mi mundo mágico (My magic world) draws a parallel...
Ibero-America: Free Software Assessment Report 2012
The recently released Free Software Assessment Report 2012 shows the opinion, assessment and preferences of more than 5,000 people from Spain and Latin America. The study published in its fourth edition is promoted by PortalProgramas and supported by a number of experts and collaborators [es]. The report aims to contribute...
An Invitation to Discuss Reforms to Costa Rica's Cybercrime Law
Ticoblogger invites [es] netizens to discuss [es] proposed reforms to Costa Rica's Cybercrime Law. The site calls on bloggers, Twitter users and blog readers to analyze and report any errors in different proposals to reform the law. Participants can leave a comment on the site or send their posts to...
Blogging Contest Focuses on Child Development
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced its first contest for bloggers, which will focus on issues related to child development.
