Stories from Quick Reads and Guatemala
Guatemala: The Role of Women in Decision Making
Hector Javier Tecum blogs about the role of women in Guatemalan politics for Americas Quarterly [es]. He argues that the inclusion of women in decision-making positions is still a challenge for the country.
Latin America: Museum Releases Digital Archive of 20th-Century Art
The International Center for Arts of the Americas (ICCA) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has released a digital archive of 20th-century Latin American and Latino art, which, “is now available, free of charge, to the research and teaching community as well as to the public at large.” Culture...
Guatemalans Climb to Raise Awareness About Domestic Violence
“On January 21, Under the name of Subida por la vida [“Climb for life”], there were over 8,000 people climbing Volcán de Agua (Water Volcano) to form the largest heart in the world at 12,335 feet as part of campaign to bring awareness and to reduce domestic violence,” Antigua Daily...
Guatemala: President Calls on Military to ‘Neutralize Illegal Armed Groups’
Bloggings by boz comments and reports on “a new top priority,” issued by the newly sworn in President Otto Perez Molina, for the Guatemalan military: “‘Achieve an interdiction of external threats and neutralize illegal armed groups, through the use of military power, by regaining and maintaining control of the air,...
Guatemala: Speaking out Against Mainstream Media's ‘Bad Press’ for President Colom
In a recent editorial, The Guatemala Times is critical of the country's mainstream media, who they say has “unleashed an increased and endless flow of bad press for President [Álvaro] Colom and his government since Otto Perez won the election.” Mike, in the blog Central American Politics, comments on the...
Latin America: Youth Unemployment
Bloggings by boz looks at youth unemployment in Latin America, concluding that “with growth projections decreased for 2011 and 2012, the current situation for youth unemployment is almost certainly getting worse. That could have major economic, political and social implications moving into 2012.”
Guatemalan Children Caught in the Cycle of Starvation
Guatemala Solidarity Network posts an article by Natasha Pizzey-Siegert entitled ‘The children of Guatemala are starving’ where she writes that, “a slow, deep hunger has been building in Guatemala for decades. And now it’s destroying a generation.”
Guatemala: Survivors’ Testimonies Help Define Genocide in Online Documentary
Mike shares Spanish-language documentary “Our Voice, Our Memory: The genocide in Guatemala,” which is available in full on YouTube. He adds: “The documentary […] uses survivor and expert testimony to explain the concept of genocide, demonstrating how the atrocities committed by the Guatemalan military against indigenous Maya communities satisfy the...
Guatemala's Alarming Femicide Statistics
“According to official statistics, seven hundred women have been murdered so far this year in Guatemala (see here and here). According to CONAPREVI, 838 women were murdered in 2010. Therefore, if women continue to be killed at the same rate in November and December as they have been all year (an average of 70...
Guatemala: Photo Essay Tells Story of Staunch Anti-Mining Activist
Photojournalist James Rodríguez has published a photo essay on the conflict around the Canadian-owned Marlin gold mine. He highlights the bravery and persistence of anti-mining activist Diodora Hernandez, who “was shot point-blank on the right eye outside her home in the small community of San José Nueva Esperanza – only...
Central America: Bloggers Attempt to Raise Awareness as Heavy Rains Continue
Mike from Central American Politics links to English language blogs covering the damage caused by the heavy rains that have been falling on Central America for over one week.
Central America: The Dangerous Journey of Female Migrants
“Every year, thousands of migrants risk their lives on a treacherous journey toward el norte, facing violence, extortion, kidnapping and discrimination. However, female migrants face a heightened risk of exploitation in the form of sexual violence and trafficking at the hands of many groups: criminal gangs, corrupt officials, law enforcement,...
Latin America: Music Blog Loves to Discover New Songs
The blog Amo descubrir canciones [es] (“I love to discover songs”) reviews music from around the world, with a special focus on Latin America. The blog includes specials with songs by country [es], song covers [es], and songs recommended by readers [es]. The latter category includes a post on “Songs...
Guatemala: Saying Goodbye to the ‘Guatemalan Picasso’
Rudy Girón says farewell to artist Efraín Recintos, “Guatemala’s most extraordinary and prolific artist” who passed away on October 2, 2011. She shares a slide show of his work.
Guatemala: A Look at the Candidates for November's Runoff Election
“So come the 6th November, Guatemalans should they vote, will have a choice between a former military and a business man – each with their own murky backgrounds and each who wield considerable power and influence among those who rule Guatemala”: Kevin D in his blog at Guatemala Solidarity Network...
Guatemala: 2011 General Elections in Antigua
Rudy Girón at AntiguaDailyPhoto posts a photo slide show of “the election process in La Antigua Guatemala”. Rudy also describes the voting process, reporting that Sunday's elections in Antigua “progressed in a calm and quiet family atmosphere. It almost felt like a civic party.”
Guatemala: Voting Out Cultural Intolerance
Sakis González shares a video [es] of Guatemalan artists speaking out against “cultural intolerance” after the municipality of Guatemala City rejected the reopening of the cultural center ‘Rock’ol Vuh’. Sakis points out that citizens will have the power to choose their leaders this Sunday, September 11, during the general election.
The ‘New Latin America’ Faces its Past
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs Blog is posting a series “that will explore the concept of the New Latin America by focusing on recent developments that highlight how the region contrasts with its past.” So far COHA research associates have written about the Dos Erres trial in Guatemala, Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Simón...
Guatemala: Memoir Captures Complicated Adoption Process
Steven Roll in Travelojos reviews Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir by Jessica O’Dwyer, a book about “the long and grueling adoption process she and her husband suffered through in Guatemala”.
Guatemala: Campaign Violence
Mike blogs about campaign violence in Guatemala in his blog Central American Politics: “It's worrisome, but there is some evidence that things are getting better. And the violence associated with the campaigns is just one of the many problems surrounding Guatemalan politics unfortunately.”
Guatemala: E-Forum With Presidential Candidates
On August 2, the citizen movement #EstoEsGuate [es] (This is Guatemala) held an e-forum with presidential candidates. Sakis Gonzales from Una Hoja de Papel [es] and Billy Quijada from Blog Cachacero [es] blogged about the event and the candidates’ performance.
