Stories about Latin America from April, 2007
Cuba: The truth of the truth
mi isla al mediodia quotes Carlos Varela's lyrics to make a statement (ES) on truth.
Ropa Vieja and Malanga, Guarapo de Piña, and Colita de Cuadril from across Latin America
From so-called "dirty clothes" in Cuba to guarapo de piña in Venezuela; from organic produce in Uruguay to succulent Argentine tri-tip and fresh cheese in Panama: Chef Melissa de Leon takes us for a lip-smacking expedition through Latin America's cocinasphere.
Colombia: Paramilitary Scandal, Crimes, and Media ‘Coincidences’
Colombian bloggers react to a special section in the El Tiempo newspaper devoted to gruesome accounts of human rights abuse at the hands of paramilitary forces. [ Warning: The article contains graphic descriptions of violence and human rights abuse ]
Venezuela: RCTV's Loss of License
RCTV (Radio Caracas Television), a private media station and critic of President Hugo Chavez will not have its license renewed by the government at the end of May. Oil Wars wonders what will replace RCTV, but thinks this is an opportunity to restructure how media is controlled. However, Caracas Chronicles...
Chile: Vendors vs. Police
Chileno captures some footage of a tussle between police and street vendors, and follows up with an interview with the vendor involved. The city government of Santiago is trying to clear a popular promenade of street vendors that compete with shop owners.
Colombia: Leading Cause of Death for Children in Bogota
Balada Del Elefante Azul [ES] is frustrated at the fact that the leading cause of death for children aged 12-17 in Bogota is by bullet or knife. He is also bothered by a culture that seems to applaud those that “appear on television and proudly saying that they were a...
Seismic Activity and Tidal Waves in Chile
Chile is a land of the earthquakes. In recent months, the Aysén region has been affected by small seismic activity every day. Last weekend, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, caused a fjord landslide into the sea. Big waves crashed into the small city of Puerto Tortuga, devastating everything in its way. Some bloggers have criticized the response of the authorities and worries what else might happen if proper measures are not taken.
Puerto Rico: Health Care System
Gil the Jenius shares his thoughts on capitation payments in the Puerto Rican health care system: “If you think money isn't the issue just make the rounds (pun intended) of several medical offices in any part of Puerto Rico. It won't take you long to see signs stating that ‘Cash...
Argentina: The Maradona Rumor Mill
Juan Pablo Meneses of the Crónicas Argentinas [ES] blog, which compiles all things Diego Maradona, discusses the latest death rumor that caused quite a false alarm stir, which has become such a common occurrence in Argentina. He finishes with, “why does Maradona die so often?”
Bolivia: Screening of “Cocalero” in the Chapare
Much of the world's interest in Bolivia has to do with the first indigenous president, Evo Morales. He got his start as a union leader with the coca growers in the Chapare region of Bolivia. A recent documentary called “Cocalero” followed Morales during his victorious campaign of 2005. The film's...
Guatemala: Laundry Day!
A photo of day of life in Antigua, Guatemala brings readers of Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo a glimpse into life in this Central American country. The most recent photo shows a public washbasin where the women of the area wash their clothes by hand. A shared water tank is combined...
Mexico: More Discussion on Abortion Decision
The decision by the Mexico City Assembly to legalize abortion angered many in a society where many practice Roman Catholicism. Some bloggers like Ciudad de Mexico [ES] presents arguments from both sides but wonders “why not allow a public debate on the matter?” or better yet a referendum to let...
Argentina: The Gated Community Divide
Ian from GoodAirs writes about the increasing trend of Argentines living in “countries”, which are gated communities protected by walls and razor wire. Even with the perceived protection, there is a robbery every 3 days in one of these communities, making it not as safe as one might think. Another...
Peru: Tributes to a Peruvian Poet
At the age of 61, Peruvian poet José Watanabe succumbed to cancer and left behind many admirers of his work. The son of a Japanese immigrant father and a Peruvian mother, Watanabe had no desire to visit his father's homeland recalls El Blog Del Morsa [ES] during a dinner with...
Peru: Wolfy Passes Away
Alejandro of the Peru Food blog breaks the tragic news that blogger and “lover of Peru” Wolfgang “Wolfy” Becker died of a heart attack in Lima on April 20. Becker maintained the blog Un Lobo en Peru (A Wolf in Peru) and also started the site Living in Peru. The...
Costa Rica: Free-Trade Agreement Poll
Cristian Cambronero posts the current polling numbers in his blog Fusil De Chispas [ES] on how Costa Ricans would vote in the upcoming referendum on the proposed Free-Trade Agreement. In two of the polls, between 47-49% would vote in favor of the trade pact. The results elicited a number of...
Writers in Guatemala
In Guatemala, most of the writers find it really hard to publish a book, and even harder to make it profitable. They often work as journalists, analysts, engineers and also write regularly. Few of them are full time writers, many of them, unknown locally. However, they have found, through blogging, an opportunity to express themselves, to share their works, and to promote the interest among Guatemalans, especially in poetry and short stories.
Second Life Brings Its Second Life to Brazil
The much heralded launching of the first Second Life national community happened this Monday, April 23, and Brazilians are getting ready to their outposts in a custom tropicalized virtual environment. The novelty is attracting the attention of users as Linden Labs makes its first attempt to scale and customize the environment to host non-English speaking cultures -- and markets. The initiative is the result of the partnership with the local Kaizen Games, which has been announced as a Second Life Global Provider and part of the SL Grid. Bloggers are reporting.
Brazil: ‘Reverse Globalization’
In an act of “reverse globalization”, a North American in Brazil reports on the ‘Amazonia’ soap opera, the Santo Daime religion, the legacy of Chico Mendes and current efforts to protect of the Amazon forest. Lou Gold reports about ‘Amazonia, Acre and Earth Day‘ at VisionShare.
Peru: Machu Picchu, One of the 7 Wonders of the World?
Choloblog [ES] is drawn into the debate whether Peru's prized tourist attraction, the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, should be voted as one of the 7 Wonders of the World. A website was created to draw upon votes from all across the globe to determine which manmade structures would be...
Honduras: Chipping in for Gas
What happens when a patronato (head of the homeowners community) tries to help his own community in Honduras? He gets accused by fellow residents of pocketing the collected gas money. A local community cannot get its road paved because the government is out of funds to pay for gas to...
About our Latin America coverage
Melissa Vida is the Latin America Spanish-language editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
