· June, 2008

Stories about Latin America from June, 2008

Puerto Rico: Sacred Journey

  30 June 2008

The Voice of the Taino People Online reports on the progress of the Peace and Dignity Journey, being run from New York to Panama, in honour of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean region.

Cuba: Developing Hackers

  28 June 2008

André Deak is a Brazilian blogger who has recently visited Cuba, and in ‘Cuban Hackers‘ [PT] he tells about the ‘Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas‘ (Informatic Sciences University), where local developers are learning to create code in one of the most precarious technological environments, caused by the US embargo. Deak...

Cuba: Waiting in Miami

  26 June 2008

Ninety miles away….in another country points readers to an article about the cultural milieu of Miami's Little Havana, where old men eat Cuban sandwiches and dream of regime change in the island of their birth.

Cuba: The Church and Gay Rights

  26 June 2008

The Cuban government's growing support for gay rights is drawing criticism from the island's Roman Catholic Church. Protest is good, says Uncommon Sense, but the Church has it all wrong on this issue.

Bolivia: The Unveiling of Bolivia OS

  26 June 2008

Hugo Miranda saw firsthand the unveiling of Bolivia OS, the open software operating system and features ABI Word in the indigenous languages Quechua and Aymara.

Cuba: Above average

  25 June 2008

The Cuban Triangle comments on the astonishing results of a UNESCO education study on third and sixth graders, in which Cuban students did so much better than the rest of Latin America.

Ecuador: Constituent Assembly President Steps Down

  25 June 2008

The president of the Ecuadoran Constituent Assembly, Alberto Acosta, recently stepped down. Many local bloggers are wondering the role that President Rafael Correa and his political party had in this resignation. Others wonder about the future of the new Constitution and whether articles will be passed through without much discussion, now that a person considered to be fair is no longer presiding over the debate.

Uruguay: International Airport Website Tools

  25 June 2008

The international airport Carrasco in Montevideo, Uruguay has several tools on its website making life easier for travelers and paying more attention to customer service writes Tan Conectados [es].

Cuba: Exploring Oil

  24 June 2008

The Cuban Triangle is puzzled by a Florida Congressional delegation's idea that Cuba should be blocked from drilling for oil in its own Gulf waters. He says comments by Senator Mel Martinez, reported in El Nuevo Herald, must sound to Cuban readers, “as if he thinks he is in charge...

Colombia: Conclusions from Blogger Gathering

  24 June 2008

Campus Comunicativo [es] writes about the recent Colombian blogger gathering and provides some conclusions from the event, such as the need to find ways to make blogs profitable through e-marketing and third-party financing.

Cuba: EU sanctions

  23 June 2008

Ninety miles away….in another country posts two updates on the European Union's lifting of sanctions against Cuba. One is a comment on a CNN reporter's use of the word “blockade“, and the other a note on the arrest of an activist.

Mexico: Food Products Price Fixed

  22 June 2008

Diego from Blog.com.mx [es] lists the 150 food products that were price-fixed by the Mexican government. He notes that many of these products are not necessarily consumed by many people.

Mexico: 12 Die at Nightclub Raid

  22 June 2008

During a nightclub raid in Mexico City, 12 people were killed by the stampede, including several policemen. Mexico Reporter writes that the police had gone to investigate whether drugs and alcohol were being sold to minors.

El Salvador: Bus Fare Hikes Cause Protests

  22 June 2008

Due to rising fuel prices, some bus operators in El Salvador have illegally raised fare prices to cover these costs. As a result, there have been critiques against the government for not enforcing these laws. The rising fares have also led to protests writes Tim Muth.

Venezuela: Government Halts Proposed Education and Intelligence Policy Changes

  21 June 2008

In 2007, when President Hugo Chávez announced that he was going to begin the “5 engines for the construction of socialism in Venezuela,” he did not know that one year later that he would be changing speeds or in some cases, going in reverse. This is part 1 in a series of articles about some of these changes in education and intelligence policies.

Cuba: Election Summer

  21 June 2008

Circles Robinson Online on Cubans’ interest in November's US presidential election, and what the possible election of Barack Obama may mean for relations between the two countries.

Cuba: Europe to Lift Sanctions

  20 June 2008

The Cuban Triangle takes note of the European Union's decision to lift sanctions imposed in 2003, while Ninety Miles Away….in another country quotes Oswaldo Yañez to provide a “frame of reference” for this development.

Paraguay: First Week Back Home

  20 June 2008

Muna Annahas reflects on her first week back in Paraguay and notes that the famous Hotel Guaraní in Asuncion has now reopened its doors after many years of abandonment. She also visits a local hospital and acts to help the patients in need.

About our Latin America coverage

Gabriela Mesones Rojo
Gabriela Mesones Rojo is the Latin America Spanish-language editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Fernanda Canofre
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.