Stories about Latin America from December, 2008
Cuba: Remembering José Silvestre White
AfriClassical profles José Silvestre White, an Afro-Cuban violinist who became a composer and professor after graduating from the Paris Conservatory.
Chile: Santa Claus the Bus Driver in Santiago
Paloma Beytelman boarded a bus in Santiago, Chile to find the driver dressed as Santa Claus, who continues this tradition every year to entertain passengers [es]. She filmed a short interview with the driver and his wife, who accompanies him on this occasion.
Chile: Creative Commons Licensed Album Nominated for Prize
Creative Commons Chile [es] applauds the album by Antonio Díaz titled Minimental, which was recently nominated for the Qwartz Prize in France. The highlight is that this album is licensed under Creative Commons.
Burning the Year Away: New Year Traditions
In many South American countries, it has become a tradition to burn human shaped representations of the previous year, as a way to get rid of everything bad that the year brought, and leave way for the new. The following videos show some of these traditions and some of the controversy soome of them have sparked.
Cuba: Letter to Castro
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense links to an open letter [ES] to Fidel Castro, written by a political prisoner.
Cuba: Subsidies
As “Raúl Castro reaffirmed the idea of ending subsidies”, Generation Y observes: “Between the symbolic price of a pound of rationed rice, and the enormous ‘slice’ of our salaries taken by those who govern us, we are more the givers than the receivers of subsidies.”
Cuba: Wishing for Freedom
Cuban blogger Retazos [ES] shares some of her wishes for 2009.
Mexico: Campaign to Curb Drunk Driving
The latest campaign to curb driving while intoxicated in Mexico has already jailed 456 drivers writes Jessica Uribe of Vivir México [es].
Mexico: Campaign to Canonize Carlos Abascal
Mexablog [es] thought that the news about the campaign to canonize Carlos Abascal, who passed away earlier this month, was part of the Innocent's Day festivities, which is famous for trying to fool people in believing false news. However, he was shocked to find out that the effort to make...
Venezuela: Casting Doubt on the Cause of Bolivar's Death
Símon Bolívar is a national hero and liberator for many South American countries. In Venezuela, he is especially considered to play an important role in the past and present. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez began to cast doubts on the true cause of Bolívar's death, which has been to believed to be caused tuberculosis. Now Chávez claims that it was an act of poisoning and has ordered an investigation into the matter, which some Venezuelans are supporting and others say is a waste of resources and time.
Cuba: Waiting for Cable
The submarine cable linking Cuba and Venezuela has “a vague completion date” of 2011, but Generation Y is clear about “what this projected umbilical cord should bring us.”
Trinidad & Tobago, Cuba: City of Contradictions
Trinidadian blogger Tattoo spends Christmas in Havana and comes away with the impression that “the revolution has not achieved a new equilibrium. Instead, it has re-appropriated the inequalities inherent in any capitalist society and ensured that those in power are the haves as opposed to the have nots. And this...
Cuba, U.S.A.: Lifting Limits?
Uncommon Sense links to an article which suggests that US President-Elect Barack Obama seems prepared to lift limits “on how often Cuban Americans can visit family members on the island and on how much money they can send them”, a move which the blogger says would end “one of the...
Nicaragua: Voice of a Sandinista Video Blog
Carlos Corea launches a video blog called La Voz de un Sandinista (The Voice of a Sandinista) [es], which can be found on YouTube. He films the series from his home in France.
Paraguay: Literacy Programs To Arrive
After Paraguay president Fernando Lugo attended a celebration in Bolivia, in which it was declared that the country was free of illiteracy, he stated that the Venezuelan and Cuban teachers would soon arrive in Paraguay to do the same. Edgar Ruiz Diaz of Las Preguntas de Venerando [es] believes that...
Paraguay: The President's Name and Nepotism
Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] wonders which is Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo's true viewpoint regarding nepotism and relatives receiving help to find employment.
Guatemala: Violence Continues 12 Years After Peace Accords
Today marks the 12th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords that put an end to 36 years of Civil War in Guatemala. In spite of the agreement and an international commission to oversee the process, violence and lawlessness continue to be a part of daily life in the country.
Ecuador: Public Spending by Correa Administration
Juan Montalvo of Ecuador Sin Censura [es] criticizes the public spending of the Rafael Correa government and cites financial figures comparing previous administrations.
Global Health: 2008 Blogs In Review
Bloggers in 2008 showed all the ways in which global health is interconnected with other issues, by covering health stories that touched on everything from poverty and women's rights to the environment and economics. They shared stories such as the prohibition of cannabis in Japan, how ads for children's food...
Americas: A Look Back at 2008
In 2008, the Latin American team from Global Voices helped add context and helped highlight voices of bloggers that wrote about the numerous news stories that took place across the region. From the election of an ex-bishop in Paraguay to the march against the FARC in Colombia, bloggers provided their thoughts on natural disasters, protests, strikes, and important events across the Americas.
Brazil: Chico Mendes lives on, 20 years after his death
Bloggers remember and pay homage to Chico Mendes, the man whose actions highlighted the plight of the Amazon internationally, and who was murdered twenty years ago by those who were opposed to his activism.
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.
