· July, 2009

Stories about Latin America from July, 2009

Cuba: Political Prisoners

  31 July 2009

Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports that while one former political prisoner has started a blog, another Cuban human rights activist “faces up to 8 years in prison if convicted of trumped-up charges of assault and receiving stolen property.”

Mexico: The Santa Fe District

  30 July 2009

The Mexico City district of Santa Fe is “Mexico's Dubai” and characterized by its commercialization boom and high-end shopping, but which is also surrounded by many of the city's slums writes Daniel Hernandez of Intersections.

Paraguay: Typical Food Called Sopa

  30 July 2009

The blog Camino al Paraguay [es] continues by showing foods from the country with 2 posts showing Paraguayan Sopa, which is cooked in a mud oven called a Tatakua.

Peru: Oral Storytelling Festival in August

  29 July 2009

The 3rd National Festival of Oral Storytelling will take place throughout the month of August in Lima and Lambayeque, Peru. Elizabeth Lino Cornejo of Te Voy a Contar [es] writes about the importance of preserving these types of traditions.

Cuba: Interview with Blogger Lizabal Mónica

  29 July 2009

Cuban writer Lizabel Mónica has been blogging since 2007 and has been using her blogs to "build bridges between literature and national and international art, as well as to explore the relationship between art and life." Claudia Cadelo interviews her about her Project Desliz and her project to bring more artists online.

Ecuador: Woman Attempts to Auction Virginity Online in Spain

  28 July 2009

An Ecuadorian immigrant living in Valencia, Spain decided to put her virginity up for an online auction to help pay for medical care for her ailing mother. The ads were eventually taken down, not without attracting strong reactions in blogs and in mainstream media from those criticizing her actions and also brought focus on the plight of immigrants in Spain.

Paraguay: The Government's Negotiations in the Itaipú Dam

  28 July 2009

Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] is pleased with the negotiations between Paraguay and Brazil regarding the binational project of the Itaipú dam. He applauds the actions of President Fernando Lugo for showing “commitment, patriotism, honesty and negotiating ability.”

Peru: The “Sport” of Dog Poisoning

  27 July 2009

Barbara Drake, an ex-pat from the United States, who writes at the blog An American in Lima posts about the risks a dog faces by simply the fact of living in the Peruvian capital city. Her post is titled The Sport of Dog Poisoning in Peru and there she tells...

Mexico: The Subway Economy

  27 July 2009

Lesley Téllez of the Mija Chronicles [es] takes a look at the “subway economy” and those vendors who ride the trains with the hope of selling products to passengers.

Cuba: Light & Shadow

  27 July 2009

“This was the speech of the ‘shadow’ because light is something the authoritarians cannot tame…Raúl Castro is right: we can no longer see him, because the twilight he represents lacks…any kind of luminosity”: Cuba's Generation Y blogs about her impressions of this year's July 26th speech.

Uruguay: CIP, Showcasing National Films and Shorts

  26 July 2009

They call it an alternative to online video channels so that their videos don't have to compete for attention with short home-videos of birthdays, cats and lip synching to music. Two young Uruguayans decided to change the situation and created Cip, a website dedicated to showcasing the works of independent film-makers, so they can take their films out of their desk drawers and share them with a wider community.

Colombia: Senator Scolded For Using Twitter

  25 July 2009

Colombian Senator Armando Benedetti may be admonished by his political party for using Twitter to inform followers of declarations [es] made during a press conference. He wrote that there are bad feelings because he published the information before letting the media know [es].

Cuba: Political Arrests

  24 July 2009

Diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense links to a report that claims “there were 130 political arrests” in Cuba in the month of June.

Cuba: Ferrer Arrested

  23 July 2009

Cuban bloggers react to the arrest of Dr. Darsi Ferrer on the grounds that he allegedly bought construction materials on the black market to repair his house: Blog for Cuba, Uncommon Sense and Human Rights Cuba.

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.