Stories about Latin America from July, 2010
Nicaragua: 2.0 Meeting of Blogs and New Media in Managua
On August 12 and 13 the event 2.0 Meeting of Blogs and New Media (2.0 Encuentro de Blogs & Nuevos Medios) will take place in Managua, with the participation of communication and new media experts from various countries in the region, including some Global Voices authors.
Brazil: Nomad Tribe Protest to Prove Its Existence
Altino Machado blogs on the tribe Awá-Guajá, a group of nomad indigenous who emerged from the heart of the Amazon forest to prove their existence [pt] and to demand that their land be protected from invasion. Survival International also reported on the story.
Cuba: Economic Effects
“The unemployment phenomenon, which is vehemently denied by high officials in the government, is nothing new”: Iváns File Cabinet uses the example of Cuba's only telecommunications company to illustrate its effects.
Peru: Songs to Celebrate the Independence
On July 28 and 29 Peruvians celebrated their independence festivities. Juan Arellano from Globalizado published a post [es] with a song that seems to summarize what being Peruvian is all about. He later published another post [es] with more songs. Both posts represent a summary of some of the musical...
Chile: Mapuche on Hunger Strike over Anti-terror Law
On July 12, 2010, fourteen Mapuche indigenous detainees began a hunger strike to denounce the Chilean State’s treatment of Mapuche communities in southern Chile. The strike is aimed mainly at ending the use of Chile’s Anti-terrorism Law against Mapuche prisoners, a Pinochet-era decree widely used during the seventeen years of the Pinochet dictatorship.
Brazil: Copyright Reform Proposal Under Consultation
A public consultation on the Brazilian Copyright Act has received over 1,200 contributions. The proposed changes have fuelled intense debate in the blogosphere and twittosphera.
Brazil: Disgust at prejudice against atheists on live TV
Robson Fernando comments [pt] on a declaration of the police-show host José Luiz Datena who has “associated atheists and disbelief in God with everything that sucks” and said that “Atheists have no moral boundaries, the most brutal crimes are linked to the ‘lack of God in the heart'” on live...
Costa Rica: 60 Years of the Female Vote
Harolds Blog mentions [es] that 60 years ago, on July 30, 1950, women in Costa Rica were allowed to vote for the first time. Today, Costa Rica has a female president, Laura Chinchilla.
Puerto Rico: Honouring “Maboití”
A monument in honour of the late master artisan Elpidio Collazo González “Maboití” is being prepared; The Voice of the Taino People Online describes him as “one of the island’s most illustrious carvers of local bird life from wood.”
Cuba, U.S.A.: Reason to Smile?
Ariel Sigler Amaya arrives in the United States from Cuba to undergo medical treatment; Uncommon Sense applauds his resolve.
Brazil: African Artist Refused Entry
Spanish based storyteller and artist Boniface Ofogo Nkama, from Cameroon, was refused entry to Brazil last Friday because of the lack of a visa. He had been invited to participate in a Storytelling Symposium [pt], and the organizer, Benita Prieto, pours her heart out and tells all [pt].
Ecuador: Leader of Citizen's Revolution Has an Economics Blog
Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa has been known for promoting Open Source Software. To prove this, he has created a blog where he explains economic matters didactically, so that people can understand the economic analysis, charts and concepts. He has been posting since May 29, 2010 in the multimedia blog Economía en...
Venezuela: Allies in Technology, Women Who are Not Afraid of Mice
Venezuelan NGO Aliadas en Cadena (Allies in Chains) created the group Aliadas en Tecnología (Allies in Technology) to promote the use of technology to empower women affected by poverty. Through classes and workshops, many women who saw computers as strange and intimidating objects now find in them a tool for work, learning and self-fulfillment.
Caribbean: New Memoirs
Repeating Islands blogs about the release of two memoirs: by editor Diana Athill, who worked with V.S. Naipaul and Jean Rhys, and by Fidel Castro.
Mexico: Mexone, the Most Advanced Humanoid Robot in Latin America
Hugo Torres writes [es] about a story that he says the Mexican mainstream media is not paying attention to: Mexico has the most advanced humanoid robot in Latin America, and its name is Mexone.
Uruguay: Dead Fish in Uruguay River
Dead fish have appeared in the Uruguay River (Rio Uruguay in Spanish), and the blogger from Opinemos Hoy [es] doesn't believe the reports that say the fish have died because of the cold weather; this blogger says he is tired of lies, and that the fish are dying because of...
Brazil: Limits on Food Ads Shake Market Forces
The Federal Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency has ruled changes in food advertising to include warnings printed on packages, amidst strong industry reaction. Do consumers have a say in this debate?
Chile: Controversy Over Pardon Proposal by Catholic Church
The Chilean Catholic Church has announced a proposal regarding the need to pardon certain people convicted of crimes on humanitarian grounds. The proposal has sparked debate on the Chilean blogosphere, as the original request could have included a pardon for those convicted of human rights abuses during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.
Guatemala: Engineers Work on Green Technology
A blogger for Interactiva Web writes [es] about a group of Guatemalan and North American engineers who are working on technology to help the environment. The group is called Xela Teco [es].
Cuba: July 26
Cuban bloggers have their say about the observance of the July 26th anniversary of the military action that began the Cuban Revolution.
Venezuela: Foundation for Urban Culture Shut Down
The Foundation for Urban Culture - a fund that promoted culture through books, photography, music and ideas - was recently shut down, allegedly due to financing from the brokerage firm Econoinvest which was raided by the government in May. Bloggers who support the Foundation, accuse the closing of being illegal and unrelated to the company.
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.
