Stories about Latin America from October, 2010
Brazil: Dilma Rousseff elected president
Winning 55.7% of the total votes, Dilma Rousseff today became Brazil's first female president [pt]. Voter turnout was also high, with estimates lying between 92 and 96%. We will bring you views from the Brazilian blogosphere as they come in.
Caribbean: Hurricane Tomas
Trinidad and Tobago, the twin island republic that seemed to be directly in Tomas‘ path on Friday, was spared its effects, but as the storm veered north, islands that had previously been out of its path were suddenly thrust into storm warning mode. Tomas is now situated south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico; the hope remains that the Category 2 storm, which is expected to gather more strength, will steer clear of Haiti.
Americas: Virtual Memorial for 72 Victims of Migrant Mass-Killing
Over the last two months, renowned journalist Alma Guillermoprieto has led an online project in response to the mass killing of seventy-two migrants that took place in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas in August 2010. 72migrantes.com is a virtual memorial for the slayed migrants.
Mexico: Drug Gangs Using Guerrilla Tactics?
Tim Johnson says that, “Thursday’s killing of nine police is important for what it reveals about the tactical military capabilities of drug gangs.”
Ecuador: CNN Reporter Resigns Over Network's Coverage of September 30 Police Uprising
INK reports that Rodolfo Muñoz, “the CNN journalist on site at the September 30th attempted coup in Ecuador has resigned from the company due to the way in which that news channel reported his story.”
Mexico: Interview with author of Mexican desserts cookbook
Lesley Téllez from The Mija Chronicles interviewed Fany Gerson, author of My Sweet Mexico, “a new cookbook of authentic Mexican desserts, beverages and breads.”
Ecuador: Use of Twitter in 2010
Christian Espoinosa from Cobertura Digital [es] shares statistics on the use of Twitter in Ecuador in 2010.
Dominican Republic: Rita Indiana and “El Juidero”
The music blog Club Fonograma reviews Rita Indiana y Los Misterios’ [ES] new album, “El Juidero”: “She is a unique voice and one of our generation’s most creative personas.”
Brazil: citizen coverage of election runoff
As Brazil gears up for the second round of presidential elections, 48 Horas Democracia [pt] will again provide citizen-produced videos, news reports and bulletins of the event to offer non-mainstream coverage.
Puerto Rico: “Guadalupe Should Not be the Provost”
Ángel Carrión comments on the designation of Ana Guadalupe [ES] as the Provost of the Río Piedras campus (the main campus) of the University of Puerto Rico. Guadalupe was severely criticized for the decisions she made as the interim Provost during the student strike last Spring.
Puerto Rico: #EnProfundo and the “Cassava of Love”
The team behind #EnProfundo produce another podcast [ES] that includes their characteristically biting media critique.
Cuba: Restricted Access
“In Cuba, access to the internet is restricted and very expensive for citizens, but it is also is controlled by state institutions”: Laritza's Laws explains.
Brazil: Dilma, Cristina and machismo in the media
Rodrigo Vianna at Escrevinhador [pt] draws parallels between the rise and leadership of Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez and Brazilian presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff, and slams the often sexist media both women face.
Cuba: Standard of Living
“Nobody on the island may have a high standard of living if it is not authorized by the regime”: Iván García explains that he “aspire[s] to live better. But above all [he] consider[s] [him]self a free man. And that is where a person can be dangerous in Cuba.”
Argentina: Images from Plaza de Mayo After Kirchner's Death
La Propaladora [es] shares images and a video of people gathering at Plaza de Mayo to say goodbye to Néstor Kirchner, former president and husband of current president Cristina Fernández, who passed away yesterday morning from a heart attack.
Argentina: Former President, Nestor Kirchner, Dies
This Wednesday, Nestor Kirchner, former president and husband of the current president Cristina Fernandez, died of a heart attack. Argentinian bloggers shared their impressions on this sudden and unexpected death.
Brazil: satirical voting campaign goes viral
A topic that has been making waves throughout the Brazilian Internet is the satirical campanha #votoserrapq (why I will vote for Serra campaign) [pt]. Organised by the blog Grupo Brasil e Desenvolvimento (Brasil & Development Group) [pt], the campaign consists of video footage [pt] of citizens sarcastically explaining why they will vote...
Brazil: activists, bloggers defend freedom of expression
In an act of solidarity [pt] in response to the censoring of Revista do Brasil magazine, a host of Brazilian activists, bloggers and other independent media joined yesterday in collectively criticising the country's mainstream media and lack of freedom of speech.
Puerto Rico: Reclaiming Public Space One Song at a Time
Frecuencias Alternas has covered Puerto Rico’s independent music scene for the past decade through its radio show, and more recently, its website. The newest addition to their site is the video series "Música Realenga" – realenga [es] meaning ‘without an owner.’ Each episode introduces the audience to a particular ‘indie’ artist or band through a couple of live performances filmed in public spaces such as parks, plazas, and sidewalks.
Peru: Embarrassing Moments in Peruvian Football
Cyrano from Columna 17 writes [es] about two embarrassing moments in Peruvian football: the first, when a second-division Peruvian team drugged their opponent; the second, when some players from the national team “went out partying hours after a 1-0 loss to Panama,” as reported by Living in Peru.
Caribbean: Perception of Corruption
Repeating Islands re-posts the results of Transparency International's latest Corruption Perception Index, and reports that Caribbean nations have not fared so well.
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.
