· February, 2011

Stories about Latin America from February, 2011

Peru: Ex-Minister Asked US Embassy to Help Contain Opponent's Presidential Campaign

  28 February 2011

On February 19th, Spanish newspaper El Pais released a cable stating that "Fernando Rospigliosi, former Minister of the Interior in the government of Alejandro Toledo, asked the assistance of the United States Embassy to carry a campaign against Ollanta Humala." Peruvian bloggers and Twitter users quickly reacted to the cable that rocked the local political environment during an election year.

Uruguay: Growing Support for Decriminalizing Marijuana for Personal Use

  28 February 2011

Erwin C. reports: “Political support has reportedly been growing in favor of decriminalizing the use of marijuana. Legislator Sebastián Sabini told the local press that he would introduce a bill this week that would allow individuals to legally have 25 grams of marijuana for personal use.”

Honduras: Taxi Drivers and Teachers Strike

  28 February 2011

“La Gringa” blogs about a strike led by teachers and taxi drivers in La Ceiba on February 21. “This was the third national strike of the school year, which only began on Monday, February 14,” she writes.

Cuba: Watching from Within

  28 February 2011

“There has not [been] enough coverage or information to even begin to address the complexity of these events and the numberless perspectives interpreting them”: Graham Sowa blogs at Havana Times about watching the Middle East protests from Cuba.

Cuba: The Day Zapata Died

  28 February 2011

Iván's File Cabinet remembers the day that hunger striker and prisoner of conscience Orlando Zapata Tamayo died.

Argentina: Hackathons and Budget Transparency in Bahía Blanca

  28 February 2011

As we have witnessed in the last month, there are moments in civic life that drive citizens to change and challenge institutions, to create solutions and to express their concerns about things that matter. In a short interview with Renata Avila for the Technology for Transparency Network, Manuel Aristarian, an...

Latin America: On teleSUR's Coverage of Libya Uprising

  26 February 2011

Latin American news channel teleSUR managed earlier this week to send several journalists into Tripoli to cover the ongoing uprising in Libya. Nonetheless, its coverage, which seems quite different to the one provided by other international news media, has caught the attention of many Latin American netizens.

Cuba: Marking Zapata's Anniversary

  25 February 2011

Diaspora blogger El Cafe Cubano posts photos from a march in honour of Orlando Zapata Tamayo, while Uncommon Sense reports that “Cuban independent journalist and activist Guillermo Fariñas…said the government's crackdown this week has only elevated Zapata's status in Cuba”; Havana Times says that the first anniversary of his death...

Peru: Controversy Over Removal of Anonymity in Electoral Polls

  24 February 2011

A new policy preventing opinion polls from being conducted anonymously caused a storm in the press and on social networking sites. Finally, faced with a barrage of questions from the public and the press over its conduct, the National Jury of Elections was forced to retract the regulation.

Chile: Electronic Textbooks for Schoolchildren?

  24 February 2011

The school year is starting in Chile, and Enzo Abbagliati in Cadaunadas wonders, “why aren't textbooks in Chile digital?” after he spent almost $300 USD in textbooks for his son. He presents possible advantages to giving schoolchildren electronic textbooks they could read on a tablet or e-reader.

Cuba: Zapata Vive

  24 February 2011

“The fact that Zapata’s death came about through starvation is one more piece of the hunger we have endured for over half a century”: Crossing the Barbed Wire explains why Orlando Zapata Tamayo's death “was not in vain”.

Mexico: Achievements and Challenges for Artisan Women

  23 February 2011

Adele Hammond writes about artisan women in a village outside Oaxaca: “[…] the women we work with are committed to creating better lives for themselves and their children, despite the challenges of sometimes not having enough to eat or sufficient money to pay for their children’s needs. The BEST part...

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.