Stories about Latin America from August, 2011
International Blog Day in Latin America
Several bloggers in Latin America are sharing their thoughts on blogging during this year's Blog Day, like Juan Edgardo Lezcano [es] from Paraguay and Julio Córdoba [es] from Costa Rica. Furthermore, UNIMERCentroamerica posted a video interview [es] with Costa Rican blogger Cristian Cambronero from Fusil de Chispas [es].
Costa Rica: Bloggers on Anti-Tobacco Law
Blogger ‘El Chamuko’ from El infierno en Costa Rica [es] and María Luisa Ávila [es] comment on the anti-tobacco law that is up for debate in Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly. ‘El Chamuko’ discusses cigarette smuggling, while María Luisa argues that “the smoking ban can not be permissive”.
Colombia: Art NGOs Receive Threat from Paramilitary Group
The blog El salmon [es] reports [es] that on August 23, 12 Art NGOs received death threats from the paramilitary group “Black Eagles“. The threat indicated they were to leave the capital, Bogotá, in less than 8 days. The blog includes a statement written [es] by Edwin Almed Domínguez, Member...
Blog Carnival: Mexico – Is Mexican Society Violent by Nature?
This summary of our Blog Carnival: Mexico - Citizenry, Violence and Blogs looks at what Mexican bloggers think about their society which is sometimes described as violent by nature. Bloggers also shared some artistic work related to violence.
Chile: Mapuche Youth Takeover Municipal Building
Katie Manning from Mi Voz reports that forty Mapuche teenagers have staged a takeover –toma in Spanish– in Ercilla: “Since August 19, the 11-to-17-year-olds occupied the town’s government center. They’re not giving it back, they said, until Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter hears out their grievances over the “constant police presence”...
Latin America: Remembering the Missing on the International Day of the Disappeared
August 30 is the International Day of the Disappeared; The Latin Americanist blogs about current cases of disappearances in Mexico and Argentina.
Cuba: Sixth Sunday vs. Women
“This Sunday August 28th was the 6th consecutive Sunday in which dozens of dissidents -mainly women- have been violently attacked by the regime’s forces. And, each passing day, the methods of repression are more ‘sophisticated’”: Pedazos de La Isla explains.
Cuba: Las Damas & the Archbishop
Uncommon Sense says that the fact that the leader of The Ladies in White has had to approach Havana's cardinal “to intercede…to halt the summerlong repression of the Damas and their allies…reveals everything there is wrong with the prelate.”
Brazil: Bank Account of Google Blocked Due to “Offensive” Blogs
The courts in the Brazilian state of Ceará blocked access to $140,000 in the accounts of Google Brasil after the company refused to take down a series of blogs deemed offensive toward the mayor of Várzea Alegre, José Máximo de Carvalho, reports the blog Journalism in the Americas .
Brazil: Blogging on Poetry
The Brazilian professor Nelson Souzza, on his blog Literatura & Linguagens (Literature and Languages) [pt], writes literary and historic analyses of lusophone poetry, with a focus on famous Portuguese and Brazilian writers and musicians.
Blog Carnival: Mexico – Citizen Media on the Scene
This second post reporting on the 2011 Blog Carnival, summarizes opinions of Mexican bloggers on the way media covers violence, and above all, on the role of citizen media in this violent context.
Brazil: Mozambique Cedes Land to Brazilian Agribusiness
Mozambique is ceding 6 million hectares of land to Brazilian farmers. The idea is to draw on the Brazilian experience in the Cerrado, a biosphere similar to the African savanna, where industrial cattle grazing and soy plantations have already devastated 80% of the richest grasslands in the world.
Cuba: Legendary Sculptor Dies
Michael Pancier pays tribute to “an icon in the history of Cuban artists, Tony Lopez”, who passed away yesterday at the age of 92.
Ecuador: Journalist Sentenced to Prison for Defamation Flees Country
The Knight Center's Journalism in the Americas Blog reports that Emilio Palacio, a journalist from newspaper El Universo “sued for criticizing President Rafael Correa, arrived in the United States Wednesday, Aug. 24″. The post adds: “Meanwhile, the newspaper El Universo published a letter directed at President Correa asking him to stop the legal...
Bolivia: Aymara Women Working as ‘Voceadoras’ in El Alto
Alberto Medrano shares two videos of Aymara women in El Alto working in minibuses as voceadoras: women who announce the vehicle's route and collect the passengers’ money. Cristina Quisbert blogged about these women in 2008 in Bolivia Indígena [es].
Argentina: People in Buenos Aires March in Support of Teen Killed in Chile Protest
Sixteen-year-old Manuel Gutierrez was shot on Thursday, August 25, during clashes between protesters and police in the second and final day of a national strike in Chile. He died the next day. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Chileans and supporters marched to the Chilean consulate to protest the teen's death. Colectivovisualantof...
Blog Carnival: Mexico – Verbalizing the Violence
Our first 2011 Blog Carnival had the theme "Mexico - Citizenry, Violence and Blogs". In this first part of the final summary, we showcase what Mexican bloggers thought about past violent events happening in their country and how they handle and express their pain when violence has affected them.
Puerto Rico: New Cultural Magazine
The School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Communications of the Universidad Metropolitana (Umet) has launched Revista Cruce [es] focused on contemporary sociocultural critique.
Mexico Mourns Casino Royale Victims on Twitter
The attack and fire in Casino Royale in Monterrey, Mexico, resulted in 52 casualties, in another event further tied to violence from organized crime. Twitter users look for their relatives and friends, and cry over this tragedy.
Puerto Rico: Tropical Storm Irene Leaves Heavy Rain and Damages
Tropical storm Irene hit Puerto Rico on August 21st leaving wind damage, floods, constant rain, and the evacuation of entire communities. This is the same storm, now a hurricane, that is hitting the United States east coast. The online community has posted videos of the aftermath of tropical storm Irene in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico: The Era of the “Digisapiens”
Ivan Chaar-López comments on the recent surge of literature [es] on how the Internet supposedly negatively affects the brain.
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.
