· August, 2011

Stories about Latin America from August, 2011

International Blog Day in Latin America

  31 August 2011

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

  31 August 2011

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

  31 August 2011

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...

Chile: Mapuche Youth Takeover Municipal Building

  30 August 2011

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”...

Cuba: Sixth Sunday vs. Women

  30 August 2011

“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

  30 August 2011

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

  30 August 2011

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

  30 August 2011

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.

Brazil: Mozambique Cedes Land to Brazilian Agribusiness

  30 August 2011

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

  29 August 2011

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

  29 August 2011

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

  29 August 2011

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].

Blog Carnival: Mexico – Verbalizing the Violence

  29 August 2011

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.

Mexico Mourns Casino Royale Victims on Twitter

  28 August 2011

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

  27 August 2011

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.

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.