Stories about Latin America from November, 2011
Peru: Conga Mining Project Suspended in Wake of Public Pressure
Protesting residents have managed to temporarily suspend operations of the Conga gold mining project, but protests continue all the same in support of the project's definitive cancellation. At the heart of the conflict is the defense of some 20 lagoons and their ecosystems, which would be seriously degraded by the execution of this mining project.
Latin America: A Conversation With Santiago Hoerth about Open Technology
Juan Arellano chats with Santiago Hoerth, founder and coordinator of Código Sur, about his organization, issues related to neutral Internet exchange points (IXP) and free networks, and the current state of free software in Latin America.
Bolivia Holds its First ‘PressCamp’
The first PressCamp Bolivia [es] will be held on December 3, 2011 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. With a similar dynamic to BarCamp conferences, participants at PressCamp Bolivia will discuss online...
Chile: Mapuche Protest Militarization and Project to Build Airport
On November 23, Mapuche protested against the militarization of their communities and a project to build an airport south of Temuco, in southern Chile, in a territory they claim as...
Colombia: Internally Displaced People Tell Blogger their Stories
According to the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES) Colombia has 5.2 million internally displaced people. Mike Ceaser talked “to several of the displaced people who've been demonstrating daily...
Cuba: Under “Survey-lance”
“As far as many Cubans here are concerned, it is not necessary to have survey results to verify the high levels of discontent and uncertainty we live under”: Without Evasion...
Puerto Rico: Blogger Exposes Misleading Commercial
Puerto Rican blogger Ed Morales gave a first hand account of the shooting of a Fiat commercial that shows actress and singer Jennifer López driving around her old neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. In fact, as Morales demonstrates with photos, López was never there.
El Salvador: ‘Encachimbados’ Lead Occupy Movement
Danielle Mackey writes about the Encachimbados (meaning “indignant”), El Salvador's occupy movement: “They call the attention of both the U.S. and Salvadoran governments to the free trade model, regional militarization...
Mexico: Guadalajara Hosts 25th International Book Fair
Guadalajara is hosting the 25th International Book Fair from November 26 to December 4, 2011. Álvaro López writes about the fair in Vivir México [es], and says he wishes Mexico...
Cuba: Mariela's Red Light Comment
Ernesto Morales Licea takes issue with Mariela Castro's now infamous statement to Radio Netherlands during her visit to Amsterdam's Red Light District.
Latin America: A Conversation with Carolina Botero about Intellectual Property
Juan Arellano chats with Carolina Botero, one of the Latin American representatives of Creative Commons, about intellectual property in the region, how indigenous communities can make use of it, and piracy.
Brazil: Census “Reveals” Majority of Population is Black or Mixed Race
For the first time in Brazilian history, the national census has shown that the majority of the population is black or mixed race. Released on the eve of Black Awareness Day, the figures of 2010's Census give rise to concerns about the situation of the Brazil's black population.
Mexico: Government Considers Legal Actions Against Citizens Demanding ICC Probe
The Mexican government has rejected war crime allegations and threatened to use legal actions against citizens that filed a complaint at the ICC against the President, top government officials, and drug gang leaders involved in Mexico's Drug War.
Guatemala: Survivors’ Testimonies Help Define Genocide in Online Documentary
Mike shares Spanish-language documentary “Our Voice, Our Memory: The genocide in Guatemala,” which is available in full on YouTube. He adds: “The documentary […] uses survivor and expert testimony to...
Venezuela's Slow Internet
Luis Carlos Díaz blogs [es] about Venezuela's slow internet broadband, reporting that Venezuela ranks 163 out of 174 countries in download speed. Luis Carlos argues that Venezuelan netizens are settling...
Panama: Women Marched on International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women
Panamanian women marched on Friday, November 25, the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. “So far this year, 53 women have been murdered in Panama, 35 at the...
Venezuela: World Meeting of Body Art Takes Over Caracas
This year, Caracas hosted The World Meeting of Body Art and some of its most striking expressions were shared through citizen media. Among these creations, indigenous peoples of Venezuela were given a special space to showcase their artistic expressions on the human skin.
Cuba: Entrepreneurship & Home Ownership
Generation Y wonders whether the country's new wave of entrepreneurs will survive, while Laritza's Laws is concerned that “the housing regulations, recently enacted by the government of Cuba…leave intact regulations...
Video: Plural+ 2011 Awards Young Filmmakers
Youth from around the globe were awarded in New York for their thought-provoking short films showing their proposals for making society more peaceful and multicultural by addressing the topics of diversity, migration and social inclusion.
Ecuador: Preserving and Protecting Natural Medicines
Ecuador's indigenous communities hold traditional knowledge of natural medicines and therapeutic use of plants. This documentary by iosphera shows the importance of preserving this knowledge from biopiracy for the future...
Mexico: Massive Civil Lawsuit at ICC Seeks Drug War Justice
23,000 Mexican citizens have asked the International Criminal Court to investigate heads of drug cartels, President Felipe Calderón and other top officials for crimes against civilians in Mexico's ongoing Drug War.
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