Stories about Latin America from April, 2012
Cuba: Diaspora Reacts to Ferrer García's Release
Cuban prisoner of conscience Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia was released over the weekend. Diaspora bloggers comment on this most recent development.
Argentina: The ‘Mothers of Plaza de Mayo’ Turn 35
Lillie Langtry from the blog Memory in Latin America writes about the 35th anniversary of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina: “On Thursday, 30 April 1977, a small group of women met in the Plaza de Mayo with the aim of handing over a letter to then-president Jorge...
Colombia: 12-Year-Old Boy Bullied at School Dies
A 12 year old who had been bullied for defending a classmate passed away last week. Although forensics ruled the cause of death was bone infection, his mother and some physicians rejected the ruling and claim bullying was the ultimate cause of the boy's death. Colombian netizens react to the boy's death.
Brazil: The sale of America's smallest city and thoughts of buying the Amazon
Janio, from Brazil, has written in his blog (“Made in Blog” [pt]) about the auctioning off of the smallest city in America, Buford (Wyoming), which has but one inhabitant. He draws a parallel “with a time when some activists from the developed world threatened to buy the Amazon, in order to...
Thirty three top Brazilian businesses ranked in the Forbes list
In her Brazil Global blog, Hildete Vodopives named thirty three Brazilian businesses found on the Forbes Top Business list, stating: “Energy makes number one among them with Petrobras (oil, gas and ethanol). Another interesting highlight is the leading presence of banks: Itau (and Itausa, its holding), Bradesco and Banco do...
Bolivia: TIPNIS Indigenous March Again
Over 500 members from Bolivian Indigenous organisations gathered in Trinidad, approximately 600 kilometres from La Paz, and began on April 27, 2012, at 8 pm (GMT) a march to Bolivia's Seat of Government for the second time. They are opposing Bolivia's governmental plan to built a road that would cut off right...
Cuba: Bloggers Summit in Matanzas
The bloggers from La Joven Cuba [es] have organized a Summit of Cuban Bloggers [es] that will take place April 27th and 28th in Matanzas. Follow the conversation on Twitter under #BlogazoxCuba (@BlogazoxCuba).
Puerto Rico: 30 years of the Organization of the Working Woman
In 80 Grados, Carla Minet interviews feminist activists Josie Pantojas and Marta Elsa Fernández on occasion of the 30th anniversary of the important Organización Puertorriqueña de la Mujer Trabajadora (Puerto Rican Organization of the Working Woman-OPMT).
Puerto Rico: Interview of Young Fashion Designer
The digital magazine El Punto Es [es] interviews [es] the young Puerto Rican fashion designer Namibia Viera Martínez.
Puerto Rico: Feminism and Friendship
Feminist blogger and lawyer Verónica Rt talks [es] about how she practices feminism through friendship.
Colombia: “San Andrés belongs to Colombia”
Nicaragua has presented a claim [es] in the International Court of Justice over the sovereignty of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, which is currently part of Colombia's political map after a treaty signed by both countries in 1928. Many in Colombia have expressed their desire for San...
Panama: New Law Establishes Ministry of Culture
On April 24, 2012, the National Assembly of Panama approved yesterday the "Law of Culture", which among other things elevates the National Institute of Culture to the Ministry of Culture. The main sponsor of the law, Deputy Jose Blandon announced it yesterday on Twitter, which became a reflection of the Panamanians that approved the bill.
Brazil: Activists Protest in Memory of Military Dictatorship
A number of cities throughout Brazil held both real and virtual events to remember Brazil's Military Dictatorship (1964-1985). Activists held protests to push for punishing the Dictatorship's criminals and to fully open the still classified files.
Bolivia: Discussing Indigenous Issues and Natural Resources in the Chaco
Blogger Dario Kenner shares three interviews he conducted in south eastern Bolivia, in the Chaco region: “The interviews are only with a few people so they do not cover every perspective to be found in the Chaco but the views below do give an insight into some of the major...
Chile: Reasons to Protest Again
On April 25, 2012, students took over the streets again to protest for an inclusive and good quality public education after several months of "silence". Here we share some of the reasons they gave on Twitter for renewing their protests.
Peru: The Festival of the Peruvian Cajon
The Peruvian Cajon is a very commonly used instrument in Afro-Peruvian music and Peruvian music in general. The fifth anniversary of the Cajon Festival took place this year and it was a complete success, particularly for the activity known as "La Cajoneada" that was able to gather more than 1,400 cajon players, which beat its own previous Guiness Record.
Video: Mothers Around the World Share Their Different Experiences
In the International Museum of Women, the current online exhibit is all about mothers. MAMA: Motherhood around the globe explores the different aspects of motherhood through video interviews to women in Nigeria, Kenya, Afghanistan, USA, Colombia, Hungary, China and Norway.
Colombia: Video of Art Installation and Performance in Bogotá
The art collective Invisible Society in Bogotá brought together 53 artists who set up art installations or performance arts, and the process and result can be seen in their video.
Puerto Rico: Student Detained After Performance Deemed “Indecent”
Charlene Jane González de Jesús, a student at the University of Puerto Rico, was detained by state police last Thursday, April 19 at the institution's Río Piedras campus after taking her top off in public as part of a performance art piece in protest of gender inequality. The case has ignited intense debate on blogs and social media networks.
Cuba: Hopeless Information?
“Information in Cuba is hopeless,” says Bad Handwriting, but she thinks it can be helped.
Cuba: Resorting to Hunger Strike
Cuban netizens, primarily from the diaspora, are once again blogging about instances of police abuse in the country and how the island's justice system routinely makes hunger-strikers out of prisoners of conscience.