Stories about Latin America from October, 2012
Puerto Rico: Political Parties Reap the Benefits of Social Media
Social media have become a key part of daily life in Puerto Rico, a fact which has not escape the attention of the country's various political parties. Each of these has tried to capitalise on the enormous potential that social media offer, some with greater success than others.
Former Brazilian Model Turned Beggar Stirs Debate on Racism
Tall, blue-eyed and wrapped in a blanket while roaming the streets of Curitiba, Rafael Nunes, a former Brazilian model, has gained international attention after his picture and story went viral on Facebook and Twitter. The case of "the photogenic beggar from Curitiba" has grown into a racial-oriented discussion about how Brazilian society reacts to situations of social exclusion.
Colombian ‘Tiger’ Radamel Falcao, Nominated for FIFA Ballon d'Or
The Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid has launched a video promoting Colombian striker Radamel Falcao's bid to become the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or. The campaign has been well received among Colombians, who have been sharing the spot and commenting the campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #UnTigreDeOro (A golden tiger).
Mexican Blogger Ruy Salgado Reappears, Ends Broadcast
Arjan Shahani writes about the case of Mexican blogger Ruy Salgado from el5antuario [es], who had gone missing in September of this year. On October 20, one of his former collaborators livestreamed [es] a 3-hour Skype call with Salgado, who confirmed that he was alive but also announced that he...
Puerto Rico: Prejudice Between the Lines
Félix Jiménez denounces in a short note in the digital magazine 80grados the prejudice that is revealed between the lines in the sports sections of the country's main newspapers when covering Orlando Cruz, the Puerto Rican boxer that recently came out as openly gay. Jiménez says: To review articles supposedly supporting Cruz is...
Panama: Statements After the Chaos Unleashed by Law 72
The impressions of Panamanians and foreigners living in the country were immediate after the chaos unleashed by the approval of Law 72. This law, without consultation, promoted the sale of land in the Colón Free Trade Zone, a source of income for the country and this province that practically lies in ruins after having gone unnoticed by the government. The protests against the law have left four dead and dozens injured and detained.
Brazil: Wikileaks Reveals Officials’ Disdain Towards the Guarani Kaiowá
Brazilian investigative journalism website Pública reports [pt] on documents leaked by WikiLeaks on the plight of the request for land of the indigenous Guarani-Kaiowá. A cable from 2009 reveals disdain by local authorities from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul towards Guarani-Kaiowá's demands for the demarcation of the lands...
What Exactly is a Hackathon? And What is Open Data?
We previously announced the next hackathon for Latin America: Developing Latin America 2012. But it's likely that some readers are not sure what a hackathon is or above all, what it's for. Here we try to answer those questions with definitions, examples, and two video interviews with Argentinian hacker Mariano Crowe.
Retio: A Free Application to Fight Drug Trafficking in Mexico
Paula Gonzalo from Periodismo Ciudadano (Citizen Journalism) tells us about Retio, a free application used to map the war against drug trafficking in Mexico through citizen reports sent via Twitter.
El Salvador's Tough Abortion Laws
Voices from El Salvador highlights several stories of Salvadoran women affected by the country's abortion ban, ” which includes cases of rape, incest, and when the health of the woman is at risk.” The issue is compounded by other women’s rights issue, including femicide (El Salvador has the highest rate in...
Puerto Rico: The Unwritten Rule of the Puerto Rican Press
Luisa García Pelatti talks [es] in her blog Sin comillas (Without Quotation Marks) about the alleged illegal use of government funds by the newspaper El Vocero [es] (The Spokesman) that was denounced by the newspaper El Nuevo Día [es] (The New Day). García, a former employee of El Vocero, said the following: What El Nuevo Día published...
President Martinelli Addresses Panama After Repealing Law 72
President Martinelli of Panama gave a conciliatory speech to try and draw a close to a chaotic week which has left four people dead and many injured as they demonstrated against Law 72. The law authorising sale of land in the Free Zone of Colon was finally repealed. Reactions to the speech on Twitter were many and varied.
Chile: The Day After the Municipal Elections
Last night's municipal elections were unusually interesting. First, they took place in the context of social unrest and mobilization. Second, polls aside, they were a real test of the government's popularity. Third, they were the first elections to take place under a new system of automatic registration and voluntary voting....
Cuban Government Lifts Travel Restrictions for Citizens
On October 16, the Cuban government announced plans to eliminate controversial travel restrictions on Cuban citizens. The policy will take effect in January of 2013.
Caribbean: Hurricane Sandy's Wake
As Hurricane Sandy closes in on the east coast of the United States, bloggers in the Caribbean who have already experienced the storm share their experiences.
Puerto Rico: Another Way to Look Up
Puerto Rican street artist and photographer Enrique Arce, known as Aslan, has been posting photographs of airplanes on his Instagram account for over six months now as part of his "#parriba" (upwards) series. Global Voices author Alfredo Richner presents his favorite #parriba airplane photographs.
Colombia: Kien&Ke's Director Resigns After Journalist's Dismissal
Maria Elvira Bonilla, director of online portal Kien & Ke, resigned after acknowledging her error in firing journalist Daniel Pardo for his column about the influence exercised by the Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales in media like W Radio [es]-a case that sparked outrage among Colombians.
Colombia: Journalist Fired Over Article About Oil Company
Colombian journalist Daniel Pardo was fired from the website Kien&Ke after publishing a column about the influence exerted by the Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales in media like W Radio. Many netizens agree that the dismissal is an attack on freedom of the press.
Chile: Mapuche Prisoners End Hunger Strike After 60 Days
After 60 days on hunger strike, four Mapuche prisoners have ended their protest after the Chilean Supreme Court agreed to some of their demands. This struggle has also brought to light divisions about the conflict among Chileans.
Costa Rican Bloggers Speak Up for Freedom of Expression
Ticoblogger summarizes [es] the participation of bloggers, journalists, and activists in the forum “Online Anonymity, Pseudonyms and Freedom of Expression” held on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The post links to presentations by Gustavo Araya [es, pdf], Julio Córdoba [es], and José Medrano [es].
Peru: Police and Protesters Clash in #LaParada Market in Lima
A police operative blocking streets in a wholesale market area in Lima ended in clashes between merchants and the police. Television newscasts broadcast violent scenes showing a policeman on the ground being stoned in the head by rioters. Juan Arellano posted [es] a summary on his blog. More under the...
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.
