· December, 2012

Stories about Latin America from December, 2012

An Open Letter to President Hugo Chavez, from El Salvador

  31 December 2012

From El Salvador, Paolo Lüers, the blogger on Columna transversal, posts an open letter [es] to Venezuelan President, Mr Hugo Chavez, and tells him “something that the few ones who have access to you don't dare to tell you, or aren't interested in telling you”, and ends up his letter...

Costa Rica: Of Mills and a New Year

  31 December 2012

There were days when I felt the mill go slowly, too slowly, desperately slowly. Other days, I felt the mill spinning vertiginously, so I couldn't take a breathe and just wanted to get off the mill and run away. Heidy, from Mi mundo mágico (My magic world) draws a parallel...

“Bogotá's Traffic Jams Are Horrific Now? Well, Just Wait!”

  31 December 2012

Mike's Bogota Blog rants about traffic jams in Colombian capital city, Bogotá, and foresees the situation can only get worse: Congress, in all its wisdom, has included in the tax reform bill which it just passed and Pres. Santos will sign, a cut in gasoline prices. Colombians will cheer and...

“Nobody Gets Mad on the Last Day”

  31 December 2012

Remembering his school days, Tomas Bradanovic [es] writes on his self-named blog “at elementary school, the last day of school year was the occasion for commiting any kind of mischievousness because there was no point for us to be sent to the principal's office”. Then, he reviews his own 2012...

Bolivia: Nationalization and football

  31 December 2012

From Bolivia, blogger Eduardo Bowles refers to the nationalization of Spanish company Iberdrola [es]: […] amidst a severe credibility crisis and when the bumpings with Chile weren't enough for “beating around the bush”, MAS regime has ordered the nationalization of four branches of Spanish multinational Iberdrola, thus putting an end...

Promiscuity: The Image of Brazilian Women Abroad?

  30 December 2012

On a television program in Portugal, the president of the Portuguese Bar Association claimed "one of the things Brazil has most exported is prostitutes, among other things." Online responses have been fierce, and the polemical statement is raising questions about the images and stereotypes of Brazilian women abroad.

Online Petition for Oscar López

  28 December 2012

The online petition asking for the pardon of Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera is rapidly getting close to its objective of 3,000 signatures. López was arrested in 1981 and sentenced to 70 years in jail for “seditious conspiracy” for participating in acts in favor of the independence of...

Debating Journalism and Censorship

  28 December 2012

In recent days, journalists Sandra Rodríguez Cotto and Wilda Rodríguez [es] have a had an interesting debate on journalism, objectivity, and censorship following the boycott of Puerto Rico's popular TV show “La Comay.”

The Best 12 of 2012

  28 December 2012

The music blog Puerto Rico Indie offers its traditional summary of the best albums of the year in Puerto Rico. Enjoy!

Brazilian Memes and Internet Culture in 2012

  27 December 2012

What was the best of the crazy world of Brazilian memes and Internet culture in 2012? One thing is for sure “Brazil can do virals”, says Anna Heim from The Next Web, in an post she wrote in collaboration with Bia Granja, from youPIX.

Mexico: Federal Court Halts Controversial Wind Park

  27 December 2012

The largely indigenous opposition to wind farms in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec of Oaxaca, Mexico won a tremendous victory when a District Seven Federal Court judge granted an injunction temporarily halting the construction of a controversial wind park in San Dioniosio del Mar in the southern state of Oaxaca. While the indigenous Ikojts (Huave) peoples of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec celebrated and called for government and industry to comply with the decision, their grassroots struggle continues.

Analyzing the Salaries of Congressmen in Latin America

  26 December 2012

After the payment raise scandal [es] of Peruvian congressmen, disguised under the rubric of expenses, in Sesión de Control, journalist Martin Hidalgo makes a comparative analysis [es] of the salaries of deputies in Latin America. “At the top of the highest paid legislators are Chileans, who earn a salary of...

A special Christmas gift

  24 December 2012

Peruvian blogger Cyrano [es] from Columna 17 ends his five-part series of Christmas-related posts republishing an article by Colombian Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez and says [es]: I hope you all like these words as much as I did and may them be my virtual present to all of you....

Mayan Priests Denied Access to Ceremonial Places in Guatemala

  22 December 2012

Guatemala, the heart of Mayan culture, has started their festivities for the 13 Baktun - the last cycle of the Mayan calendar, due to end on December 21, 2012. But sadly the celebrations were dominated by staged government shows which were neither lead nor shared by indigenous communities or spiritual leaders. Mayan elders are the keepers of the 'long count of the days', however Guatemalan authorities imposed restrictions on them to practice their ceremonies.

Mexico: “Mayans Didn't Predict the End of the World”

  21 December 2012

According to the Mayans, what we are about to celebrate is the beginning of b’ak’tun 14. Very similar to us about to celebrate the beginning of 2013, or as happened some years ago, when we celebrated the beginning of 21st century. Group blog Pedazos de carbono [es] weighs in and...

Two Coins for the Boatman

  21 December 2012

From Guatemala, Fe de Rata‘s blogger Juan Pablo Dardón, lists his plan [es] for the end of times: I woke up early and put two golden coins one for each shoe […] two coins I'm telling you when meteorites fall down and all this gets open as an orange […]...

Honduras: “Don't Worry, Be Happy”

  21 December 2012

La Gringa, from La Gringa's blogicito shares her sentiments about so long anticipated December 21, 2012: Today is December 21, 2012, the last day of the Mayan calendar. Enjoy it as if it is the last day of the world! […] My last meal is going to be ice cream...

Mirelis Morales’ ‘City of Fury': A positive view of Caracas

  20 December 2012

Mirelis Morales Tovar is a tweep, blogger, journalist and, above all, a Caracas native. In this interview she tells us a little more about her blog Caracas Ciudad de la Furia [Caracas City of Fury], a space dedicated to showing the positive side of the Venezuelan capital.

Copa Sudamericana Final Ends in Violence

  20 December 2012

The heated final match of the Copa Sudamericana on the 12th December 2012 at the Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo, between Brazilian team São Paulo FC and Club Atletico Tigre, from Argentina, ended unexpectedly. And violently, too. A fight between the players spilled over to the changing rooms, where the Argentinian team claims to have suffered aggression from the Military Police and São Paulo security staff.

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.