· January, 2013

Stories about Latin America from January, 2013

Brazil in Mourning After the Tragic Fire in Santa Maria

  31 January 2013

On January 27, 2012, the college town of Santa Maria, located in the middle of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, suffered a tragic fire in the nightclub Kiss. Considered the second largest fire by number of victims in Brazil, the incident claimed the lives of around 231 people, most of them young, 90% of them by intoxication.

Peru: ls the Renewal of Telefónica's Contract a Good Thing?

  31 January 2013

On January 21st the Peruvian government, through the Minister of Transportation and Communication, Carlos Paredes, announced the renewal of the expired cellular phone contracts with Telefónica for a period of 18 years and 10 months. Here is an analysis of the consequences of this renewal.

‘Testosterona’ Blog is Out of MTV Brazil

  31 January 2013

MTV Brazil has cancelled its contract with the Testosterona's blog, affirmed the group ‘Nós Denunciamos’ [pt] on Facebook. It is believed that MTV Brazil attitude came as a consequence of the TV network headquarter's decision in the US and social mobilization against the misogynistic program. Global Voices published an article...

Colombia: A Long Way to Peace?

  30 January 2013

Despite ongoing peace talks, Colombia refused to recognize the most recent ceasefire declared by the FARC and launched an airstrike on New Year's day. Meanwhile, the deadline for brokering a peace agreement approaches.

‘Planet Asks for Pedalling': Cycling Through Latin America

  30 January 2013

"I understood that travelling like this, without being in a rush, gives you the freedom to get to know cultures more deeply and the simplicity of the people." Meet Beto, from Brazil, and his project 'Planet asks for Pedalling' that will take him on a 2.5 years journey cycling through Latin America.

Indigenous Xavantes of Marãiwatsédé Fight for the Right to Their Land

  29 January 2013

Having inhabited the Marãiwatsédé territory in the north of Mato Grosso for centuries, natives of the Xavante ethnic group face occupation and threats from farmers who are trying to evictl them from their homeland, which was returned to them 14 years ago. On December 6, 2012, the justice department in Mato Grosso ordered the delivery of subpoenas for the removal of illegal occupants of these ancestral lands. A month and a half later the process has almost been finalized.

Critical Mass: Cycling Through Brazil's Salvador City

  29 January 2013

In our attempt to discover the route of Brazilian Critical Masses, we spoke with two organizers of the Salvador Critical Mass (also known as “Bicicletada”), Roque Júnior and Rosa Ribeiro. Here's the second part of the interview, in which we get to know a little more about the city’s urban mobility policies.

Mexico: Indigenous Long-Distance Runner Wins International Race

  28 January 2013

El blog HuffPost Voces [es] picked up the story of Maria Salome, a tarahumara indigenous woman who easily won the 10 km of the OXXO international half marathon in Chihuaha, Mexico. The remarkable thing about her victory is that she ran wearing her traditional costume, with no running shoes and no preparation from notorious coaches. Maria...

Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho”, One Year Later

  28 January 2013

January 22, 2013 marked one year since the violent eviction of the Pinheirinho settlement in the city of São José dos Campos, Brazil. A demonstration to commemorate the date took place at the entrance to the grounds of Pinheirinho. The land has since remained empty and the people who lived there remain homeless.

Colombia: Campaign Against Smoking

  28 January 2013

Las Colombianadas del Facebook posts a video [es] where two children ask smoker adults to light up a cigarette for them. The adults refuse, claiming their are too young and it's wrong, but they are surprised when the children handle them a paper with the message: “You are worried about...

Cicero Guedes, Brazilian Landless Leader is Murdered in Rio

  27 January 2013

One of the main leaders of the landless movement in Brazil was shot dead on Saturday as he was cycling home in Rio de Janeiro state. Publishing a picture he took of Cicero Guedes, Marcos Pedlowski [pt] emphasises that “the loss is not only human, but deeply political. Besides being...

Peru: Violent Anti-Mining Protests in Lambayeque

  26 January 2013

Globalizado, a blog by Juan Arellano, recounts what happened [es] on Friday January 25, 2013, when a 100 police agent detachment confronted about 400 local community members from Cañaris and Incahuasi communities in Lambayeque, department located in northwestern Peru.

Brazil: Families Evicted from Pinheirinho Still Without a Proper Home

  25 January 2013

One year after the violent eviction which became known as “Massacre of Pinherinho“, in the city of São José dos Campos, state of São Paulo, Amnesty International Brazil demands [pt] an immediate and permanent solution for the families that were evicted from the Pinheirinho settlement on January 22, 2012.

Argentina: Suggestions for a better life

  24 January 2013

Hernán Haines, from blog El espacio de Hernán Haines [es], provides his readers with some suggestions for a better life in Argentina due to “the constant enquiries I get about my proposals, following up you'll find a list, an incomplete one, by the way”. He then presents a 45-item list...

Critical Mass: Wheels of Activism Come to Brazil's Salvador City

  24 January 2013

The international cycling movement Critical Mass - or Bicicletadas as it is been known in Brazilian Portuguese - has won the hearts of Brazilians, since cars have reached a saturation point on the country's congested roads. Visiting the city of Salvador in Brazil, Global Voices contributor, Thiana Biondo talked to Critical Mass local activists Roque Junior and Rosa Ribeiro. Check out the first part of the interview.

Cuba: Internet Change Coming?

  24 January 2013

If you took a poll in our streets about Cubans’ most serious problems, the youngest…would list…lack of access to the Internet. They want to dive into that sea of kilobytes! Translating Cuba explains that “this situation of disconnect could be about to change…the great World Wide Web may be closer...

Bolivia: 2012 Census Initial Data

  23 January 2013

Bolivian President Evo Morales announced the initial official data from the Census of Population and Housing 2012, carried out last November. According to the results, Bolivia has a population of 10.3, with the two most populated departaments being Santa and y La Paz, each with 2.7 million people. Netizens are...

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.