Stories about Latin America from August, 2013
VIDEO: A Portrait of Equal Marriage in Brazil
Liberdade na Rede blog shares [pt] a short documentary by Brazilian journalist Alicia Peres on equal marriage, called Meninas (Girls). The documentary portrays moments in the lives of Priscila and Juliana: São menos de cinco minutos, com a música de Hermeto Pascoal e imagens que registram esta forma de amar e ser feliz,...
Ecuador Rallies in Defense of Yasuni National Park
Demonstrators demand that Yasuni National Park remain untouched nearly two weeks after President Correa announced the end of the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, which sought to avoid oil drilling in the park.
Peruvian Merchants Burn Clothing to Protest Chinese Imports
Merchants from the Gamarra [es] area, a well-known center of textile manufacturing and commercialization in Lima, burned imported Chinese clothing [es] in the streets as a protest over the low priced Chinese garments which, according to them, make their businesses go bankrupt. On Twitter, Alfredo “Alial” (@Alfredo_jch) [es] implied a...
Teacher Protests Over Education Reform Paralyze Mexico City
Members and supporters of the CNTE have been protesting in Mexico City against education reforms already passed, seeking to repeal them.
Choosing ‘Exile’ Over Break-up, US Citizens Follow ‘Banned’ Spouses Abroad
Families tell their stories online through social media, where they also raise awareness about their cases and pressure US legislators to include their families in the much anticipated immigration reform.
Strike in Colombia Gains Momentum
Colombia's national strike, which began with an agrarian strike on August 19, is “gaining momentum with shows of support from the citizenry”, as Steven Cohen writes in Colombia Reports: More than 10,000 people participated in “cacerolazos” — protests in which participants bang on kitchen pots and pans — held throughout...
Missing ‘Bar Heaven’ Patrons in Mexico Found Dead
The bodies of the missing youth from #BarHeaven have been uncovered in a secret grave in Mexico State.
Peruvian Runners Win Mexico City Marathon
Peruvian athletes Raúl Pacheco and Gladys Tejeda won their respective categories in the Mexico City Marathon [es]. Pacheco won the male category, crossing the finish line with a time of 2:16,53 hours. Meanwhile, the 2:37,32 time achieved by Tejeda gave her the first place in the female category. Peruvian sports...
It Started With a Kiss: Footballer Causes Homophobia Debate in Brazil
A photo showing a footballer kissing a male friend has caused much controversy and debate on social media as machismo and acceptance go face to face.
Wikipedia in Guarani
This year, Wikipedia in Spanish reached one million articles and released a basic user guide in Guaraní. The idea is to revive the Guaraní-speaking community in this great platform. So far there are only 20 articles in that language. […] If you are interested in collaborating with this project, download...
Mexican Officials Vote to Change Transparency Laws: A Backward Step in the Name of Security?
Mexican officials have passed a reform that allows for the organisational body that guarantees the public’s right to access information to be overruled on national security grounds.
Crowdfunding Project in Brazil Seeks to Finance Independent Reporters
Non-profit journalism agency Publica is launching a crowdfunding projecy to support independent investigative jounalism.
PHOTOS: Mapping Urban Art in Buenos Aires and Beyond
A group of Argentines invite you to share and map images of graffiti from your city.
Citizens Concerned as Agrarian Strike Escalates in Colombia
The government and farmers have not reached an agreement following four days of protest. Citizens meanwhile show their concern and call for action.
Brazilian Soccer Team Launches Campaign Against Racism
[All links lead to Portuguese-language pages unless otherwise noted.] In a video released Monday, August 12, the soccer team Grêmio of Porto Alegre brought together some of the key players on its roster, white and black, to talk about racism. The initiative was carried out in support of a new...
Wave of Violence Against Guatemalan Journalists
Guatemalan journalists Carlos Alberto Orellana Chávez was gunned down on Monday, August 19, 2013; he is the fourth journalist killed in Guatemala this year. In an opinion piece [es] published in Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre, UN's special rapporteur for freedom of expression Frank La Rue denounced “the recent wave of...
The Walls Can Talk in Puerto Rico and New York City
The alternative music venue La Respuesta, in Santurce, Puerto Rico, presents “Los Muros Hablan NYC” (The Walls Talk NYC), the New York edition of the urban art festival that has put the zone of Santurce on the map of graffiti artists worldwide. The artistic project aims to strengthen bonds between...
Chile's Presidential Campaigns Mum on ‘Mapuche Conflict’
The "Mapuche conflict", which refers to the ongoing clashes between the Chilean state and the Mapuche indigenous communities, has seen an escalation of violence recently.
Death Threats Follow Cartoonist Latuff's Criticism of Brazil's Military Police
Known for political cartoons drawn with simple strokes and acidic humor, cartoonist Carlos Latuff believes he is in danger due to his recent jabs at the military police.
At 87, Fidel Castro is “Imperfect but Human”
Fidel Castro has held an almost mythical status for leftist revolutionary movements around the world for decades. Cuba's former president just turned 87.
National Agrarian Strike Begins in Colombia
Colombian farmers started a strike in response to the economic policies of Juan Manuel Santos's government.
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