Stories about Latin America from March, 2015
Nicaraguan Mother Recovered Her Child Detained At German Embassy in Managua
Ximena Gutiérrez, a Nicaraguan mother, recovered her child who was detained by his father at the German Embassy in Nicaragua. Arun was taken to the Embassy's office in Managua by his father, a German citizen. Considering the unwillingness to leave the place, the little child's mother reported to the authorities...
Before the Border: The Immigrant Odyseey Across Mexico
The perils of crossing the border between Mexico and the United States are well documented, but for thousands of undocumented migrants from Central America, crossing Mexico is even more dangerous. To reach the US border, undocumented migrants from Central America undertake a dangerous 1,500-mile trip through Mexico, where they risk...
Colombia Past and Present: An Interview with Author William Ospina
Excerpts from the most popular segments of an interview with the writer William Ospina on history, perception, and cultural identity in Colombia and Latin America.
The Government is Unprepared as Peru's Heavy Rains Unleash Lethal Landslides
The rain season is getting stronger and longer every year in Peru. This year at least seven people died in landslides caused by the rain in Chosica, near Lima.
Revolutionary Extractivism in Bolivia?
Extractivism uses money (rents) from natural gas and mineral exports to improve public infrastructures and alleviate poverty through redistributive policies and has broad popular support in Bolivia.
Bus Users Fight Over Seat in Peruvian Bus and You Can't Imagine How This Ends
A video posted on Facebook by user PeruRec show two men almost coming to blows over a seat in a bus of the Metropolitano, Peruvian capital public transportation system. At one point, the stockier guy sits over the other guy, while other bus users laugh out loud. Immersed as they...
Ecuadorians Take to the Streets to Protest Government
Despite the rain, on March 19 citizens participated in a protest in Loja, Ecuador, which spread over seven blocks, to express their discontent of the current government. Labor code reforms, extended reelections, free access to education, and the recent exchange rate safeguards on imports were some of the issues that...
Bringing the Muisca Language Back from Extinction, One Word at a Time
Even though the indigenous language Muisca is extinct, a group of Colombians are using wikis, mobile apps, and social media to breathe new life into the language.
The Media's Role in Mexico's ‘Warped’ Democracy
Blogger Fernando Vázquez Rigada reflects on the role of the media in Mexico, a country where he says democracy is “warped” because it only works on a formal level, and society isn't adequately represented by the political institutions. He adds that Mexican media bear a huge responsibility in this issue....
Eerie Similarities Between Germanwings Tragedy and Argentinian-Spanish Film ‘Wild Tales’
More than once, screenwriters have found inspiration in reality for their fiction. This time, it seems reality was inspired by fiction. The news that the co-pilot of German airline Germanwings‘ Flight 9525 is suspected of intentionally crashing the plane, taking the lives of 149 people with him, seems to be one of...
The Arduous Journey of Colombian Migrants Headed for Chile
Global Voices, in collaboration with Connectas, Agenda Propia, Útero.pe, Vice and El Mercurio de Antofagasta, explored the challenges and history of migration in Latin America during a Google Hangout.
Prisoner of Conscience Pedro Canché's Letter to Journalist Carmen Aristegui
From jail, Pedro Canché wrote a letter to fellow journalist Carmen Aristegui after her recent and controversial exit from media group MVS. This letter was published on his Tumblr blog “Diary of a prisoner of conscience“. 15 de marzo de 2015 Carta a Carmen AristeguiA propósito del consumado golpe al equipo de investigación de MVS, en...
#HackEC15 — An Open Data Challenge in Ecuador
As part of the Second International Conference on Democracy and Digital Government 2015 (ICEDEG 2015), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is hosting Hack Ecuador Challenge 2015 (HEC'15). The event welcomes Ecuadorians with open-data apps that promise to deliver needed services in local communities, improving the nation's online ecosystem, especially in the...
10 Common Words in Spanish and English That Come From Quechua
If you think that Quechua is only used in the Andes, you're sorely mistaken. Spanish, Catalan and even English use Quechua words.
Mexico's Airwaves Aren't the Same Without Journalist Carmen Aristegui
Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui says her firing is an attack on freedom of expression; her bosses say it's a breach of confidence. Either way, this is not her first rodeo.
Empty Shelves: Venezuela's Economic Shortage Explained
Despite the promise of a new year, Venezuelans haven't begun 2015 in the happiest of ways, however, enduring one of the worst economic shortages in recent memory.
How Guatemalan Group ‘Las Poderosas’ Uses Theater to Confront Violence Against Women
For these women, theater is a means to heal trauma and raise awareness of gender-based violence within a country where two women a day are killed on average.
Film Documents Alleged Human Rights Crimes by Peru's Military in the 80s
Recovering Latin American historical memory and raising awareness of the atrocities committed in the past are crucial steps to take in order to ensure they are never repeated and that, instead, we continue to work towards strengthening our democracies. To that end, film can play a crucial role in compiling...
Indigenous Activists Threatened and Attacked in El Cauca, Colombia
Several indigenous communities in Colombia continue to be victims of human rights violations and threats by paramilitary groups. Moreover, activists also report being attacked by public security forces and ESMAD, Colombia's mobile anti-riot squad, as exposed by Ama Pachamama in a Facebook post from March 11, 2015: […] A la fecha, se reportan...
In Caracas I Found Tehran
Against the backdrop of the rapprochement between their two countries, Iranians and Venezuelans find friendship and common ground—and love too.
Firing of Mexican Journalist Carmen Aristegui Unleashes Heated Comments on Twitter
At the launching of MéxicoLeaks, a platform that collects leaked information about possible corruption, journalist Carmen Aristegui and her research team declared that they would back the project. This lead MVS Radio, their employer, to fire Aristegui's collaborators, Daniel Lizarraga and Iriving Huerta, for supposedly compromising the company name. In...
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.
