Stories about Colombia from July, 2012
Latin America: Is 2012 the ‘Year of the Woman” at the Olympics?
The Americas Quarterly blog points out that although there is still a lot to do to end gender discrimination at the Olympics, “for the first time in history, every country competing in the London 2012 Olympics will have at least one female athlete, with many – notably in Latin America...
Colombians Celebrate Unexpected Silver Medal
On Saturday, July 28, Rigoberto Urán became the first Colombian to win a medal in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. He finished second at the men's road race final, behind veteran cyclist Aleksandr Vinokurov from Kazakhstan.
Colombia: The Environmental Heritage of the Country is Threatened by Mining
Through her Facebook profile, Carla Bajonero shares her concern regarding mining in Colombia [es]. In her opinion, mining only leaves behind “pollution and laughable earnings.” She then asks: “What happens to the environmental and cultural heritage of Colombia if mining continues in this boom?” Carla also writes about this issue...
Colombia: Locals Concerned Over Media's Slant on Cauca Conflict
The indigenous people of the Cauca department, in southwestern Colombia, are concerned that the media is misrepresenting their struggle to expel legal and illegal armed groups from their territory. Netizens weigh in on the media's coverage of this current conflict.
Colombia: “Are We Truly Independent?”
On Colombia's Independence Day, bloggers and Twitter users expressed all sorts of opinions on the Internet. While some commemorated the day by showing their pride for being Colombian, others commented on the situation regarding the indigenous people of Cauca, the presence of multinational corporations, and other current topics.
Colombia: Scientific Community Concerned Over Resignation of Top Official
The resignation of Jaime Restrepo Cuartas, director of the Administrative Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Colciencias, has raised concern among the scientific community about the future of Colciencias (the main source of funding for most Colombian scientists) and the future of research in general in the country.
Colombia: A Lab for Social Sciences
Blogger Luis Ángel Pérez writes about wanting to create a lab for Social Sciences, just like there are labs for chemistry or physics. He imagines the lab [es] with many sofas and good music. “Social Sciences are about our home and its history,” he concludes.
Colombia: #Yodigoaquiestoy, a Tool for Denouncing Child Labor
"Yo Digo Aquí Estoy" ("I say I am here") is the title of an interesting project by Fundación Telefónica which aims to put an end to child labor in Colombia, counting on citizen participation. We hereby reproduce an article by Paula Gonzalo, published in Periodismo Ciudadano, where she tells us more about this tool.
Colombia: Locals Demand End to Cauca Conflict
For years, the indigenous people of the municipality of Toribio in Cauca have put up with hundreds of battles provoked by the guerrilla, paramilitary groups, and the military. The conflict has generated the displacement of thousands of indigenous people. Now, the indigenous people of the area have decided to intensify their struggle to expel these armed groups from their territory.
United States: Spanish TV Series on Pablo Escobar Breaks Ratings Record
Telemundo, the second largest Spanish-speaking TV network in the United States, premiered a new series “Escobar: The Evil Patron,” about the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. During its first days, the series rated an average of 2.2 million viewers, sparking lots of comments, in favor and against, on social networks.
Colombia: “We are going to end with darkness in Congress”
On Facebook the Primary Constituent movement [es] is calling [es] for a gathering at Plaza de Bolívar (Bogotá's main public square) to protest corruption of politicians and demand that Emilio Otero is not reelected as secretary of the Colombian Congress. The gathering, called “We are going to end with darkness...
Colombia: Film on the Afro-Colombian People in Theaters in August
The Colombian movie Chocó, on the life of an Afro-Colombian family in the coastal region of Chocó, which opened the Cartagena International Film Festival and was presented in the Berlinale earlier this year will finally reach theaters in Colombia this following August 3rd. Watch the trailer here.
Colombia: Cauca Indigenous Demand Army and Guerrillas Leave Their Territories
In an open letter [es, fr], the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (ACIN), in south western Colombia, demanded that “groups and legal and illegal armies” leave their territories, specifically the town of Toribío, which is routinely attacked by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) [es]. The indigenous...
Video: From Colombia, Versión Beta Makes a Recycled Organizer
Using two empty plastic bottles and a zipper, the Colombian Version Beta Show [es] uses a video to teach viewers how to make a storage container.
Colombia: Concern About Contamination at Santa Marta Bay
José D. Pacheco M., of the blog Tras la cola de la rata, writes [es] about a study [es] and a report [pdf, es] on the contamination of the bay of Santa Marta, an important tourist destination in the Colombian Caribbean, because of the “poor handling and inadequate control of...
Colombia: ‘Higgsteria’ in Medellín
After the announcement by CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) last week about the search of the Higgs’ boson, Helena Cortés writes [es] about a conference held at the Medellín Planetarium with local scientists explaining the news, and compiles tweets with “accurate and inaccurate comments” about the ‘Higgsteria’.
Colombia: Outrage at Celebrity for Mocking Fat Women
A column [es] written by TV celebrity Alejandra Azcárate [es] for women's magazine Aló, where she writes tongue-in-cheek about “the 7 advantages of being [a] fat [woman]”, prompted harsh reactions in Colombian social media this week. Blog posts parodying [es] the ‘7 advantages‘ [es] format or replying [es]to her text...
Colombia: One Night in a Cell
In his blog La Ventana, Juan Batallas publishes a two-part post about one night he spent in a cell at an “immediate reaction unit” (unidad de reacción inmediata, URI, set up by the Attorney General's Office [es]). In the first part [es] he tells the story of his confinement and...
Colombia: Interview with Director of Pablo Escobar TV Biopic Series
Journalist Carolina Ruiz Giraldo publishes an interview [es] with Carlos Moreno, director of Escobar, el patrón del mal (“Escobar, the drug lord”), a controversial TV series broadcast since late May with high ratings. Moreno explains which parts of the biopic have been fictionalized and why some characters based on real...
Colombia: Eruption of Nevado del Ruiz Volcano
President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed on Twitter [es] the eruption (of ashes) of Nevado del Ruiz volcano (in western central Colombia), which occurred [es] Saturday June 30 at 17:40 (22:40 UTC). Social media users initially reported apparent calm in Manizales, the closest city to the volcano, where there is a...
Colombia: Accessing the Internet in Germany
Ana María Vallejo, a Colombian studying in Germany, has written a two-part series (1, 2) [es] on her experience accessing the Internet in that country. She compares it with her experience in Colombia and describes the restrictions for accessing some content there.
