Stories about Colombia from October, 2012
Colombian ‘Tiger’ Radamel Falcao, Nominated for FIFA Ballon d'Or
The Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid has launched a video promoting Colombian striker Radamel Falcao's bid to become the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or. The campaign has been well received among Colombians, who have been sharing the spot and commenting the campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #UnTigreDeOro (A golden tiger).
Colombia: Kien&Ke's Director Resigns After Journalist's Dismissal
Maria Elvira Bonilla, director of online portal Kien & Ke, resigned after acknowledging her error in firing journalist Daniel Pardo for his column about the influence exercised by the Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales in media like W Radio [es]-a case that sparked outrage among Colombians.
Colombia: Journalist Fired Over Article About Oil Company
Colombian journalist Daniel Pardo was fired from the website Kien&Ke after publishing a column about the influence exerted by the Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales in media like W Radio. Many netizens agree that the dismissal is an attack on freedom of the press.
Colombia: How Attacks on Energy Infrastructure Affects Citizens
A rise in the number of attacks on Colombia’s energy infrastructure by guerrilla groups FARC and ELN have had a profound impact on the lives of many Colombians.
Colombia: The “Lleras Law” and Content Creation
We talk with Pilar Sáenz of the Karisma Foundation about the evolution of the controversial Lleras Law, which changes the framework for legislation and regulation of copyrights and intellectual property. Furthermore, we present a video with producer Armadillo Media TV about how the creativity of Colombian internet users could be affected by this law.
Colombian Senator Removed and Disqualified, Triumph for Social Networks?
On October 16, 2012 the Attorney General's Office dismissed Senator Eduardo Merlano from office, disqualifying him from holding public office for 10 years after finding him guilty of taking advantage of his position as senator to avoid a traffic ticket. News of the dismissal was well received among Colombian netizens, who attributed the achievement to a successful campaign calling for Senator Merlano to resign.
Radio Campaign to Protect Colombian Human Rights Defenders
Front Line Defenders has joined Colombian social movement ‘MOVICE‘ [es] (National Movement of Victims of State Crimes) in a campaign to develop a series of 6 radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to “encourage public opinion in Colombia to support greater protection for [human rights defenders].”
Colombia/U.S.: “We Need to Talk About Coke”
Colombia based American blogger Natalie Southwick writes about cocaine supply chain and asks her countrymen to think about how Americans may be perpetuating the cycle of violence and exploitation by feeding the demand for cocaine. “At the least, think before you inhale”.
Colombia to Close ‘Week of Indignation’ with Nationwide Protests
Colombians will close a 'week of indignation' on October 12 with nationwide protests. The activities held during the week and the march scheduled for Friday seek to mobilize Colombians who are outraged about different issues like education, heath, security, indigenous rights, and more. On social networks many are announcing their participation and posting images and videos to encourage others to attend the march.
Colombia: The Conflicting Relationship With ‘The Public’
After riots at the campus of the National University of Colombia in Bogotá last week, some students proposed [es] to paint the buildings white to express their rejection of vandalism, prompting a debate [es] about the issue. Andrés Villaveces writes [es] about this and the “conflicting relationship” of most Bogotanos...
Russia: Crowdmapping Corruption with Bribr Mobile App
Bribr is a newly-launched iPhone/iPad app that allows anonymous users in Russia to submit the locations and the amounts of the bribes they pay. Later, it will be possible to report on the bribes taken as well.
Colombians Demand 24 Hours Free From Violent Killings
On October 2, 2012, and as part of the International Day of Non-Violence, several Colombians beckoned other citizens to celebrate 24-0, an initiative that aims to hail this day as one free from any violent deaths.
Investigating the ‘New Face’ of Forced Displacement in Latin America
Sibylla Brodzinsky in the blog InSight Crime writes about organized crime as “the new face of forced displacement in Latin America.” She adds that under the coordination of InSight Crime and with the support of Internews, an alliance of digital media in El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico explored this new...
Colombia: Citizens Support Lawsuit Against Lleras Law
In their blog, [es] Fundación Karisma [es] reports that they have joined other organizations in a “supportive intervention” in Senator Camilo Romero's [es] lawsuit against the constitutionality of Law 1520 [pdf, es], also known as Lleras Law 2.0. Fundación Karisma shares links to two Citizen Interventions [es] which lay out their requests before the Constitutional...
Amazon: Improving Public’s Perception of the Forest
InfoAmazonia is a platform that brings together organizations and journalists from nine countries of one of the most biodiverse areas in the world to freely provide news and reports of the endangered Amazon region. The website maps deforestation, fires, oil and mining, and calls for public participation through the submission...
