Stories about Mexico from March, 2011
Mexico: Drug Trafficking in Mexican Media vs. US Media
Gancho argues that “The contrast between the pessimism and obsessiveness of media coverage of drug trafficking in Mexico with the relative ignorance of the same in the US is striking. Especially with regard to American media–the Mexican outlets often seem to do a better job scanning the news wires for...
Mexico: New (Dis)Agreement on Reporting Violence
On March 24, most of the biggest Mexican media outlets signed the "Agreement to Cover Violence in Mexico," an agreement that unifies the editorial criteria to cover and report news related to "the drug war." Many support and defend the document, but the text has also sparked strong disagreement and criticism.
Mexico: Femicide Law Passed in State of Mexico
Erwin in The Latinamericanist reports that “legislators in Mexico State unanimously passed a law last week that legally recognizes femicides [es] as an independent crime category.” However, Erwin adds that “deputy Mónica Fragoso Maldonado told El Universal that the measure does little [es] to solve the problem of violence against...
Mexico: U.S. Drones Gather Intelligence on Drug Cartels
A story first reported on March 15 by The New York Times has garnered strong responses from Mexican netizens based at home and abroad. Citing American and Mexican officials, the paper reported that "the Obama administration has begun sending drones deep into Mexican territory to gather intelligence that helps locate major traffickers and follow their networks."
Mexico: Telecom and Entertainment Industries Testify on ACTA
As reported earlier, the Mexican Senate is holding public hearings with citizens, academics, lobbyists, and Internet service providers on the Anti-Counterfeit Commercial Agreement –widely known as ACTA. On March 2, lobbyists from the creative, telecommunications and entertainment industries had the opportunity to present their positions to the senators. Here is a summary of the session.
Mexico: Impact of Documentary ‘Presumed Guilty’
Gancho reports that PAN, a major political party in Mexico, “has proposed that all bids for public contracts be videotaped, as a check against corruption.” He ties this proposal to the documentary ‘Presumed Guilty‘: “This may just be posturing, and the impulse behind it may be temporary, but this is...
Latin America: A Cartoonist's Rendition of Today's Political Figures
In I'm crazy for you, Latin America!, Vitor Taveira previews a series of drawings of current Latin American political figures by cartoonist Luke Fontana. The set begins with drawings of Subcomandante Marcos from Mexico, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, and Bolivian President Evo Morales.
Mexico: Documentary ‘Presumed Guilty’ Back in Theaters
David Sasaki updates a thorough post on the legal actions against the documentary ‘Presumed Guilty‘: “An appellate court has ruled that the movie can again be shown in movie theaters in Mexico. The ruling claims that removing the movie from theaters would damage social interest, and violates the public’s right...
Mexico and Afghanistan Border Conflicts Juxtaposed
Netizens are responding to several reports that juxtapose the violence in the Mexico/US border with the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and its border with Pakistan. Though uncoordinated and apparently disparate, the reports have served to crystalize problematic aspects of American policy.
Hollaback! Mobile Technology Against Street Harassment
Based on the premise that "the explosion of mobile technology has given us an unprecedented opportunity to end street harassment," Hollaback! is encouraging women around the world to use the tools available to them to share their stories and geo-locate incidents and reports.
Mexico: Remembering the Women of Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez is considered the most violent city in Mexico with more than 3,100 murders recorded in 2010, with an average of 9 homicides per day. Women are not immune to this violence, and cases of femicides committed years ago are still unresolved. On this International Woman's Day, we are remembering the women of Ciudad Juárez.
Is Mexico Ready for a Female President?
Pepe Flores [es] asks if Mexico is ready to have a female president. He argues that Mexico as a society would accept a woman in the presidency, but he wonders if political parties are willing to endorse a woman as their candidate.
Mexico: Possible Documentary Censorship Causes Commotion
A Mexican judge ordered theaters to temporarily halt screenings of the popular Mexican documentary Presunto Culpable (Presumed Guilty). The filmmakers, in an announcement posted on their website, state that the documentary will continue to be shown until they receive a government or judicial order. Still, the Mexican blogosphere has been actively discussing the issue, mostly focusing on censorship and freedom of expression.
Latin America, Caribbean: Increase in Food Prices
Bloggings by Boz writes: “The FAO reports that February 2011 was a yet a new high on food prices. This has led to several warnings from organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean including ECLAC [Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean] and the IICA [Inter-American Institute for Cooperation...
Mexico: ACTA Public Hearings Kick Off
The controversial Anti-Counterfeit Commercial Agreement --widely known as ACTA-- is currently under discussion in the Mexican Senate in response to opposition from civil society to the way the treaty's negotiation process is being conducted. Here is a summary of results and reactions to the public hearings held up to date.
Video: Impressive Urban Downhill Bike Races
Downhill mountain bike races usually take place in the countryside, with cyclists dodging trees and other obstacles on a gravity assisted trail. These videos show downhill races in a very different light: right in the middle of a city or town.
Mexico: Subcomandante Marcos on President Calderon's “War from above”
On February 14, 2011, the website enlaceZapatista published "About the Wars: A Fragment of the First Letter from Subcomandante Marcos to Don Luis Villoro, beginning the correspondence about Ethics and Politics." The letter immediately started circulating on blogs and through links on Twitter.
