Stories about Latin America from May, 2008
Colombia: FARC Laptops Reveal Ties to Politicians and Foreign Governments
The laptops found in the FARC guerrilla camps were sent to Interpol for independent analysis. The findings, which were leaked to the press, reveal some disturbing ties to foreign governments and some Colombian politicians. However, some Colombian bloggers think that the leaked information has become too political in nature and that one should not necessarily jump to conclusions based on the leaked information.
Cuba: Media Manipulation?
As Fidel Castro comments on the US presidential campaign, Child of the Revolution calls him “the consummate manipulator”.
Cuba: Incipient Crackdown?
Both Uncommon Sense and Ninety miles away…in another country blog about an incident in which “police and thugs from a ‘rapid response brigade’ swarmed about two dozen people as they...
Venezuela: The Poet Who Enjoyed the Simple Things in Life
Poet Aquiles Nazoa had always led a simple life. His poetry illustrated the beauties of daily life and the humorous soul of all Venezuelans. He was also one of the most furious advocates of Human Rights during the 1960s in Venezuela. Venezuelan bloggers pay tribute to this poet, who had a certain love of the simple things in life.
Chile: How To Read Smog Map
Chileno provides an in-depth look at the Chilean government's smog map and what it says about the levels of contamination in the capital city of Santiago.
Uruguay: Upcoming Performances of La Yunta Trío de Tango
La Yunta Trío de Tango is a Uruguayan tango group, which recently recorded its first album. Café Montevideo [es] writes a little more background information and provides dates of upcoming...
El Salvador: A Computer in Ecuador Stirs Up Salvadoran Presidential Campaign
A computer file purportedly discovered on a laptop computer at a FARC guerrilla camp in Ecuador, has bloggers in El Salvador wondering what impact it will have and what impact it should have on the upcoming elections in their country scheduled for March 2009. Much of the focus has been on FMLN presidential candidate Mauricio Funes and his reaction to the discovery.
Colombia: Paramilitary Leaders Extradited to the United States
In Colombia, 14 demobilized paramilitary bosses were recently extradited to the United States to face charges of drug trafficking. Bloggers in Colombia discuss how this might affect the current political situation in the country and how much the jailed individuals might reveal now that they have very little incentive to keep silent.
Mexico: Responsible Disposal of Batteries and Cell Phones
Chilanga Banda [es] posts information about the campaign launched by the government of Mexico City regarding the reponsible disposal of batteries and mobile phones.
Chile: Spanish Photographer Injured While Covering Protests
A Spanish photographer was injured after being hit by a Chilean policeman, while covering protests in the city of Valparaíso. Fernando Meza of Periodismo Globa [es] has the full story.
Ecuador: Internet Access Lacking in Countryside
Christian Espinosa of Cobertura Digital [es] cites figures regarding internet access in Ecuador and notes that more than 60% of the toal internet users are based in Quito. He writes,...
Peru: Lima Plays Host to Regional Summit
Lima, Peru recently played host to the 5th Latin America - European Union summit, which aims to address some of the pressing matters of the region. Peruvian bloggers provide their thoughts on how valuable these summits are and whether the city disorder is worth the hassle. Other bloggers were left disappointed after offering to volunteer at the summit.
Peru: Little Coverage About Languages Day
Isabel Guerra of Palabras Van y Vienen [es] writes that very little was written by Peruvian bloggers about Languages Day held last month.
Peru: Too Much Media Attention Given to Tula Rodríguez
De La Selva Su Web [es] is repulsed by the excess attention given by the media (including blogs) to the pregnancy of Tula Rodríguez, a well-known model and host on...
Brazil: Can the Amazon problem be solved with new management?
Changing the command in a Brazilian Ministry used to be a domestic affair, but the resignation of the renowned rainforest defender Marina Silva from the Environmental Ministry has sparked global...
Saramago's reaction at the lauch of Blindness, the film
Bárbara Axt [pt] publishes a spot on video showing Jose Saramago‘s reaction just after watching Blindness, an adaptation of his book by Brazilian Fernando Meirelles, which was launched the Cannes...
Brazil: Promoting the country's fine art
Guilherme Montana [pt] starts a new series of posts about Brazilian fine art. “The first artist to be honored in this rudimentary humbly artifact of online publication is one that...
Colombian anti-military youth group commemorates 10 years of resistance
Last May 17th marked the ten year aniversary of the Antimili sonoro, an event organized by the Youth Network as a way to spread the word about resistance to the mandatory military service in Colombia through music. The date was celebrated with a concert, and the whole month of May was programmed with conferences, talks and marches commemorating the 10 years of the youth organization's Disobedience and Civil Resistance movement. Showcasing the invitation to the events, the promotional clips and a short video from one of the ska bands playing in the concert.
Brazil: Images of the ‘Invisible Indians’ in the Amazon
Altino Machado presents pictures [PT] of what could be the last isolated ethnic group in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, the so called ‘Invisible Indians’. The pictures were taken from a...
Cuba, Bermuda: Who Was Che?
A Radical in Bermuda shares his views on who he thinks Che Guevara was, while Child of the Revolution warns that the director and stars of the new feature film...
Argentina: The Countryside and Social Conflict
During the last two months, the Argentinean political agenda has been marked by the conflict between the government and “the countryside,” a generic denomination that groups everything from big land owners, to private companies that rent the land for soybean harvesting, to small producers, and rural workers. Blogs on both sides take a stand on the conflict.
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