Stories about Latin America from August, 2009
Argentina: Borges Birthday
It is the 110th anniversary of the birth of Argentine writer Jorge Borges, and Keff Barry of Buenos Aires, City of Faded Elegance looks back at some of his favorite Borges stories.
Argentina: The Construction of the Valley Train
Pablo of Vivir en Neuquen Capital [es] wonders when construction for the “Valley Train” will begin. The start date is programmed for December, but according to news reports that there has not even been a bidding process for some of the materials.
Peru: Contamination in Mining Town La Oroya
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights recently declared the petition admissible against the Peruvian State for committing human rights abuses against the residents of the mining city of La Oroya.
Ecuador: Flyers Announcing “Social Cleansing”
JuanPi is very concerned about the appearance of flyers in his city of Babahoyo, Ecuador, which announced “the time has come for social cleansing” [es] in regards to actions to stop delinquency in the city. Similar notices appeared in a nearby city of La Concorida, which produced two earlier deaths.
Uruguay: ITC Plan for Upcoming Election Cycle
For the upcoming election cycle in Uruguay, the Association for Information Technology of Public and Private Administration provided a space for political parties to put forth their Technology plan during a recent event writes Gabriel Budiño of D Todo 1 Poco [es].
Guatemala: Study to See if Metro Train is Realistic
GuateZona [es] writes about an upcoming study to see the if an unground metro or surface train is realistic and possible.
Brazil: On the meaning of “Minorities with a majority complex”
A catchphrase uttered by Senator Renan Calheiros in an argument with another senator reinforces the presumption of a long-standing rivalry between São Paulo and the rest of Brazil.
Ecuador: Continuing to Face the H1N1 Virus
With the number of deaths due to the H1N1 virus across the region reaching 1300, Ecuadorians provide their opinions on how the media is informing citizens, as well as a blogger's brush with the virus.
Puerto Rico: Public News Channel Dismantled
The newsroom of Puerto Rico's only public channel was practically dismantled recently, allegedly due to budget cuts. The Puerto Rican blogosphere has been loaded with comments.
Peru: Proposal Shortens Time for Media to Correct Inexact Information
The Peruvian Congress has begun to debate a bill that shortens the time for “inexact information” to be corrected by the media. Many journalists and bloggers are wondering who will decide what that term means.
Peru: Lawsuit Against Government for Allowing Mining Contamination
The Inter-American Commission for Human Rights has admitted into court the case against the Peruvian government for crimes against humanity for allowing the Doe Run Peru mining company for “poisoning” the people of the community of La Oroya from their activities informs Isabel Guerra of Living in Peru.
Peru: Identifying with Presidential Candidates
Politikha [es] cites a recent poll that found that 47% of Peruvians want a new presidential candidate, and that 45% do not feel represented by any current candidate.
Dominican Republic: Solving the Issue of Power Outages
Power outages are a daily reality for the Dominican Republic. The government has not been able to solve the issue of the blackouts, but hope the new head of the energy department can.
Dominican Republic: Treasure Trove
Repeating Islands blogs about “the discovery of a ‘treasure trove’ of stone tools and the bones of several now-extinct Caribbean animals in a prehistoric water-filled cave in the Dominican Republic”, which may “give insights into the earliest inhabitants of the Greater Antilles.”
Chile: Personal Site of Leo Prieto Hacked
The personal website of Chilean web entrepreneur Leo Prieto was recently hacked in which he lost 7 years of posts [es] and comments.
Guatemala: The Production of Cobán Wine
Through photographs, Nelson Benjamín Pérez documents the production of Cobán wine made by Faustino Padilla Carrillo [es] in Central Guatemala. He primarily makes 250-300 bottles per year for artisanal purposes and is said to contain many health benefits.
Panama: New Ambassador to the United States
TuPolitica [es] writes about the possession of the new Panamanian ambassador to the United States, Jaime Alemán.
Caribbean: Athletics Kudos
On the heels of Usain Bolt's record-breaking time at the World Championships, Caribbean bloggers pay tribute to the outstanding performance of the female Jamaican track and field athletes, while Havana Times is pleased to report that “Cuba’s female triple jumpers gave the island its first two medals at the Berlin...
Cuba: Pills as Panacea?
“If I take my clue from what people are looking for to relieve their suffering, I would have to conclude that depression is on the rise”: Cuba's Generation Y explains.
Bolivia: Honoring Dogs on the Feast of St. Roch
Bolivians recently celebrated the Feast of St. Roch, the patron saint of dogs. On this day, many people give extra attention to pets that have given them so much throughout the year.
Bolivia: Price for a Stand at Book Fair
Willy Jordan writes that the price for each square meter of a stand at the latest La Paz Book Fair [es] costs Bs. 600, approximately 85 USD, which makes it out of reach for some small publishers to participate.
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