Stories about Latin America from September, 2009
Cuba: gift packages
The Cuban Triangle analyses the US Commerce Department's new regulations on sending gift packages to Cuba. “These regulations are another good, humane move…. It recognizes that Americans in general might have something positive to contribute.”
Guatemala: The Activism of Massacre Survivor Jesús Tecú
Jesús Tecú survived the Río Negro Massacre in Guatemala. Since then, he has worked as an advocate for the Achí Maya indigenous community. However, Tecú still is under threat, as he received a call from an extortionist.
Ecuador: Protests Against Sports Federation in Azuay
Dario Orellana came across some signs of protest at the Sports Federation of the Ecuadorian province of Azuay. Many of these signs say that coaches have been working for three months without contracts [es] and other accusations of corruption.
Bolivia: Using the XO and Classmates with Community WiFi
The project WiFi El Alto has been experimenting with using the OLPC XO and Classmate laptops with the community wifi signal [es] in the Rio Seco neighborhood in El Alto, Bolivia.
Puerto Rico: Debate on Censorship
The Department of Education of the government of Puerto Rico recently eliminated five books from the eleventh grade curriculum of the public school system. Numerous writers and artists in Puerto Rico publicly voiced their concerns and described the government's action as censorship. The Puerto Rican blogosphere reacts to the controversy.
Peru: Antauro Humala Sentenced for 2005 Attack
In Peru, Antauro Humala, the brother of opposition leader Ollanta Humala, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 2005 attack on a police station in Andahuaylas, as reported by the blog Que Tal Raza [es].
Ecuador: Quito Twestival Supporting Social Causes
In Ecuador, the Quito Twestival is starting to attract a lot of interest as a way to support a social cause, writes Christian Espinosa of Cobertura Digital [es].
Uruguay: The Trouble with Buying and iPhone
Marcos Crispino has had recent problems trying to purchase an iPhone in Uruguay [es]. Between unsuitable data plans and continuously out of stock in the stores, he thinks it has become too complicated.
Bolivia: 43rd Anniversary of “Constructing Progress” in Santa Cruz
Andrés Pucci celebrates the 43rd anniversary since Santa Cruz, Bolivia “began constructing progress” [es] with the 11% of revenue sharing given to the 9 departments, which was 21 years after the law was passed.
Mexico: Shooting at Balderas Metro Station
A man opened fire at a Mexico City Metro Station killing 2 people, including one civilian attempting to subdue the gunman. The video soon appeared on television and many began calling the men heroes for their actions.
Dominican Republic: three poets
Repeating Islands features a new bilingual edition of poems by three women writers from the Dominican Republic: Aída Cartagena Portalatín, Angela Hernández Núñez, and Ylonka Nacidit-Perdomo. “Each of them addresses shared political and cultural issues, illuminating what it means to be a woman living in the modern day Dominican Republic.”
Cuba: “mistreating social property”?
Octavo Cerco reports on a confrontation with a minor bureaucrat at a bus station in Cuba. “With these people things can get very serious, they earn a pittance for a salary but have absolute power over five square meters and they apply it with … irreverence, force and abuse of...
Colombia: Love and Friendship day in Online times
September is Love and Friendship month in Colombia, and to celebrate, many participate in gift exchanges, to the chagrin of some who dislike this tradition which has already migrated to online platforms as well.
Mexico: Spreading the Message of Islam
According to recent Census figures, there are 25,000 Muslims in Mexico, which represents .02% of the population. However, this community is using advertisements on public transportation and digital media to help spread their message.
Argentina: Decline in Tourism
Jorge Gobbi of Blog de Viajes [es] writes about the decline in tourism in Argentina and attributes much of it to the H1N1 effect and economic crisis.
Mexico: Recent Explosions Around Capital
El Nahual of México para los Mexicanos [es] takes a look at some of the recent explosions around Mexico City. He writes that no one knows with certainty the motive, but points to a message found the 2nd explosion calling for a halt to the construction of the new “megaprison.”
Video: Call for submissions in Democracy Now Challenge
As the winners of the 2009 Democracy Now Challenge enjoy their reward in the USA, the submission period for the 2010 edition of the contest is opened to allow people from all over the world to complete the phrase "Democracy is..." in a video.
Brazil: Bloggers on why there is still racism in the country
Following the discussions on racism brought up a few weeks ago with the story of a black man accused of stealing his own luxury car, Diego Casaes highlights other cases and bloggers' takes on racial discrimination.
Paraguay: No Funds for Education, but Funds for Arms
Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] refers to complaints from the Paraguayan Ministry of Education who says that there are no funds to purchase school supplies, yet the country spends money on purchasing arms.
Paraguay: Venting Sorrows on a Blog
In the group blog Somos Paraguayos [es] for Paraguayans abroad, David posts about a heartbreak story in Chile and writes, “I didn't know where to vent my sorrow until I found this blog.” He received 25 comments from others offering support and advice.
Dominican Republic: Switching Companies While Keeping Mobile Number
Mobile telephone users in the Dominican Republic will now have the option to switch companies, and keep their original numbers. Many think that this will be a good development for consumers.
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