· November, 2010

Stories about Latin America from November, 2010

Brazil: President today, blogger tomorrow

  26 November 2010

Outgoing Brazilian president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) was interviewed for the first time this week by a range of progressive bloggers, an event seen by many as a major step in the ongoing push for a more democratic media system in the country.

Cuba: Waiting in Vain?

  25 November 2010

“We are surrounded by a repression that does not sign papers, show its face, or place a stamp next to each act which violates its own law”: Generation Y is waiting for answers.

Chile: Support for Electoral Reform

  25 November 2010

Greg Weeks from Two Weeks Notice shares poll results that show support for an electoral reform: “A new poll in Chile shows support for some electoral reform, particularly for voting to be voluntary (77%).  Meanwhile, 60% support making registration automatic once you become 18 years old.  The same percentage supports...

Korea: Paulo Coelho Joined the #Prayforkorea in Twitter

  25 November 2010

After North Korea's artillery shelling on a South Korean island, killing two marines and two civilians and wounding at least a dozen people, twitterers, both local and international, have joined the #prayforkorea discusssion. Paulo Coelho, the Brazilian star writer, tweeted “On the verge of a war: Twitter can do nothing, but prayers can. #prayforkorea #importantnews”

Peru: Fines For Careless Pedestrians

  25 November 2010

As of November 15, Peruvian pedestrians can be fined if they break the Traffic Code. In a country where pedestrians and drivers are notorious for not complying with traffic regulations, bloggers are expressing their feelings about this measure.

Cuba: Democratic Change?

  24 November 2010

“I don’t think capitalism is the model of a perfect life. But it is more logical and possible at this stage of human development”: Translating Cuba examines “the hard road to democracy”.

Ecuador: “Clean Quito” Campaign Fights Chewing Gum

  24 November 2010

Have you ever thought about how much it costs a municipality to remove chewing gum stuck to the pavement? Thousands of dollars in street cleaning are spent to fight this habit of discarding chewing gum on the ground. In Quito, the municipal government and several schools began a campaign that seeks to remove gum from the ground and make the capital cleaner.

Guatemala: Getting Ready for the 2011 Elections

  23 November 2010

Guatemala is getting ready for next year's presidential elections, as Central American Politics explains: “While campaigning cannot officially start for a few more months, parties and candidates are beginning to position themselves for the contest.”

Bolivia: 229 Years Since the Sacrifice of Tupac Katari

  23 November 2010

The story of the uprising of the indigenous freedom fighters has been passed down from generation to generation in the indigenous communities of Bolivia. This rebellious movement was led some 229 years ago by Tupac Katari and remembrance events will take place during the month of November.

Cuba: 6th Congress

  23 November 2010

Sin Evasion and Translating Cuba both blog about the next Cuban Communist Party Congress, scheduled to take place in April next year.

Brazil: President Lula grants blogosphere first-ever interview

  23 November 2010

Outgoing Brazilian president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva will tomorrow (24th November) be interviewed [pt] for the first time by a range [pt] of progressive bloggers regarding Brazil's changing media system. Renato Rovai, editor of liberal current affairs magazine Revista Forum [pt], called the event a “celebration of informational diversity” [pt]. The interview will...

Costa Rica: Germany and Colombia win La Ruta endurance cycling race

  23 November 2010

La Ruta de los Conquistadores is considered one of the world's hardest cycling races in stages and it took place last week in Costa Rica, with Colombian Angela Parra winning in the women's category and German cyclist Ben Sonntag winning in the male category. But the organizers faced a parallel challenge: they struggled to handle participants' dissatisfaction with the way rules were enforced during the race.

Mexico: An Afternoon Visiting Xochimilco

  23 November 2010

Catherine from Small Fish in the Big Taco begins her latest post: “Welcome to Xochimilco in the south of Mexico City where you can spend a perfect afternoon floating down the canals and picnicing aboard the brightly coloured trajineras (gondola-style boats).” She includes photos and descriptions of an afternoon in...

Chile: Education Reform Sparks Debate

  22 November 2010

Mauricio Rojas explains and critiques [es] a recent education reform presented by the Ministry of Education. Mauricio ends his post linking to another point-of-view on the reform by José J. Brunner [es]. The reform has sparked a debate because, among other things, it would reduce class time for Social Science...

Brazil: five days of cyber-activism to end violence against women

  21 November 2010

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25th), a group of Brazilian feminist bloggers will take part in five days of cyber activism [pt]. Those involved will post interviews with activists and lawyers to raise awareness of causes, consequences and prevention of the practice. Meanwhile, online collectives have...

About our Latin America coverage

Gabriela Mesones Rojo
Gabriela Mesones Rojo is the Latin America Spanish-language editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Fernanda Canofre
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.