Stories about Latin America from January, 2012
Brazil: Military Police Asks “Understanding” on Pinheirinho Eviction by E-mail
Brazilian blogger Conceição Oliveira republished [pt] an e-mail sent by the Military Police of São Paulo trying to explain the actions on what became known as “Massacre of Pinheirinho“. The police complains of “misleading statements that have been spun by people not involved with the real democratic values”.
Guatemala: Former Dictator Efraín Rios Montt Questioned for Genocide
On January 26, a judge ruled that former de facto President Efraín Rios Montt will stand trial for genocide; the same day, Guatemala's Congress ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, giving Guatemalans hope that their search for transitional justice is moving in the right direction.
Colombia: First Reactions to #TwitterCensorship
Colombian journalist Héctor Abad (@hectorabadf) [es] is one of many Twitter users who are alarmed [es] by Twitter's decision to implement “a sort of geolocated censorship”, as Periodismo Ciudadano explains [es]. On social networks in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries users are quoting and sharing related blog posts by Juan...
Colombia: Rector of University of Tolima Resigns
Jesus Ramon Rivera Bulla, rector of the University of Tolima, resigned after 11 years holding his position just days after journalist Daniel Condell [es] accused him [es] of nepotism in an article for magazine Semana. Carlos Arturo Gamboa [es] refers to the issue in his blog, while netizens on social...
Chile: 15 Songs from 2011
Roberto Carreño recommends [es] 15 Chilean songs released during 2011.
Video Highlights: Music, Indigenous Initiatives, Indignation and Wonder
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories including video from Latin America, East Asia, Middle East and North Africa and Eastern and Central Europe, selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
Video: Online Media by and for Indigenous People
Intercontinental Cry has a list of 12 recommended films on indigenous issues, some made by indigenous people from Brazil, Australia, Panama, USA, Northern Kenya, Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Cuba: Internet as a Public Good
“In addition to triggering the greatest civic hell-raising in Internet history…the SOPA/PIPA laws have touched a nerve in Cuba’s digital community”: half-wired explains.
Cuba: Knocking & Entering
Laritza's Laws laments that people's homes are not a safe haven from arbitrary searches by government officials.
Mexico: An Interactive Map of the Drug War
Diego Valle-Jones has created an interactive map of the drug war in Mexico. “You can link directly to cities or whole regions within Mexico and post them to Twitter and Facebook by clicking on the “Share This Map” link at the bottom of the box. You can even compare 2007...
Nicaragua: The Struggle for Food Sovereignty
Maddy M., a Voices of our Future correspondent for World Pulse, writes about how free trade agreements and other policies have affected the access to affordable, locally-produced, healthy food in Nicaragua. She also highlights citizens who are “working to raise awareness about the need to change the agricultural system in...
Argentina: Diplomatic Conflict With United Kingdom Over Falklands
The conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands has intensified over the past decade. Netizens are divided between those who believe that Argentina should abandon its claim for the Falklands and those who support this claim.
Peru: MOVADEF – The Return of the Shining Path?
In the afternoon of January 20, the National Elections Board made known its decision that it was denying, for the second time, the registration of MOVADEF (Movement for Amnesty and Fundamental Rights) as a political party. Social networks were immediately teeming with reactions. But what is MOVADEF, and why is there so much fuss about it?
Brazil: “Massacre of Pinheirinho” Causes an Uproar
The violent eviction of the community of Pinheirinho, in the city of São José dos Campos, in the state of São Paulo, became known as "Massacre of Pinheirinho" after a demonstration of violence and brutality by the police in the expulsion and intimidation of residents dumped in the midst of a huge legal mess.
Puerto Rico: Debating Maripily
In 80 Grados [es], Melissa Fernández Arrigoitia responds to a controversial column written by Nelson Rivera in the same digital publication on the supposed virtues and failings of the model Maripily.
Puerto Rico: Fear or Loathing?
Blogger Ed Morales reacts to the column published in Huffington Post Latino titled “Fear and Loathing in the Island that Doesn't Exist,” by Mónica Gutiérrez, which has stirred controversy on how Puerto Rico is depicted, imagined, and constructed.
Caribbean: TEDx Shows “Ideas Worth Spreading”
“Ideas worth spreading.” With this simple slogan, TED.com, which began in 1984 as an annual conference devoted to technology, entertainment and design, has infiltrated the Internet and empowered people in various countries to spark discussions in local, self-organised TED-branded events, dubbed TEDx. This sharing of ideas has found its way to the Caribbean - in 2011, five TEDx events were held: two in Jamaica, two in Trinidad and one in Puerto Rico. Here's a look back on the events that helped change the region...
Paraguay: Learn the Correct Use of Social Networks, a Resolution for 2012
Global Voices contributor Belén Bogado [es] suggests adding “learning how to use social networks correctly” to your list of new year's resolutions. She gives some local and international examples of the bad use of social networks to encourage her readers to be careful with what they share online.
Venezuela: The Essence of African Music in Videos
Venezuela’s African origins can be strongly felt in the music and culture of the country’s coastal regions. Social networking sites play an important role in helping people to become more familiar with the drum festivals. Citizen media sites, particularly YouTube, feature videos of the music and dancing performed during events such as family parties and national celebrations.
Cuba, Barbados: Power of the Hunger Strike
Uncommon Sense notes that Cuban dissident Jorge Cervantes has gone on a hunger strike after being arrested for putting up posters protesting the recent death of hunger striker and prisoner of conscience Wilman Villar Mendoza. Barbados Free Press, meanwhile, republishes a letter from a Cuban prisoner who has served his...
Puerto Rico: Vigilance over SOPA & PIPA
Dondequiera says of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA): “Mark my word, this issue is not dead. More like the living dead, a zombie issue, if you like. Many companies…believe that the only way to kill the intellectual property rights legislation is to...
About our Latin America coverage
