· May, 2013

Stories about Latin America from May, 2013

Private Plane Trip Rocks Costa Rican Government

  22 May 2013

Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla has been questioned for using a private airplane owned by a company linked to a businessman who is allegedly involved with drug trafficking in Colombia. Some of the President's closest officials have had to present their resignations as a result of the incident.

Update on Colombia Peace Process

  22 May 2013

WOLA (Washington Office on Latin America) has published an update on the talks between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The report concludes: As they pass their six-month anniversary, the talks are proceeding in an atmosphere of increased, though still moderate, optimism. This will grow...

Nicaraguans Defend Law Against Violence Towards Women

  20 May 2013

In April a campaign entitled "I Support Law 779" began on social networks demanding that the "Integral Law Against Violence Towards Women" be respected before numerous reforms that religious leaders and members of the Supreme Court of Justice proposed.

“Who Wants to be Prestigious?”

  19 May 2013

On the blog section [es] of Chilean newspaper El Mercurio [es], columnist Leila Guerriero analyzes the meaning of prestige [es] and notes: Rock musicians have been smart: ‘rock star’ is one of the few jobs (we'd had to add non-Saxon public servants) where a loss of prestige means an increase...

Peru: Strike in Iquitos in Protest of Corruption

  19 May 2013

A 24 hour strike in the city of Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, attempted to call attention to suspected acts of corruption within the Regional Government of Loreto and the apparent involvement with which the Judicial Power is taking these cases.

Latin American Congress of Living Cultures

  17 May 2013

Rituals, reflections, poetic “assaults”… From May 17 to 23, 2013, the first Latin American Congress of Community Living Cultures [es] will invade the streets of La Paz, Bolivia. The city will host government representatives from Brazil and Colombia, along with more than one thousand activists.

Bolivian Workers Protest Seeking Better Pensions

  16 May 2013

Tension is growing in Bolivia as miners, teachers, health service workers and public university staff -all affiliated to the Central Workers Union- are on strike since May 6 demanding an increase in their retirement pension scheme.

Uprooted by Brazilian Power Plant, River Residents Try to Rebuild

  15 May 2013

Due to flooding caused by the Jirau power plant under construction in the Brazilian Amazon, river dwellers were removed to a village specially built to house displaced victims. Unable to adapt to that new style of life, they moved closer to the river. They worry about what will happen with the community once construction is finished and the jobs are gone.

Chilean Michelle Bachelet's Bid for Presidency

  13 May 2013

Center-left coalition leader and former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet looks for a second Presidential term, focusing on themes of inequality, universal education, and tax reform. But have lessons been learned from the previous coalition terms? This is how Upside Down World's Matthew Owens starts an extensive analysis on Michelle Bachelet's...

Peru: “Freedom Camp” Raises Awareness of Possible TPP Consequences

Advox  12 May 2013

The "Campamento por la Libertad" ("Freedom Camp") took place last weekend in Lima, focusing on raising awareness of the consequences that the signing and implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) could bring. Find out here about what transpired and what was created.

Domestic Violence Protection for Everyone

  11 May 2013

Blogger and feminist lawyer Verónica Rivera Torres writes [es] about the piece of legislations that seeks to extend the Law Against Domestic Violence (Law 54) in Puerto Rico to same sex couples: Since our Supreme Court ruled that the Law of the Prevention and Intervention in Domestic Violence, known as Law...

“I Am a Director”

  11 May 2013

Alternative blog Puerto Rico Indie reviews [es] the recent Puerto Rican film “I Am a Director,” which was partially financed through Kickstarter: The film, made in the ‘mockumentary’ style or fictitious documentary, follows the steps of Carlos (Carlos Marchand), first-time filmmaker who longs to make a Hollywood-style film, but in Puerto...

“Mom, I Am in Love With a Woman”

  11 May 2013

On occasion of the celebration of Mother's Day, tomorrow Sunday May 12, feminist activist Amárilis Pagán writes about the experience [es] of telling her mother she was in love with another woman: The day I told my mom I was in love with a woman, she delivered a long and heartbreaking...

Mapping the Cuban Blogosphere

  11 May 2013

Blogger Yasmín S. Portales comments on the challenges of mapping the Cuban blogosphere, including everything and anything written in blogs. This is her most recent project: A directory is a map: you have the swamps of glorious battles swamps and the mountains of infamy. You include it all, or it's...

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.