Stories about Latin America from April, 2011
Cuba: Communist Party Ushers in Entrepreneurism and Term Limits
For the minority of Cubans who are within it, the blogosphere provides a space to exchange ideas. And there were plenty prompts for discussion this week, with the Castro brothers holding the first Congress of its Communist party since 1997 (it is supposed to be every five years) and announcing term limits for leadership on the island.
Cuba: Women as Soldiers?
Octavo Cerco is irritated by a sign which suggests that “we Cuban women form a battalion for the defense of the fatherland”, saying: “It bothers me greatly that the multiple mass organizations which supposedly represent groups of Cubans feel like they have the right to speak for everyone, robbing individuals...
Cuba: The More Things “Change”
Uncommon Sense finds recent announcements about reform in Cuba ironic in the context of developments like these.
Nicaragua: Holy Week in the Countryside
While most Nicaraguans and foreign tourists like to spend their holidays in the beach, Ronald Hill Alvarez in Sueños del Caribe [es] recommends spending the ‘Semana Santa’ (Holy Week) holidays in the countryside. He also describes how people from this region celebrate the religious holiday.
Bolivia: Sharing a Meal with Aymara Women
Pablo Andrés Rivero [es] blogs about a “collective, ritual meal of the Andean region” he shared with Aymara women in the Palca municipality, close to La Paz. When he was almost done eating, one of the women asked him “What do they eat in your country?” prompting Andrés to reflect...
Cuba: Reaching the Limit
Cuban bloggers weigh in on Raul Castro's recent announcement of term limits for leadership of the country.
Brazil: Satire of Middle Class Problems
The satirical blog Classe Média Sofre (Middle Class Suffers) [pt], takes advantage of humour to expose the complaints of Brazilian middle class cybernauts about minor problems via social media. It was inspired by the blog White Whine which features daily updates on “first world problems”.
Brazil/Japan: Bridge Blogging Post-Earthquake News
“I read a post from a japanese blogger, I found it truly interesting and I decided to translate part of it”, said [pt] Satou Mihoko, who has decided to bridge japanese news to the portuguese speaking community, following the earthquake. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese population outside of...
Mexico: Felipe Calderon's Cabinet on Twitter
In mid-April, the government headed by Felipe Calderon announced with much fanfare that every member of the cabinet was now registered on Twitter, and prepared to deal more directly with the public via social media. The initiative, however, is shadowed by a concurrent report ranking Mexico just 78th out of 133 countries in terms of its effective use of information technology.
Colombia: Teen Produced Web Series about Gay Youth
Nineteen year old Jhoncito Arango's most recent web project has certainly caught the local media's eye in his native Colombia, where his web series Yonkis has had a very good reception considering that it tackles a topic that is still considered highly sensitive in this Catholic country: homosexuality.
Mexico: The Reality of Public Transportation in Mexico City
Bloggers in Mexico City narrate their experiences and express their opinions on two of the most popular means of public transportation in that city: the Metro and the Metrobús.
Chile: Bill Seeks to Move Bicyclists off Roads and onto Sidewalks
Blogger Setty criticizes a bill that, “tries to ban cycling on the street, putting the city’s booming cyclist population onto the sidewalk.”
Venezuela: Could the opposition benefit from a long primary?
Blogging by boz lists 5 ways the opposition (MUD) in Venezuela could benefit from a “long, tough primary”: “It's impossible to say for certain whether the late primary will benefit or harm the MUD until after it happens. But if the MUD ends up winning in 2012, I can guarantee...
Argentina: Judge Recognizes Armenian Genocide
An Argentinean judge issued a historic ruling in which he condemned the Turkish state for committing the crime of genocide against the Armenian population. Argentina received an important stream of Armenian immigrants fleeing the genocide, whose descendants maintain their customs and traditions grouped under distinct institutions that form the Armenian Collective.
Colombia: Netizens Discuss ‘Law Lleras’ on Copyright
"Law Lleras," which punishes those that share or download content from the Internet without paying royalties, has generated controversy among netizens, who have shared their opinions on blogs and social networks.
Cuba: True Democracy
“If young gang members are sentenced to several years behind the bars for robbing a gas station, the same should apply to bankers, managers, financiers, or even presidents of countries if they engage in corruption”: Iván García fears that “democracy is stammering.”
Argentina: Cine York, one of ‘Argentina's Hidden Gems’
The Argentine Post writes about one of “Argentina's hidden gems,” Cine York in Buenos Aires: “The classy, inviting nature of this little theater couldn’t contrast more with the loud, plastic, cookie-cutter nature of modern shopping centers that have come to dominate the urban landscape of huge swaths of the U.S.”
El Salvador: Economic Well-Being Tied to Support for Democracy
Voices from El Salvador's Weblog summarizes a recent AmericasBarometer survey, concluding that “The results of the survey show, for the most part, that economic well-being, whether that of individual families or that of the nation’s government, is one of the strongest factors that affect the public’s support of democracy.”
Blogging Latino Literature and Technology
Valerie Russo founded a successful blog named Literanista. Five years after its inception, this Puerto Rican-Sicilian writer talks with Global Voices about her vision, achievements and future goals.
Brazil: The Biggest Brazilian Newspaper Violates Labour Rights
The biggest Brazilian newspaper, Folha de São Paulo, violates labour rights for its journalists, says [pt] Altamiro Borges in his blog. Borges enumerates some of the “failures“: besides not having contracts, journalists are being underpaid or even not paid for working overtime.
Brazil: Reading Habits and Cultural Roots
Journalist and blogger Marcos Bahé criticizes [pt] a statement made by Luciano Siqueira, a State Deputy of the Communist Party, who said that Brazilians don't read much because of oral traditions inherited from indigenous and african ancestors. Bahé ironically adds that he thought it was because books are expensive.