Stories about Latin America from June, 2011
Venezuela's Prison Crisis Continues
The crisis at El Rodeo prison in Venezuela continues. Bloggings by boz updates readers on the situation and comments on the government's strategy.
El Salvador: Facebook Reaches One Million Users
Tim's El Salvador Blog shares a graph by socialbakers.com which shows there are now over one million Facebook users in El Salvador. Tim argues that, “Inevitably, more and more organizing, debate, and campaigning will happen on Facebook and Twitter as the level of participation in these social media seems to...
Bolivia: The ‘Gran Poder’ Festival in Photos
Pablo Andrés Rivero writes [es] about the ‘Gran Poder‘ festival in La Paz. Pablo describes the music, dances and colorful clothing worn during the parades. He also links to his set of photos of the event on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.
Cuba: Avidly Expecting #Twitthab
Blogger Iroel Sánchez (@iroelsanchez) comments on the controversies and expectations [es] surrounding the first offline meeting of Twitter users (#Twitthab) to be held in Havana on July 1st.
Puerto Rico: New Online Fashion Magazine
There is a new online magazine dedicated to fashion, beauty, and lifestyle in Puerto Rico: Fashion Vitrine [es]. There will also be updates, headlines, and more shared through @fashionvitrine.
Argentina: Puyehue Volcano Ash Unstoppable in Argentine Territory
Ash from the Chilean volcano Puyehue is affecting a large part of the Argentine territory, causing officials to declare a state of emergency in the Patagonia area. The eruption will probably become one of the greatest natural disasters that the country has gone through in recent years.
Chile: ‘Riding the Ramal’, a Photo Essay
Margaret Snook in Cachando Chile posts a photo essay of a the ‘Ramal’, a “rural branch-line train that runs 80 km (50 mi) from Talca to Constitución, from the foothills of the Andes to the shores of the Pacific.”
Latin America: ‘La Furgo-Nana’ On the Road For Children's Rights and Lullabies
A documentary, a ‘transmedia platform’ and a humanitarian project: in ‘La Furgo-Nana’ (“a Volkswagen Type II Bus from 1969″) Maria and Anton are driving through the Pan American highway from Tijuana, Mexico to Ushuaia, Argentina to “transform the difficult reality of Latin American children into a fascinating adventure you will...
Honduras: Guns, Drugs and a Family Feud
“Today I witnessed a scene right out of a Pablo Escobar film. There were at least ten guys just a block from my house standing guard at one of the houses known to be involved in narco-trafficking”: writes Blogging Honduras in a post that summarizes a ‘family fued’ tied to...
Puerto Rico: Indignation and Action
The online publication El Punto Es reports about an incipient social movement in Puerto Rico [es] that is following the example set by protesters in Spain, who denounced unemployment, corruption, and called for the renewal of democratic ideals. Netizens can follow this new movement through @IndignAccion.
Puerto Rico: What Happened to the .pr Domain?
The non-profit Center for Investigative Journalism published an investigation [es] on the history and many problems that have surrounded the acquisition of the .pr domain.
Caribbean: Thanks, Dad!
Father's Day, that worldwide celebration honouring dads and their important role in the family dynamic, is marked in the Caribbean on the third Sunday of June and regional bloggers posted en masse yesterday for the occasion. From the eloquent to the irreverent, here's what they had to say…
Colombia: Satisfaction and Scepticism for the Victims’ Law
On June 10 the Victims' and Land Restitution Law in Colombia was approved. The law seeks to make amends with victims of violence and displacement. Some netizens have expressed their satisfaction with the law, while others show scepticism towards the measure.
Argentina: Demonstrations in the Borda Psychiatric Hospital
Medical staff and associations rallied in the beginning of June to protest against the deterioration of housing conditions in the Hospital Borda, one the most notable psychiatric hospitals in Argentina, which has had no gas since mid April of this year. The hospital's existence had been questioned by a 2008 plan launched by Buenos Aires' mayor, Mauricio Macri.
Brazil: “SlutWalk” Throughout the Country in Images
Holding banners, posters and mottos, "sluts" from cities throughout Brazil rocked the streets and made the society think about gender opression. The movement is inspired by the SlutWalk in Canada last April, to stop exploitation of the female body and the culpability of women for being sexually assaulted.
Venezuela: Arguments For and Against the Smoking Ban
It is no secret that smokers and non-smokers argue over issues regarding health, air and the freedom of choice. However, many people have used different modes of citizen media to comment, protest and debate the reasons behind the Venezuelan government's recent introduction of a new anti-tobacco law, which had been repealed in February.
E Day: Discovering Celebrities’ Favorite Words
What do singer Shakira, actor Gael Garcia Bernal, chef Ferran Adria and writer Mario Vargas Llosa have in common? They are all part of the group of 30 celebrities who have shared through video their favorite word in Spanish as part of the celebrations for E Day by the Cervantes Institute.
Cuba: To Reach Havana
“Havana is a sort of forbidden city for people from deep inside Cuba”: Iván's File Cabinet blogs about Cubans who are unwelcome in their own capital city.
Venezuela's Prison Crisis
A riot on Sunday, June 12, at El Rodeo prison left at least 22 inmates killed [es], according to the government's report –other reports raise that number to 30 [es]. The Devil's Excrement, criticizes the way the Chávez administration has handled the country's prison problem, and today updates his blog...
Cuba: Twitter Users Will Meet for the First Time
The first meeting of Cuban Twitter users was announced by @leunamrguez (Leunam Rodríguez), for July 1st starting at 4pm on central 23rd street and 12 La Habana. The event has had a tremendous welcome in and outside of Cuba.
Ecuador: Project Aims to Bring More Green to Guayaquil
In El Ecuador de Hoy [es] Guillermo Sornoza praises a project called ‘Guayaquil Ecológico’ [Ecological Guayaquil] which aims to bring more green spaces to the city in the form of picnic areas, parks, bicycle paths, etc.
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