Stories about Latin America from January, 2013
Peru: Discussing “Gastrofascism”
About a month ago, Javier Puente published on Selecting Stones, a critical article about the surge of Peruvian cuisine and, above all, about the role chef Gastón Acurio has in...
Richard Blanco: America's First Latino Inaugural Poet
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, requested his inaugural poem from Richard Blanco, son of Cuban immigrants and the first Latino, Spanish speaker, and gay man to receive this honor.
Peru: Wendy Sulca, YouTube Phenomenon, Teased Once Again
Peruvian YouTube star Wendy Sulca greeted her supposed fans on her Tweetcam earlier this month, seemingly unaware that she was the victim of a series of pranks as she stated fictitious names, some with double meanings
Venezuela: Legal Stand-Off Over Chávez Absence
Venezuela returns to the spotlight of political debate. In this article, we explore what is happening in more detail.
Internet Boycott Leads to Resignation of “La Comay” in Puerto Rico
On 8 January, social networks were flooded with reports of the resignation of producer Antulio "Kobbo" Santarrosa, the man behind the puppet personality La Comay, probably the most controversial show in Puerto Rican television. His resignation was caused by pressure from social network users.
The Three Kings Visit New York
The Three Kings came and went, but not before passing through New York City to celebrate with hundreds of children that came out for the parade. This Christmas celebration has been a part of the Caribbean and Latin American cultural traditions for numerous centuries.
What Happened to the Cable? Cubans Discuss Internet Access
Over a year after the arrival of a new fiber optic cable to Cuba, the island has failed to see improvements in connectivity speed nor an increase in access to the Internet.
Students Revisit the Unique Link between Corsica and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico and Corsica (France) share a common bond that is often revisited by an exchange program led by the university of Puerto Rico [fr]. Notwithstanding their similar geographic and agricultural traits...
Ecuador: National Assembly's New Widget
Ecuador's National Assembly has a new widget [es]. Boosted by political communication specialist Antonio Gutiérrez-Rubi, the initiative “is an online directory for political activism and digital communication, a simple tool...
Brazil Debates Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation – Part II
While European politics has made a favorable move to abolish prostitution as a legalized profession in the old continent, recently in France a couple was convicted to three years in prison for organizing a prostitution scheme of young Brazilians. In Brazil, the government and the media are trying to raise awareness on human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Ecuador: “Children of the Jaguar” Documentary Wins National Geographic Prize
"Children of the Jaguar" is a vivid documentary that helps us to reflect on the damage caused by multinationals who attempt to exploit the oil reserves of the Ecuadorian Amazon forest and on the constant struggle by local inhabitants to defend their lands.
Madagascar's Vanilla Beans Came from Mexico
Antoine Ganne tells the unique story of how Vanilla came to populate the island of Madagascar and Reunion island [fr] from the Gulf of Mexico. Ganne explains that European traders brought...
Cubans Defend Themselves Against Esperanza Aguirre's Accusations
The president of the People's Party in Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, stated that she did not recognize "any justice on the island of Cuba" and called the time that Ángel Carromero spent in prison "torture," after he was condemned to imprisonment in Havana for "involuntary manslaughter," in the car accident that cost the lives of Cuban dissidents Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero. The Cuban blogosphere reacts.
Borinquen Brass Play Music in Every Corner of Puerto Rico
The brass wind ensemble Borinquen Brass has 13 members, including a percussionist, and six years of experience giving free concerts in Puerto Rico. The ensemble's endeavor is to offer a valuable community and educational service to audiences that otherwise wouldn't have access to this kind of music.
Tiptoeing Tradition, Cuba Welcomes the New Year
The year 2012, marked by the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Cuba, Hurricane Sandy's trail of destruction, and the controversial legal regulation of the public use of music also made a mark on the island's blogosphere. The extension of Internet access was also a topic that set the digital agenda.
Peru: Rally Dakar 2013 Kicks Off
From Peru, Global Voices author Juan Arellano posts on his own blog Globalizado [es] pictures of the start of the 2013 Dakar Rally in Lima, as well as links to...
Ecuador: President Refuses to Inaugurate Wind Farm
Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa preferred not to unveil the Villonaco wind farm, which he considered unfinished. Alison Martínez has local reactions from Loja.
“Why Do I Feel So Much Pain, Violeta Parra?”
Patricio Zamorano writes a poetic piece for UK-based blog Chileno on the Chilean film about the life of Violeta Parra: how to assess the Chilean film “Violeta [Parra] went to...
Ted Henken's Review of Cuban Blogosphere
The academic and blogger Ted Henken offers his year in review of the Cuban blogosphere.
Reasons to Celebrate the New Year
Uruguayan blogger Anna Donner Rybak lists many reasons [es] for celebrating the arrival of a new year, even though many can find it “ridiculous”: Many people say they are fed...
“Should Women Be Pretty?”
That's the question raised by Nathy2310 from Costa Rica on her blog post “Women, should they be pretty?” and writes [es]: Today I want to tell all those women who...
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