Stories about Latin America from October, 2008
El Salvador: Getting a driver's license at 15
Arianna writes at the Dunlaps in San Salvador blog [en] about the process to get a driver's license in El Salvador at 15. In this humorous article in English she...
Latin America: More lore, ghosts, demons and frights
On this second installment on the Myths, Lore and Legends of Latin America, we will get to know the Venezuelan Animas and their unfinished business, the Sayona and the Whistler, and Ecuadorian myths such as the foundation myth of Guayas and Kil, Father Almeida, the Headless Priest, the gagones (something similar to familiars) and the Cantuña Cathedral myth.
Brazil: A day in jail for blog comments
The first person to go to jail for commenting on a blog in Brazil was a high rank police officer. See reactions from the very close knit police blogosphere. Not surprisingly, with the intelligence monitoring blogs and comment boxes, most of the police officers decide to blog anonymously.
Honduras: One Man's Struggle to Get out of Debt
La Gringa points us out to English language blog “I owe so much”, where one man writes in English about his experience trying to get out of credit card debt...
Costa Rica: Disappointment in Latin American Idol Results
Cristian Cambronero of Fusil de Chispas writes about the grand finale of Latin American Idol, where Costa Rican Maria Jose was up to the last minute singing for the first...
Cuba: Human Rights Activist Re-Arrested
Cuban diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense reports that a Cuban human rights activist who was paroled from prison earlier this year because of poor health, now faces up to five years...
Trinidad & Tobago: Caribbean Sweeps Book Awards
Antilles, the blog of the Caribbean Review of Books, notes that “the Caribbean is well represented” among the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award winners: “Three of the four categories were won by...
Cuba: Keep on Blogging
Generation Y offers encouragement to a rural blogger (whom she refers to as “peasant of agile keys and posts as sharp as machetes”), who paints a picture of what blogging...
Cuba, U.S.A.: Thoughts on the Embargo
Cuban diaspora blogger Child of the Revolution disagrees with the suggestion of an “independent scholar” that “lifting the embargo is no longer ‘just a noble but hopeless idea’ but smart...
Colombia: Judiciary power strike not having an impact
Colombian blogger Jaime Ruiz posts in Atrabilioso [es] how the Judiciary power employee strike hasn't really affected the country, to the extent that the President has told them that they...
Guatemala: Ex-president Portillo extradited
After hiding from Justice for four years in Mexico, former President Alfonso Portillo was extradited to Guatemala, where he will face serious charges of corruption and other felonies. Bloggers comment on the possible outcomes, and show surprise at how quickly he was put released on bail.
Peru: blog cracking hints at censorship
Fernando from Pepitas.com posts the notice he received letting him know that strangers tried to crack his blog, targetting specifically 3 posts with complaints about two ministers. Luckily the attack...
Paraguay: Explaining the Global Economic Crisis with Monkeys
Muna posts an anonymous parable she says is the perfect analogy for the stock market nowadays. It explains the Wall Street Crisis with monkeys, and can be found both in...
Ecuador: Facing the Global Economic Crisis
Ecuadorean bloggers reflect and write about Ecuador's economy and the possible effect the US financial crisis will have on it.
The Blogging Revolution: from Iran to Cuba
Antony Loewenstein, a Sydney-based freelance journalist and blogger, has recently published his new book: The Blogging Revolution. This book talks about the impact of blogging on six countries: Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and Cuba.
Latin America: lore, ghosts, demons and frights.
The mythology in Latin America is quite rich: some tales have been passed onto us from the Incas, Mayas or Aztecs, and others are colonial imports from Europe. On this first part of the multinational Latin American post, we'll visit some of the most popular myths and legends like the Llorona, the Cegua, the Cadejos and the Evil Light.
Brazil: 128 million vote on the anniversary of the Constitution
Over 128 million Brazilians are expected to go to the polls today and choose 5,563 mayors for cities and towns, and 52,137 city councilors. The date marks the 20th anniversary of the current Brazilian Constitution. See historic photos of that day in October 05, 1988 and some of today's voting.
Colombia: Local Golf Star Becomes Role Model for Kids
In Good Times in Medellin, Medellin Travel writes about how Colombian kids have a new role model to look up to: 26 year old golf star Camilo Villegas, who this...
Chile: Students produce bullying awareness short
Chilean High School students produce a short film titled "Bullying" to share their perspective on teen suicide and it's probable causes. The short uses body language and facial expressions as the principal means of getting their message accross, spanning language barriers and making it possible for anyone to understand their short.
Brazil: Impunity and forgetfulness over Carandiru Massacre
Sixteen years ago, Brazil was shocked by one of the biggest human rights violation in its history. The Carandiru Massacre saw the assassination of hundreds of unarmed inmates inside what was then South America's largest prison. See the few blog reactions available and a survivor's account of the unpunished crime, which seems to have been forgotten by many.
Venezuela: Socialist Shoes Seem Oddly Familiar
Simón Bécquer from the Alternative Reality blog in his post The Converse Shoes of the Socialist Youth [es] shows us the images for the new campaign for Venezuela's Socialist Youth,...
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