Last week, when the finals for Latin American Idol took place, all the restaurants around Guatemala City were crowded. It was the final of the contest and all were expecting that Guatemalan singer Carlos Peña would win. People sent messages on their mobile phones and when the Guatemalan was announced as the winner, it was like a national holiday, with fireworks, tears, hugs and smiles. Bloggers were active, supporting, promoting and even criticizing the idol, as were the printed press, radio, t.v. and pages on the internet. This week media mirrored the blogs, as you can see on Periodicos de Guatemala [ES].

Blogger Recuerdos Futuros [ES] on her post Ganó said:

Pocas veces he visto Guatemala unirse para dar apoyo. Sucedió en el terremoto del 76, sucedía cuando la Teletón era confiable, sucedió para el huracán Mitch. Incluso sucede todavía cuando la selección de fut guatemalteca juega en las eliminatorias mundialistas. La gente en Guatemala puede ser muy unida, si encuentran el motivo. Me parece increíble que un chico de 19 años haya causado este movimiento. A todos se les escucha orgullosos al hablar de él. En los medios no han dejado de incluirlo.

Only on a few occasions have I seen Guatemalans come together to help someone. It happened after the '76 earthquake when the Telethon was trustworthy, after Hurricane Mitch. It even happens when the soccer team plays the preliminary rounds for the World Cup. People in Guatemala can be united if they find something to move them. It seems to me unbelievable that a 19 year old boy caused such movement. All are proud of him, and in the media they can't stop talking about him.

As blogger Angel Elias Said on”Latin Americal Idol Guatemala?

No hay razón para pensar que Peña no agradecerá las muestras de cariño de sus compatriotas, que se mueven muy mediáticamente. Y que como la moda es Peña, pues a apoyarlo. Pero tuvo que llegar a esas instancias. Tuvo que salir del país para ser querido por éste. Ese es el resultado de nuestro malinchismo colonial. Creemos en el espejo llamado TV, y mientras no se aparezca allí, no tiene valor alguno. Mucho menos si es chapín.

There is no reason to think that Peña did not appreciate the displays of affections from his fellow Guatemalans. And now that Peña is all the current craze, we must support him. It had to reach tht level. He had to leave the country to be loved by the country. That is the result of our colonial envy. We believe in the mirror called TV and as long as one does not appera there, then there is no value. Much less if it is chapín (Guatemalan).

Blogger Kairos not only is proud of being guatemalan but also proud of young people succeding in arts, as he said on Entre Carlos Peña y Julio Hernández Cordón :

Aquí en Guatemala es donde tenemos el mejor café y es donde nacen muchas ideas para beneficio de todos. Y me siento muy feliz viviendo en este tiempo en el que Carlos Peña con tan solo 19 años da a Guatemala un nuevo triunfo al ser el nuevo Latin American Idol y el joven director Julio Hernández Cordón con su película “Gasolina“, ganó el premio “Cine en Construcción” del 55° Festival Internacional de Cine de San Sebastián, que permitirá finalizar la cinta.

Here in Guatemala we have the best coffee and where many ideas are born in benefit for all. I feel very happy to see Carlos Peña, who at only 19 years old, can give Guatemala a new victory as the new Latin American Idol. The young director Julio Hernández Cordón and his film “Gasolina” won the prize “Cinema in Construction” in the 55th International Film Festival in San Sebastián, which allowed him to finish the film.

Additional remarks by Victux mind [ES] on his post: La Lección..

Es irónico que necesitemos que nuestros artistas tengan que salir al extranjero para ser descubiertos por otros y tengan que ponérnoslos arregladitos y en la televisión internacional para que nos volvamos eufóricos y decidamos “apoyar al artista nacional” con los ojos cerrados, aunque eso implique desembolsar cierta cantidad de dinero, como fue en este caso.

It is ironic that we need for our artists to go abroad in order to be discovered by others and they need to be dressed up and on international television in order to for us to be euphoric and decide to “support national artists” with eyes closed, which means to give up a certain amount of money, as was the case.

Lawyer Carlos Loarca had strong criticism for Guatemalan Head of State on his blog Pluralidad Jurídica [ES]

El presidente también felicitó a Carlos en nombre de todo el país “Te admiramos; hiciste realidad el sueño de 13 millones de personas”, pues no fue mi sueño, y no creo que lo haya sido el de los cientos de miles de niños y niñas menores de 5 años con desnutrición crónica, ni de las madres y padres de las víctimas del feminicidio, o de las madres o padres de las 5 personas que la policía secuestro hace un par de días y que ejecutó extrajudicialmente, y así, una gran lista que sueña con respeto, trabajo y comida. Hasta los sueños nos niegan, sólo se vale soñar los sueños de otros.

The president also congratulated Carlos on behalf of the entire country, “We admire you, you made the dream come true for 13 million people,” well it wasn't my dream and I don't think it was for hundreds of thousands of children under the age of 5 years old with chronic malnutrition, or for parents of the victims of feminicide or the parents of the 5 people that the police kidnapped and executed and the long list that dreams of respect, work and food. When the dreams are denied, all that is left is to dream the dreams of others.

However, on the night that the finals were taking place not all Guatemalans were glued to their television sets. Other cultural activities continued, as well as a sad reminder of the realities of daily life.

Blogger Lunapark told us how Mexican artists shared in a rural area classical music:

La actividad cultural de Quetzaltenango no se detiene. El miércoles por la noche, el Teatro Municipal se llenó durante la participación del Cuarteto de Bellas Artes de México.

The cultural activity in Quetzaltenango does stop. Wednesday evening the Municipal theaterr was crowded during the performance of the Cuarteto de Bellas Artes of Mexico.

Blogger Sabina, Galeano y otras cosillas… [ES] said on his post Maria:, where he told the sad story of her housekeeper the same night of the contest:

Ayer cuando iba en el autobús de regreso hacia su casa, en Ciudad Quetzal, iba una pareja joven con su niña pequeña, de repente se subieron tres tipos a balear al muchacho, sangrando y agonizante, lo bajaron junto con su esposa e hija, diciéndole al piloto que se fuera rápido, así lo hizo y casi choca, hubo varios desmayados por la impresión.María dice que no se le borran las caras, ni la escena de sangre, que qué puede hacer.

Yesterday, when I was on my way back home on a bus in Ciudad Quetzal, there was a young couple with their little girl, when suddenly three men boarded and shot the man, who was bleeding and dying. They forced him to get off the bus with his wife and daughter, telling the driver to drive fast who almost crashed. They were many who fainted at the sight. Maria told me that she cannot forget the faces or the bloody scene but she can do nothing about it.