Stories from 2 June 2014
What Democracy? Questioning Oscar López Rivera's Imprisonment in the United States
Puerto Rico's most widely circulated newspaper, El Nuevo Día, published an editorial [es] in its Sunday edition on June 1, 2014 in which it questions the moral standard of the United States’ government to intercede in favor of political prisoners around the world while insisting on unjustly maintaining Puerto Rican political...
It Never Rains in Central Asia, But When it Does, it Pours
May 30-31 saw flash floods and wild winds come to Central Asia, exposing the region's creaking Soviet-era infrastructure and causing the tragic death of a man in Kyrgyzstan.
The King of Spain Abdicates, Claims to Install the Third Republic Emerge
Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, publicly announced on June 2, 2014, his decision to abdicate in favor of his son Felipe, current Prince of Asturias. Although most of the reactions [es] from the Spanish political class acknowledges and praises Juan Carlos’ actions during his period as king, there is...
Puerto Rican Diaspora Calls for Oscar López Rivera's Release
The digital magazine La Respuesta has put together a series of photo galleries that chronicle efforts in Chicago, New York City, and Cleveland to release Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera from prison. Oscar has already served 33 years in prison, an exaggerated amount of time for the charge...
Peacekeepers Involved in the Disappearance of 11 Rebels in the Central African Republic
Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch, reports that African Union peacekeepers were involved in arresting at least 11 anti-balaka rebels on March 24. The detained rebels have not been accounted for since their arrest : Since March 24, there has been no news about the people who were...
Trinidad & Tobago: Did Narine Choose Kolkata Over West Indies Cricket?
The West Indies Cricket Board has not picked off-spin bowler Sunil Narine to play in the upcoming test matches against New Zealand because they think he chose club over country.
This Brazilian is Using Twitter to Take on Aggressive and Racist Housemaid Employers
In 111 tweets, A Minha Empregada (My Maid) exposes the social prejudice, racism and lack of empathy existing in Brazilian society, especially when it comes to attitude towards domestic workers.
Free Speech Remains Under Threat in Myanmar
Deji Olukotun observes how Myanmar's so-called transition to democracy has not yet made a lasting impact on the state of free expression in the country: …in many ways Myanmar’s relatively open society could close at a moment’s notice. Writers are able to write and to criticize the government not because...
Campaigning for Safe Sidewalks in Jakarta
Olga Amato and Divya Pridhnani explain the goals of Safe Steps, a campaign for a ‘walkable Jakarta’ in Indonesia: One of the main goals of Safe Steps is to make people understand that beside the health benefits people can derive from walking, better sidewalks can also result in a reduction...
Why Human Rights Advocates are Opposed to East Timor's Draft Media Law
Various human rights groups, journalists, and scholars have signed a letter opposing East Timor's proposed media law which was recently approved by the Parliament. One of the issues they cited is the broad powers given to the Press Council: …we are concerned that the Press Council with legal authority, funding...
Landslides After Heavy Rains Cause Death in Guatemala
Heavy rains on the early hours of Saturday, May 31, 2014 in the Guatemalan municipality of San Pedro Necta, in the department of Huehuetenango, 312 kilometers North from the country capital, resulted in landslides that destroyed homes and caused at least six fatalities and three disappeared individuals, as reported by...
Remembering Isadora Duncan
Laura Chertkoff remembers [es] dancer a Isadora Duncan on Un blog sobre pasos y saltos [A blog about steps and jumps] on a new birthday and remebers her troubled visit to Buenos Aires. En los 50 años que anduvo pisando el planeta tierra, sus pies la trajeron a Buenos Aires...
San Rafael del Norte and Sandino
Jorge Mejía blogs [es] on Mejíaperalta about how Nicarguan government shows no interest for revolutionary leader Augusto César Sandino's historic assets in the town of San Rafael del Norte: Pero mientras las usurpadores de los bienes históricos de los distintos museos de Sandino y del FSLN en general conmemoraban otro...
Responsibility or Creativity?
Ryu reflects [es] on Intereses de un Caballero Dragón [Interests of a Dragon Gentleman] whether priorizing responsibility or creativity in children's education: Los padres podrán cargar de algunas o muchas responsabilidades a sus hijos para que permanezcan con los pies sobre la tierra pero eso no garantiza que éstos últimos...
Learning with Your Child
Zahir Aileen writes [es] on Las netas de Mamá [Mom's babies] how are children currently learning: el problema no es lo que ven, escuchan, o viven tal cual, sino que no estén acompañados o que no haya una persona que seleccione correctamente lo que es prudente conocer a cada edad...
El Salvador: The New Águila Football Club
José Díaz blogs [es] on Te hablo de Fútbol [I talk with you about football] about his impressions on the new team coach and the recently hired players for Águila Football Club: Creo que en Águila deben estar aquellos que de verdad sientan la identidad del equipo, la camiseta emplumada...
