Latest posts by Cati Restrepo
Colombia: Online Petition Calls for Resignation of Minister of Education
With widespread opposition to the Colombian government's reform to higher education, Pilar Sáenz (@Mapisaro) tweets a link [es] and shares that she signed an online petition [es] that calls for the resignation of the current Minister of Education, María Fernanda Campo [es]. A Senator [es] has been promoting this measure....
Colombia: FARC Main Ideologue “Alfonso Cano” Killed
Alfonso Cano, the top leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was taken out on November 4 in the department of Cauca during combat against the army. Colombians reacted to his death in their blogs, and also expressed their opinions on Twitter using the hashtag #AlfonsoCano.
Colombia: The 2011 Regional Elections
On Sunday, October 30, Colombia held regional elections for local public posts. Due to the importance of these posts, these elections are tracked in the same manner as the presidential elections. Citizens followed the voting closely and the elections were widely discussed on citizen media platforms and social networks.
Colombia: Law 30 and “Operation Seventh Ballot” on Regional Election Day
Through the Facebook group “Operation Seventh Ballot” [es], citizens are inviting voters to deposit a paper in the ballot box with the words “NO TO THE REFORM OF LAW 30″ in reference to the education reform launched by the national government. This initiative, which will be carried out during the...
Colombia: Workers and Students Take to the Streets in Protest
Public sector workers and university students have hit the streets of Colombia to express their dissatisfaction. Cati Restrepo explores some of their concerns.
Colombia: Could Miss Universe be Colombian?
A Mexican newspaper published that Miss Universe is Colombian, and that her documents were forged [es] so that she could represent Angola. Territorio Chocoano adds that Leila Lopes’ place of birth would be Nóvita, in the Chocó department [es] (the department with the largest population with African-descent). A Colombian magazine...
Colombia: First National Evacuation Simulation
Fourteen Colombian cities participated in an exercise of simulating a national evacuation on October 5. The idea was to simulate an emergency (an earthquake) and build awareness of the steps people should assume in the event of an actual emergency.
Colombia: “New York Hurts More”
@RedMujeresC, the Twitter account of Red Mujeres Ciudadanas – Colombia, quotes Mare Nubium on the massacres perpetrated by illegally armed groups in Colombia [es]. The author manifests her indignation because, in her opinion, some Colombians seem to care more about the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States than...
Colombia: ‘Blank Vote, Worthy Vote’
Colombians are invited to cast blank ballots in the regional and local elections to be held on October 30, 2011 through the video “Blank vote, worthy vote” by NachoVelezJim on YouTube. The argument for such a move is that scandals of government corruption have made the country lose billions of...
Colombia: University Dean Removed for Inviting Abortion Advocates
Garciamado writes [es] in the blog Dura Lex about the debate which was sparked when a private University in the city of Medellín decided to fire one of its deans [es] after she proposed inviting guests who openly favor abortion to an event commemorating 75 years of the Institution [es]....
Colombia: FIFA's U-20 World Cup
Colombia is hosting the U-20 FIFA World Cup. The opening ceremony [es] took place in Barranquilla on July 29. The country is in a happy mood and on Twitter netizens talk about the tournament with the hashtag #Colombiaesmundial.
Colombia: 201 Years of Independence
As we announced in a recent post, Colombia commemorated its day of independence this past July 20. The Internet, as expected, was the scene of many opinions and events that varied from pride of having been born in said country to political criticism.
Argentine Songwriter Facundo Cabral Murdered in Guatemala
On Saturday July 9 the renowned songwriter Facundo Cabral, whose career was characterised by songs that acted as a vehicle for his messages, was murdered in Guatemala. Moved by his death, many expressed their condolences, memories and emotions on social networks.
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.
Colombia: Dissatisfaction With TEDx Event in Medellín
Juan David Escobar [es] writes about his experience [es] with TEDx Medellín, which he could not enter because, according to what he narrates, he was not part of any of the companies sponsoring the event –but he did have a ticket. He links to an article in GeekPlanet [es] which...
Colombia: Robbery at Andean Parliament Headquarters
On June 7, members of the Andean Parliament were robbed at the organization’s headquarters in Bogotá, Colombia. On Twitter netizens posted their opinions, mostly rejecting what had happened, with the hashtag #Parlamentoandino.
Colombia: No to Cell Phones With Blood
Cell phone theft and its subsequent illegal commercialization have represented a problem of public order for Colombia, so much that this year the national government has decided to confront it. But as expected, the measure has generated various opinions.
Colombia: The ‘Bride of Barranquilla’ Dies
Singer and composer Esther Forero [es] passed away on June 3 after being admitted to the hospital on May 11 [es]. She was known as the “bride of Barranquilla” because of her contribution to the city's carnival. Twitter users quickly reacted to the news and shared their condolences with the hashtags #Esthercita and #esthercitaforero.
Colmbia: Video Shows Anti-Riot Police Agression Towards University of Antioquia Student
Carlavanessa1302 uploaded a video to YouTube which shows a clash between students from the University of Antioquia in Medellín and the Mobile Anti-Disturbance Squardron (ESMAD, police riot control unit). The riots ocurred on Thursday, April 12 after students protested against the reforms the government seeks to make to Law 30...
Colombia: The Vallenato Legend Festival
Vallenato is one of the most popular and representative music genres in Colombia. There is a whole culture around Vallenato, and the city of Valledupar is paralyzed by the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata (Vallenato Legend Festival), a festival that takes place during late April.
Colombia: Anti-Personnel Mines and the “Remángate” Campaign
April 4, 2011, marked the celebration of the International Day of Awareness of Anti-personnel Mines. In Colombia, the Presidential Program for Action Against Anti-personnel Mines (Paicma) joined corporate groups and social organizations to promote the "Remángate" campaign. The campaign relies on its website, Twitter account (@remangate) and hashtag #Remangate.
