Silvia Viñas · June, 2010

Latest posts by Silvia Viñas from June, 2010

Venezuela: Making a Presence in the 2010 World Cup

  30 June 2010

Venezuela did not make it to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but the blog Venezuela News and Views posted pictures taken by their correspondent in South Africa, Armando Tirado, showing Venezuelan flags in the match between Brazil and Chile. The flags include messages, like one against Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez...

Chile: From California to Chile on Biodiesel

  30 June 2010

Maria Jose Calderon and Carlos Herrera embarked on a 6-month road trip from California, USA to Chile in a biodiesel truck. The couple traveled Latin America in search of grassroots initiatives to help the environment, and they documented their findings and their journey through videos, photos and blogging.

Peru: Experiment for Social Networks

  29 June 2010

Ernesto Cárdenas from the blog Consultor Internet proposes [es] an interesting experiment in social networks:  “How feasible is it to have/simulate ‘the experience of living’ (virtually) the things that happen in a country you do not know and have not visited?” After explaining the experiment he asks, is there an...

Argentina: Social Media Day in Buenos Aires

  29 June 2010

Listao [es] shares that on June 30, the official Social Media day, social media users are invited to get together to celebrate the day in Buenos Aires. Users can sign up on a special site for the event on Mashable Meetups [es].

Peru: A Bill on Obscene Content

  28 June 2010

A few days ago the news broke of a bill that had been approved by the Justice Comission in Congress, proposing an amendment to section 183-B of the Penal Code, which sanctions the media publication of obscene and pornographic displays. As a result, opponents of the bill raised the banners of "Freedom of the Press" and "Freedom of Speech." Bloggers and internet media users are debating whether this bill really gets rid of these freedoms, or if it serves as a protection for minors and others who don't want to see that content.

Chile: Flash Mob Remembering Michael Jackson

  28 June 2010

María Pastora writes [es] about her first time participating in a flash mob. She also includes a video of the flash mob, which was choreographed as a tribute to Michael Jackson. The flash mob was organized by flashmob.cl [es]

Uruguay: Celebrating Advancement to Quarter Finals

  28 June 2010

Agarrate Montevideo [es] posted pictures and videos of Uruguayans celebrating their team's advancement to quarter finals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after beating South Korea 2-1; it is the first time in 40 years that the Uruguayan team reaches quarter finals in a World Cup.

El Salvador: Transparency Begins with Citizens

  24 June 2010

Carlos Abraham Rodriguez [es] says he would like to see more transparency from the government of El Salvador; but he also adds that it is the citizen's responsibility to ask for it and to support initiatives that will make the government more transparent.

Paraguay: Match Against New Zealand Paralyzes Country

  24 June 2010

Paraguay is playing New Zealand in the World Cup for their opportunity to make it to the second round. The blog Rescatar [es] reports that buses that are normally packed in the morning were empty today; and, although productivity is down, everyone is hopeful about the result.

Costa Rica: Week-long March Against Mining

  24 June 2010

Habla Costa Rica [es] reports on a march against mining which will start July 12 and end July 18.  The march was organized by a group of citizens under the name “Coordinadora Ni una sola mina” (Coordination Not One Single Mine). The blog post includes a schedule of the march...

Uruguay: Watching the World Cup from Afar

  23 June 2010

Nostalgia de Emigrante [es] describes how it feels to watch Uruguay play in the World Cup from the perspective of someone who has emigrated. Considering how well the team is doing, the blogger wonders why the country doesn't work like that: with the president as the coach and the citizens...

Mexico: 300,000 Tons of Electronic Waste

  23 June 2010

Mexico produces about 300,000 tons of electronic waste each year. According to Pepe Flores [es], Mexico is behind in legislating on this issue and warns that the electronic residue presents a sanitary risk.

Colombia: Rethinking the War on Drugs

  23 June 2010

Albeiro Rodas writes for Colombia Passport about recent reports from The United Nations Office on Drugs (UNODC) and says that “for an international community opinion […] this War on Drugs is divided and it has several points to recognize and rethink.”

Mexico: A Politicians Guide to Campaigning using Social Media

  22 June 2010

Pepe Flores [es] from Vivir México [es] has come up with a two-part guide for politicians who want to use social media when campaigning. Part 1 [es] includes: personalizing your message, establishing an agenda and promoting debate. Part 2 [es] includes: showing your “human” aspects and getting informed.

Peru: Oil Spill in Rio Marañon

  22 June 2010

Globalizado [es] reports on an oil spill in Rio Marañon in the Loreto region of Peru; the river is the only source of water for 28 native communities. The post also includes a video [es] showing the river after the spill. .

Costa Rica: Resident Physicians on Strike

  21 June 2010

Conejitos Suicidas [es] writes about a strike by resident physicians in Costa Rica who claim that Social Security “violates the rights of future specialists in various fields of medicine” [es]. The blogger asks the residents on strike to reconsider their attitude and the government and the citizenry to defend Social...