Uruguayan-Spanish journalist, editor, and blogger. Currently living in Chile, tweeting in English and Spanish under @silviavinas, and blogging on silviavinas.com
Latest posts by Silvia Viñas from September, 2011
Mexico: Baja California Anti-Abortion Law Upheld by Supreme Court
The Mexican Supreme Court failed by one vote to overturn a Baja California law that declares that life begins at conception. Aguachile calls this “tragic news” and argues that in “In other states, PRI and PAN local legislators will feel emboldened by the Supreme Court decision to press similar legislation.”
Venezuela: Thinking Succession Amid Rumors About Chavez's Health
“Renewed rumors about Chavez's health have led to a new round of jockeying for power and influence in Caracas”: Bloggings by boz comments on “Venezuela's succession void”, an issue he also blogged about in July.
Chile: Indigenous Leaders to Meet With Congress
In Indigenous News, Ryan Seelau reports that “on October 4th and 5th, Indigenous leaders from across Chile will meet with the Chilean Congress to discuss the implementation of ILO [International Labor Organization] Convention 169, and particularly, the right to consultation.”
Bolivia: Videos of Vigil in Support of TIPNIS Marchers
Mario R. Duran posts videos [es] of a vigil held in La Paz to support indigenous marchers in their struggle to defend TIPNIS.
El Salvador: Youth Participation in Elections
Blogger Jjmar from Hunnapuh [es] comments on youth's lack of interest in the elections and in politics in general, a problem which Jjmar argues is reflected in the low number of registered young voters in the 2009 elections and for the upcoming 2012 elections.
Colombia: Bogota's Mayoral Campaign
Mike Ceaser comments on Bogota Mayoral candidate Enrique Peñalosa's decision to “campaign with ex-President Alvaro Uribe.” Mike argues that “by campaigning with the conservative Uribe […] Peñalosa is giving up any chance for the vote of young progressives, altho [sic] few supported him as it is.”
Chile: Students Protest Mayor's Decision
Erwin at The Latin Americanist updates readers on the student movement: “Last week Cristian Labbe, mayor of Providencia, ordered the suspension of the school year and permitted police to remove student protesters who have been residing on local campuses.[…]” Labbe also declared that students who lived outside of Providencia would...
Chile: Twitter Trending Topics and #yomarchoel22
Students marched in favor of education reform on Thursday, September 22, but surprisingly, the hashtag netizens used on Twitter –#yomarchoel22– did not become a local Trending Topic. Enzo Abbagliati in his blog Cadaunadas [es] reminds his readers that Trending Topics are a legitimate but limited representation of reality.
Ecuador: Digital Illiteracy Rate in Loja
Voces Lojanas [es] shares important data about Loja from the VII Population Census and the VI Housing Census. The census reveals that in Loja digital illiteracy is at 29%, but cell phone use is at 73%.
El Salvador: Digital Newspaper Publishes Wikileaks Cables
“Almost 100 US State Department cables from the US Embassy in San Salvador have now been published on the website of El Faro. The collection of cables from WikiLeaks offers a behind-the-scenes look at US diplomacy and assessment of its tiny ally in Central America. Most of the cables come...
Mexico: Uproar Over Twitter Law Proposed by Veracruz Governor
A controversial law in Mexico could imprison those who spread rumors through social networks on the charge of "disturbing public order". Mexicans are speaking out against the law, which has been labeled #LeyJavierDuarte on Twitter after the name of Veracruz governor, Javier Duarte.
El Salvador: Residents of High-Crime Area Speak of Soldier's Harsh Tactics
Tim recommends a blog post by Danny Burridge “about lives lived under the harsh tactics of Salvadoran soldiers patrolling a high-crime area”. Tim explains that Danny doesn't blog often because “he's too busy immersing himself in the lives of children in one of San Salvador's poorest neighborhoods, La Chacra.”
Chile: Twitter Reports on March for Education Reform
El Dínamo has put together a Storify post [es] with reports, pictures, and reactions to today's march for education reform. You can read more tweets about the march by following the hashtags #yomarchoel22 (“I march on the 22nd”) and #yoapoyoalosestudiantes (“I support the students”).
Mexico: Twitter Users Accused of “Terrorism” are Released
Two Twitter users who faced jail over “terrorism and sabotage” for spreading rumors of narco-related violence on social networks have been released. Bloggings by boz explains: “The local government created a new regulation against ‘disturbing the peace’ that might be used for future cases, but said the two released Twitter...
Uruguay: Economic Growth and Happiness
According to a forecast by the Intentional Monetary Fund, Uruguay's economy will expand 6% in 2011. Rosario Queirolo in Razones y personas: repensando Uruguay (“Reasons and people: rethinking Uruguay”) comments on the relationship between economic growth and general satisfaction in Uruguay.
Bolivia: International Support to ‘Save TIPNIS’ on Facebook
Blogger Willy Andres recommends visiting the Facebook page “Salvemos al Tipnis. Save the Tipnis. Carteles Posters” in response to a project to build a highway through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS) in Bolivia. The page gathers posters created all over the world in support of saving TIPNIS.
Mexico: ‘Peace Caravan to the South’ Arrives in Mexico City
Fred Rosen –from the blog Mexico, Bewildered and Contested at NACLA– reports that The ‘Peace Caravan to the South’, organized by the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity, “arrived in Mexico City’s central plaza, the Zócalo, ending its eleven-day, round-trip journey to and through southern Mexico, where it documented...
Venezuela: Netizens Criticize Chavez on Twitter with #cosasProhibidasEnVenezuela
Al Jazeera's The Stream aggregated and translated tweets written by Venezuelan netizens using the hashtag #cosasProhibidasEnVenezuela (Things prohibited in Venezuela): “activists are criticising Chavez and his current administration, citing corruption and neglect to deliver on promises of social reform.”
Chile: Netizens on Twitter Support Student Movement's Call for National Strike with #yomarchoel22
The student movement seeking to overhaul Chile's education system called for a national strike for September 22. Chilean netizens are using the hashtags #yoestoyconlosestudiantes (“I support the students”) and #yomarchoel22 (“I will march on the 22nd”) to show their support.
Honduras: Conflicting Reports on Situation in Bajo Aguan
“Competing stories have developed about what happened in the Bajo Aguan last Friday, when a combined military-police patrol alleges it was ambushed by foreign guerrillas at La Consentida plantation, near Sonaguera”, RNS summarizes these conflicting reports in Honduras Culture and Politics.
Mexico, USA: Triqui Indigenous Migrants Defenseless Against Crime and Police Questioning
The Triqui indigenous people of Mexico living in the United States as undocumented immigrants are easy targets for robberies and police questioning because they often don't speak Spanish or English –Ismael Flores in Vivir México [es] reports.
