Silvia Viñas · June, 2012

Latest posts by Silvia Viñas from June, 2012

El Salvador: Citizens of Mejicanos Protest Construction of Walmart Store

  26 June 2012

Voices from El Salvador reports: “This past Thursday civil society organizations, international solidarity groups, students, and community associations came together to protest the construction of a mega Walmart store in Mejicanos, a municipality in northern San Salvador.” In a stament, organizers say that communities must be consulted about these projects.

Paraguayan Senate Ousts President Lugo

  22 June 2012

On Friday, June 22, the Paraguayan Senate voted in favor of removing President Fernando Lugo from office. Lawmakers brought President Lugo to an impeachment trial after 17 people died in a land dispute last week. Netizens followed the trial throughout the day, posting their impressions and reactions on Twitter using...

Paraguay: President Fernando Lugo Faces Impeachment

  22 June 2012

Latin America News Dispatch reports that today, Friday, June 22, “the Paraguayan Senate will decide whether Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo should be impeached for his handling of a violent land conflict that left at least 17 people dead.” Lugo is currently a worldwide trending topic on Twitter.

El Salvador: Has the gang truce worked?

  22 June 2012

Mike from Central American Politics looks at the results of the first 100 days of the “peace treaty” between the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs: “As a result of the truce, the country's homicide rate has dropped from approximately 13 per day down to around five. At the same time,...

Bolivia: “We want a democracy of participation”

  21 June 2012

Peter Lackowski from Upside Down World interviewed Oscar Olivera, “an activist, thinker, and writer based in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He was a leader during the uprising in 2000 in Cochabamba in which the people of the city threw out Bechtel, the multinational corporation that had privatized all the water in the...

Journeys Through Latin America

  21 June 2012

Thanks to a collective of bloggers who are traveling through Latin America, readers from all over the world can get a glimpse of the many facets of this vast region. Here's a summary of the route so far.

Paraguay: Land Dispute Leaves Several Dead and Injured

  19 June 2012

Bloggings by boz highlights several key issues related to a land dispute which increased in violence on Friday, June 15, when “a shootout between police and campesinos occupying land near the border with Brazil led to about 17 deaths and several dozen wounded.”

Colombia: 72-year-old Man Demands A Decent Life

  18 June 2012

Via Facebook, Arlovich Correa [es] shares the story of a 72-year-old Colombian man who decided to climb to the top of an antenna, putting his life in danger, to demand a pension and better quality of life. Correa expresses his indignation at the people who walked by and told the...

Guatemala: Anti-Mining Activist Shot

  15 June 2012

The blog Guatemala Solidarity Network and James Rodriguez from Mi Mundo report on the attempted murder of anti-mining activist Yolanda “Yoli” Oquely Veliz. The Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA condemns the shooting and invites citizens to sign a petition “to call on the Guatemalan Government to investigate this crime and prosecute...

Chile: Chileno.co.uk, Blogging about Chile from the UK

  11 June 2012

Chileno.co.uk is a Chilean blog written mostly in English. Among its content you can find original interviews with prominent Chileans, like film director Andres Wood, and bands like The Ganjas and Inti-Illimani. You can also follow the blog on Twitter (@chilenocouk).

Honduras: Human Rights Delegation Blogs Findings

  6 June 2012

The Honduras Human Rights Delegation of May 2012 is “a delegation of academics, human rights and labor activists, Canadian and U.S. citizens, many with extensive experience in Honduras, organized by U.S. and Canadian-based human rights groups Rights Action and Alliance for Global Justice.” The delegation visited Honduras from May 19-28,...