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 June, 2012
Paraguay: Reporters Without Borders Concerned About Public Media
Reporters Without Borders has published a statement saying that their organization, “has every right to be alarmed, as the country’s democracy seems to have been shaken and undermined”, after Fernando Lugo was ousted as President of Paraguay last Friday, June 22.
El Salvador: Citizens of Mejicanos Protest Construction of Walmart Store
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.
Paraguay: President Fernando Lugo is Removed from Office
As we reported earlier, the Paraguayan Senate voted to impeach President Fernando Lugo. Netizens have been actively reacting to today’s developments; while some defend this impeachment process as legal and constitutional, others are denouncing a coup.
Paraguayan Senate Ousts President Lugo
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
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?
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”
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
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.
Costa Rica: The Need to Treat Computer and English “Illiteracy”
Costa Rica has a high literacy rate; but the blog Carepicha [es] argues that the country should also strive to increase computer and English-language “literacy”.
Uruguay: Government Proposes to Decriminalize Sale of Marijuana
The government's attempts to decriminalize the controlled sale of marijuana have generated mixed reactions. The government presented its proposal as a security measure to prevent the consumption and trafficking of cocaine paste. Netizens quickly reacted to the news.
Paraguay: Land Dispute Leaves Several Dead and Injured
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
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
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...
Latin American Graffiti and Urban Art: Online and in the Streets
Urban art and graffiti are present throughout Latin America. Here's a look at some recent posts by bloggers who share photos and videos of this vibrant urban art movement in different parts of the region.
Mexico: Are Presidential Candidates Considering the Indigenous Vote?
With less than a month left before Mexicans go to the polls to vote for their next president, Katya Albiter from Vivir México [es] wonders about the indigenous vote. She highlights that the indigenous vote represents 6.5 per cent of the population and of the Federal Registry of Voters; the...
Chile: Chileno.co.uk, Blogging about Chile from the UK
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
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,...
Mexico, USA: A Photo Essay on “A Long and Silent Border War”
Todd Miller, from the NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America) blog Border Wars, shares a photo essay titled “A Long and Silent Border War” which documents his 4-month long trip “on the U.S. southern border travelling between Arizona and Texas.”
Uruguay: Students Recall Receiving First “Ceibalitas” Five Years Later
In a video [es] published on YouTube, the first generation of Uruguayan students who received their “ceibalitas” -the OLPC XO-1 laptop computers that are part of Plan Ceibal (Ceibal Project)- look back five years to recount their experience representing the first primary students in the whole country to receive these...
