Latest posts by Silvia Viñas from August, 2012
Chile: Students March in the Thousands for Education Reform
Thousands of students and teachers marched peacefully on Tuesday, August 28, to demand education reform. This massive march is part of the student movement's ongoing efforts to overhaul the education system in Chile.
Colombian Government Plans Peace Talks with FARC
In the blog Crónicas, Santos García Zapata explains the context [es] around the Presidential decision to start peace talks with guerrilla groups. The Congress’ Peace Commission has declared that President...
Venezuela: Fires Still Burning at Amuay Oil Refinery
I don’t think PDVSA [Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company] will learn anything from this explosion — just as the company failed to learn anything from its past errors. Blogger and journalist...
Venezuela: Chaos in Amuay After Oil Refinery Explosion
'The action radius for the propane spheres explosion is devastating. The entrance to Judibana and everything surrounding it is destroyed.' A gas tank explosion in Judibana, Falcón state, has left at least 24 dead and 86 injured. The reasons behind this accident are still unclear.
Venezuela: 19 Killed in Blast at Amuay Oil Refinery
An explosion in the Amuay oil refinery, one of the largest in the world, has left at least 19 dead and 53 injured, according to the latest reports [es] from the...
Ecuador on Alert Over Spewing Tungurahua Volcano
The Tungurahua volcano has been spewing pyroclastic material and ash throughout this month, affecting thousands of families, crops, and animals. Scientists and citizens use Twitter and Facebook to inform about the Tungurahua's activity.
Bolivian Women Lead TIPNIS Struggle
Their protagonism has sparked controversy in a society where patriarchal traditions and attitudes still run deep
Peru's Feminist Activist-Artist: María María Acha-Kutscher
Peruvian feminist, activist and visual artist María María Acha-Kutscher is using the Internet to share her work. From Mexico's Frida Kahlo to Spain's "indignadas" (outraged) and Russia's Pussy Riot, Acha-Kutscher's drawings reflect the life and struggles of female artists and activists from all over the world.
Central America: Upcoming “Camps” for Young Cyber-Activists
Rising Voices is partnering with Hivos and Dialogía in two “camps” for young people using digital media for social change. The workshops, called “Activistmo” [es], will be held in Nicaragua...
El Salvador: 30 Years Since ‘El Calabozo Massacre’
Today, August 22, 2012, marks the thirtieth anniversary of the ‘El Calabozo’ massacre, “when troops of the US-trained Atlacatl Battalion murdered more than 200 civilian victims taking refuge along a...
Colombia: A Demonstration in Favor of Accessibility in Transportation
The movement Fuerza Incluyente from Medellín is calling for a demonstration against the violation of rights in public transportation. Fuerza Incluyente invites those with or without disabilities to participate: “Let's...
Colombia: Online Campaign Seeks to Reform Health System
In their YouTube [es] channel, the group Todo lo que hay [es] posts the story [es] of a Colombian cancer patient whose treatment has not been continuous due to various...
Ecuador Grants WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Asylum
After much anticipation, Ecuador announced it will grant political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Assange is currently inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Twitter has been buzzing with reactions from citizens and the main protagonists in this case, like WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, and the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Ecuador Grants Political Asylum to WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange
#AsiloAssange (Assange Asylum) is a local Trending Topic on Twitter in Ecuador as netizens from all over the world react to Ecuador's decision to grant asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian...
Ecuador: WikiLeaks Releases “Statement on UK Threat to Storm Ecuadorian Embassy”
WikiLeaks has released a “Statement on UK Threat to Storm Ecuadorian Embassy and Arrest Julian Assange.” The statement reads: “In a communication this morning to the government of Ecuador, the...
Mexican Constitution Translated into Indigenous Languages
Ileana Fernández from Vivir México [es] reports that the Mexican Constitution was translated into Mayan and other indigenous languages.
Chile: Mapuche Women Continue Occupation of UNICEF Office
The peaceful occupation of UNICEF headquarters in Santiago, Chile, by Mapuche women has continued for 20 days. Mapuche leaders have stated that the occupation will continue until UNICEF becomes more...
Nicaragua: A Blogger's Olympic Dream
Mildred Largaespada from the blog 1001 trópicos [es] shares her “Olympic dream.” In 1984, Mildred was part of Nicaragua's National Junior Basketball Team and participated in the Central American Games...
Colombia: Gold for Cyclist Mariana Pajón
Colombians on Twitter anxiously awaited the performance of BMX cyclist Mariana Pajón. Hashtags like ORO (“gold”), #ÁnimoMariana (“Go Mariana”), or Mariana Pajón became local Trending Topics before and after Pajón won...
Uruguay: Analyzing How Politicians Use Twitter
In his blog Curar Contenidos (“Curating Content”), Manuel Podetti is publishing a series of posts on “Uruguayan Politics and Twitter” [es]. His first two posts look at the most influential...
Bolivia: Communities Divided in Consultation about TIPNIS Road
Emily Achtenberg from Rebel Currents blogs about the latest developments in the project to build a road through the Isiboro-Sécure Indigenous Territory and National Park (TIPNIS): “Last week, the Bolivian...
