Latest posts by Silvia Viñas from June, 2010
Peru: Southern Peru on Strike Reclaiming Gas
A 24-hour strike in protest of the Camisea gas export took place in various departments of southern Peru. The villagers complained about the gas moving abroad, while they have a great need of it in their regions. Rejection of other oil and irrigation projects was also part of the strike. Here we present a brief report and a collection of tweets from cities that participated in the protest.
Mexico: Visiting a Trotilleria
Carlos Hernández visited a small tortilla factory (“tortilleria” in Spanish) and reported on his experience on his blog Mas alla de Conoce México [es], where he includes images of the...
El Salvador: One Laptop per Child
The Education Ministry of El Salvador has started giving out XO laptop computers –from One Laptop per Child– to low-income students. Tim's El Salvador Blog says 400 children from 5 schools have...
Peru: Shining Path at the University of San Marcos?
A video of a rally in favor of Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), which took place at the campus of San Marcos University, was seen by the media as a resurgence of the terrorist movement. Some students and bloggers think that the way the incident was handled by the media and the government exaggerates the facts; but, others consider it is important to pay attention to how this story develops.
Chile: Curicó Celebrates Triumph Against Honduras
Vivimos la Noticia [es], a local blog from Curicó, Chile, posted photos of Chilean fans celebrating their team's debut in the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Honduras, winning 1-0.
Bolivia: Public Transportation Prices Go Up
Mario R. DURAN CHUQUIMIA shares his opinion on the recent increase in the price of public transportation in a podcast in the blog Palabras Libres [es].
Guatemala: Beauty Pageant Includes “Foot Bool” Float
San Pedro de Las Huertas, Guatemala is recovering from storm Agatha; they recently celebrated their annual beauty pageant with a float dedicated to football. AntiaguaDailyPhoto includes photos of the event and writes: “Foot...
Mexico: 10,000 Orphans
10,000 children have become orphans in Mexico as a result of organized crime in the last year. The blog Vivir México [es] reports on an initiative called “Programa Oportunidades” (Program...
Peru: Cyber-Activism in Chimbote
Chimbote is a city and fishing port located to the north of Lima, where the use of internet is expanding. Recently, internet has become a way to call for and participate in protests both virtually and in person. An example of this was seen recently when citizens of Chimbote decided to protest on the poor state of the roads.
Uruguay: Effect of European Crisis
The blog Visión Universitaria [es] looks at how the European crisis has affected Uruguay.
Argentina: Twitter in Argentina
Hernan from the blog Listao [es] published a video where well-known Argentinean Twitter users talk about the use of Twitter in their country and the world.
Bolivia: Teaching Web 2.0
In an effort to expand the use of social media and Web 2.0 in Bolivia, Alberto Medrano from the blog Letras Alteñas [es] taught a course on the subject and...
Uruguay: Social Media Keeps Fans Updated on La Celeste
With only a few days left until Uruguay makes its debut in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Uruguayan social media users are getting ready to analyze and report on the latest news of La Celeste, the nickname for the national soccer team. Whether or not Uruguay will make history by winning their third World Cup this year, fans old and young (and even English speakers) will have plenty of online resources to keep up with their national team.
Costa Rica: Chinchilla to Answer Questions Via Web
The blog Fusil [es] posted a YouTube video [es] where Costa Rican president Laura Chinchilla talks about her efforts to communicate with the citizenry. As Fusil explains, she will respond via...
Guatemala: Bloggers Draw Attention to Green Initiatives
The bloggers at Antigua Daily Photo have started, “a mini-series to show you some of the ‘green’ initiatives available just around Antigua Guatemala.” They began by highlighting e-waste de Guatemala...
Mexico: Having Fun With Census Questions
This year Mexico will hold a Census, and the blogger from Maldito Thinner [es] has compiled a list of the best 100 burlesque questions published under the hashtag #preguntasdelcenso (census questions)....
Costa Rica: Laura Chinchilla's First 30 Days in Office
The first female president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, has been in office for 30 days; the blog Carepicha [es] analyses this first month. Among a political evaluation, the blogger...
Peru: The Blogosphere Remembers Bagua
A year from the tragic incidents in Bagua, where officially 34 people died (23 of them were policemen) and unofficial reports speak of a much larger number of casualties, Peruvians used blogs to express their different feelings: pain, frustration, and disenchantment were the predominant sentiments.
Venezuela: Impressions on Oliver Stone's Newest Film
Al Sur de la Frontera (South of the Border) is Oliver Stone's latest film, where he travels Latin America meeting some of its most famous, left-wing politicians. John Manuel Silva...
Peru: World Record for Planting Trees
Marcamasi [es] reports that in Peru more than 8,000 people managed to plant 27,166 trees in 5 minutes and 20 seconds, achieving a new Guinness record. This also marks the...
Peru: A Year Since Bagua
June 5 marks a year of the Baguazo, the name given to the unfortunate events that took pace in Bagua where officially 34 people died, of which 23 were policemen; however, unofficial reports claim the number of deaths is greater, especially from the side of the civilian protesters. Here is an account of reactions and of some events planned to commemorate the first anniversary of the incidents.
