Latest posts by Silvia Viñas from December, 2010
Ecuador: “Fiestas de Quito”: Tradition and Resistance
The "Fiestas de Quito" (Celebrations of Quito) are one of the most important and traditional celebrations in Ecuador, marked by the multiculturalism of the city, its traditions and cuisine, where issues of miscegenation and nationalism blend in a fragrant, colorful and musical occasion.
El Salvador: US Embassy Cables Released by WikiLeaks
Mike from Central American Politics has been blogging about the US Embassy cables released by WikiLeaks relating to El Salvador. See posts I, II, III and IV.
Ecuador: Reactions to WikiLeaks
Ecuadorian Twitter users and bloggers are reacting to the main talking points on the content of the cables leaked by WikiLeaks relating to Ecuador.
Chile: Twitter Users Weigh In on Prison Fire That Kills At Least 81 Inmates
Using the hashtag #carcelsanmiguel [es] (San Miguel Prison), Chilean Twitter users have been tweeting about a fire that killed at least 81 inmates in a prison in Santiago, Chile, as reported by The BBC.
Mexico, World: The Impact of COP16 for Those Not Attending
Richard Grabman from The Mex Files writes, “Forgotten in there is who is affected by climate change the most — It’s not as if an Amazonian fishermen can buy carbon credits […] He… as much as Korean farmers, French pensioners, gringo bloggers, you… need to eat and are going to...
Guatemala: The Burning of the Devil
From AntiguaDailyPhoto: “La quema del diablo (Burning of the Devil) used to be this tradition, little known out side of Guatemala. I say “used to be” since the Burning of the Devil is now all over the Internet.” Luis Figueroa [es] blogged about his experience “burning the devil” this year.
Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay Recognize Palestinian State
Two Weeks Notice, a blog by Greg Weeks, reports: “Argentina has joined Brazil and Uruguay in recognizing a Palestinian state […] The Israeli response is striking, particularly because it unwittingly shows in part why Latin American countries are doing so in the first place.” The Latin Americanist also blogged about...
Nicaragua: Is Nicaraguan Literature Dead?
Erick Aguirre begins his post [es] asking if Nicaraguan literature is dead. He responds to his own question in an extensive post which ends with a list of 29 new Nicaraguan authors who have recently published their work.
Mexico: Recent Drug Related Crime Statistics
Diego Valle-Jones introduces his post with graphs that show recent developments on drug related violence: “The Mexican government recently released data on all crime statistics from January 1997 to October 2010 […] This information provides an unprecedented look at what has happened since the drug war began and allows for...
El Salvador: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
Voices from El Salvador writes about the local coverage of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25: “Given these troubling statistics, the situation women face in El Salvador is as unacceptable as it is worrisome, and merits serious attention by the Funes administration.”
Colombia: HiperBarrio Receives Community Journalism Award
Rising Voices project HiperBarrio [es] obtained the First Community Journalism Award of the Municipality of Medellín- University of Antioquia (in Spanish, Primer Premio de Periodismo Comunitario Municipio de Medellín – Universidad de Antioquia [es]).
Mexico: Felipe Calderón's Hits and Misses in Four Years in Office
Perla Cristal Gomez in Vivir México [es] looks at President Felipe Calderón's hits and misses during his four years in office. She ends her post asking her readers what they expect from Calderón during the rest of his term.
Bolivia: Indigenous Scholars Meet at Indigenous University
Cristina Quisbert in Bolivia Indígena [es] writes about indigenous scholars gathering at the Bolivian Aymara Indigenous University Tupak Katari (“Universidad Indígena Boliviana Aymara Tupak Katari” in Spanish); she also provides background information on the University.
Colombia: Still on US State Department's Travel Warning List
Steven Roll from Travelojos points out that despite the good press Colombia has received lately, “the U.S. State Department still regards it as a nation that U.S. citizens best avoid.” He ends his post asking, “Do you think the U.S. State Department’s characterization of Colombia as one of the most...
Venezuela: Heavy Rains Cause Flooding on Caribbean Coast
Francisco Toro from Caracas Chronicles reports on the floods caused by heavy rains in Venezuela: “After the wettest November on record, Venezuela is experiencing serious flooding all through the long Caribbean coast.”
El Salvador: “Entre Amigos” Helps LGBT With HIV/AIDS
The Latin Americanist shares information on HIV/AIDS in Latin America: “over two million people in the region are hit with HIV, ‘more than in the U.S., Canada, Japan and the UK combined.'” The post finishes with a video of Entre Amigos (Among Friends), a charity in El Salvador: “Their work...
Latin America & Cablegate: Analysis, Reactions & Questions
Cables from United States embassies in several Spanish-speaking Latin American countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, Venezuela and Honduras, have been released as part of WikiLeaks' "Cablegate". Bloggers in the region are analyzing the cables and what they mean to their individual countries and to Latin America as a whole.
