· July, 2008

Below are posts about citizen media in Spanish. Don't miss Global Voices en Español, where Global Voices posts are translated into Spanish! Read about our Lingua project to learn more about how Global Voices content is being translated into other languages.

Stories about Spanish from July, 2008

Costa Rica: Concerts, riots and concerns.

  29 July 2008

Journalist Cristian Cambronero from popular Costa Rican blog Fusil de Chispas posts a recount of Sunday's Concert where youth rioted and destroyed the campus of the Universidad Latina in the capital city of San José. It seems that when around 3000 of them were not allowed entrance to the free concert venue where already 5000 spectators were waiting for the concert some of the irate teens destroyed the university buildings, storefronts,dismantled cars, damaged the church in the vicinity, looted, threw chairs, rocks and bricks everywhere.

Cuba: July 26th

  28 July 2008

This past weekend, on July 26th, Cuba marked the 55th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago that came to be recognised as the start of the Cuban Revolution. Bloggers react to President Raul Castro's much-anticipated speech at the event.

Ecuador: New Constitution Ready For Vote in Referendum

  28 July 2008

A draft proposal for the new Constitution in Ecuador is ready for approval by a nationwide referendum to be held in September. However, reports of a Constituent Assembly under pressure, a change of assembly president, and questionable legal conditions placed on the text leave some unsure of their vote. In spite of this, local bloggers recommend that everyone read the entire 200-page text before making a decision and that it is important to be a part of the process.

Ecuador: Guayaquil Celebrates its Past and Present

  27 July 2008

“Cheers, Guayaquil on your Anniversary!” writes Alex Anazco of Cambiemos Ecuador [es]. He writes about its past, but also about its present, which boasts the best airport in Latin America according to an international business magazine.

Paraguay: Breaking Cycle of Corruption

  27 July 2008

Liam of Políticamente Incorrecto [es] writes that the new Paraguayan government's biggest challenge is to break the cycle of corruption and “that the corrupt has become someone to be imitated, a role-model, a person that is admired because of success, money, living well, and they are no longer scrutinized for...

El Salvador: Photographer Nominated for Journalism Prize

  25 July 2008

Photographer Álvaro López was recently nominated for the prestigious Ibero-American New Journalism prize for his series called Terrorism in El Salvador. His photos showed a violent confrontation between a protestor and police, placing the photographer in danger while capturing the images writes Solavá of Hora Cero [es].

Costa Rica: Indigenous Communities in the Media

  24 July 2008

Alejandro Vargas Johannsen publishes a list of recommendations created by students from the Costa Rica University for communicators in how they write about indigenous communities without negative stereotypes [es] and to, “remember their contributions to natural medicine, spirituality, arts, and the conservation of natural resources, especially water.”

Colombia: Continued Support for Suso

  23 July 2008

Catalina Restrepo of Cosas del Alma [es] updates readers on the continued efforts by members of the ConVerGentes blogging community in Medellín, Colombia in support of Suso, a local resident who had been living in poor conditions.

Chile: Media Produced by Residents of Colón Oriente

  23 July 2008

Chilenos Todos [es] writes about the action taken by residents of the neighborhood Colón Oriente in Santiago, Chile. They published a newsletter called “La Chicharra” that seeks to combat disinformation about this poor area through the use of interviews, testimonials and news.

Cuba: Cyber-Citizens?

  22 July 2008

“Never having become citizens in the real world, it is hard for us to behave as citizens on the web”: Yoani Sanchez at Generation Y shares her thoughts about the virtual Cuba.

Dominican Republic: Tires as Toys

  22 July 2008

Children in the Dominican Republic can be seen playing with tires for a lack of other toys. Reynaldo Brito of Imagenes Dominicanas [es] writes about his experiences in the Herrera neighborhood.

Ecuador: Interest in Literature Continues

  21 July 2008

The ExpoLibro 2008 (Guayaquil Book Fair) recently came to a close, which according to organizers, drew hundreds of thousands of visitors with more than 210 stands. This proves that the reading is not dead, as had been predicted with the arrival of the internet. Interest in literary works is alive in well in Ecuador and during this past week, four authors contributed to the culture and literature of the country.

Colombia: Freedom March Around the World

  21 July 2008

After the rescue of 15 high profile hostages held in the FARC's power on July 2nd 2008, the same group that organized the last global march on February 4th against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) decided that there should be a another one on July 20th, the day when Colombia's Independence from Spain is celebrated. The following videos and photographs show the way this Independence celebration and liberation march was celebrated around the world, and also some of the contrasting thoughts regarding the meaning of nation and freedom.

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