· August, 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 August, 2008

Americas: Celebrating BlogDay

  31 August 2008

August 31 is BlogDay around the world, which is an event where bloggers recommend 5 blogs to be discovered by others. The Latin American team from Global Voices Online is participating by collectively recommending 5 blogs from across the region.

Ecuador: Abortion a Controversial Topic in New Constitution

  31 August 2008

In a deeply religious country like Ecuador, the topic of a woman's right to choose an abortion is of concern and may determine some voters' decision in the upcoming Constitutional Referendum. Bloggers provide some views about how this controversial topic is seen by the country.

Peru: Views Towards the Indigenous Protests

  30 August 2008

The protests by indigenous groups in Northern Peru are not always understood in other parts of the country. Some bloggers examine attitudes and views by others, who often look down upon the indigenous groups saying that they are protesting for the wrong reasons or incapable of organizing themselves.

Chile: Trolley Bus in Valparaíso

  29 August 2008

Contenidos Locales [es] covers the recent publication by Jacqueline Gonzalez from the Chilean city of Valparaíso, who writes about the trolley bus that has been running since the 1950s.

Costa Rica: President Arias Asks Dalai Lama to Postpone Visit

  29 August 2008

Costa Rican president Oscar Arias asked Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama to postpone a private visit to the country, citing that Arias won't be in the country to receive him. However, many bloggers believe that the request coincided with a planned official visit from Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Venezuela: Yukpa Indians, Chávez and land disputes

  28 August 2008

Citizen media videos have been uploaded informing of the situation arising in Venezuela between the Yukpa Indians of the Perijá Mountains, landowners and President Chávez. This dispute over land limits is 30 years in the making, when military forces displaced the Indigenous communities of the Yukpa by force and established landowners who have cattle ranches and have been working the lands ever since.

Guatemala: Protection of La Danta

  28 August 2008

Many Guatemalans and foreign journalists are concerned about the plight of the region around La Danta, one of the world's largest pyramids. A group from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting recently visited Petén to document the environmental threats to the region. La Danta is also the name for the tapir, which also requires conservation attention.

Peru: Work on Lima Streets Taking Too Long

  27 August 2008

Luis Ramos of Vivir Lima [es] complains about the time that it is taking for the work on some Lima streets. He also republishes the results from a recent survey where “Limeños” don't believe the work will be finished in time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.

Peru: Blogger Inducted to Academy of Spanish Language

  27 August 2008

Daniel Salas from Gran Combo Club [es] salutes the induction of Camilo Fernádez Cozman to the Peruvian Academy of Spanish language. Camilo, besides an academist is also a blogger. His induction speech can be read at his blog La Soledad de la Página en Blanco [es].

Paraguay: President Lugo to Forgo Salary

  26 August 2008

Fernando Lugo's presidency started with an announcement that he would forgo his monthly salary. "I don't need that salary, which belongs to the poor," said Lugo. Different local bloggers see things differently, as one applauds the decision and another wonders how Lugo will pay for his own expenses.

Mexico: Thoughts from A Grandfather

  24 August 2008

Soron of La Vida es Sueño [es] writes a tribute to his grandfather, Germán, who spoke about life in Mexico City back when, “one could see on a daily basis the volcanoes that surrounded the Mexican Valle, the sky was always blue and there were even rivers in Mexico City,...

Venezuela: Antonio Lauro and His Classical Guitar

  24 August 2008

Antonio Lauro is well-known for composing waltzes for the classical guitar. As part of the group Trio Cantores del Trópico, Lauro managed to contribute to the Venezuela's musical heritage converting original European structures into melodies that sound very much like the Venezuelan idiosyncrasies. He toured extensively around neighboring countries to spread the sounds of Venezuelan music.

Argentina: Weblogs Day 2008 in Buenos Aires

  22 August 2008

The 2008 version of Weblogs Day recently took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This year, topics went beyond the discussion of blogs, and included information about web 2.0 entrepreneurs and other online events. Global Voices Online was also presented by Argentina author Jorge Gobbi.

Peru: Government Attempts to Halt Protests in the North

  22 August 2008

The news media has started to provide more coverage of the protests taking place in Northern Peru. The newspaper La República writes that the commission headed up by Environmental Minister Antonio Brack did not accomplish much. More and more indigenous groups are joining the cause and guarding important state petroleum...

Mexico: Videos raise awareness of kidnapping crisis

  21 August 2008

Mexico has seen a steep rise in kidnapping for ransom cases this year, and a group of videobloggers have decided to take a stand and make videos proposing solutions for this problem. According to the Analisis a Fondo blog, according to the Dutch NGO Pax Christi and local authorities, Mexico has surpassed Colombia in the number of kidnappings, which take place mostly in the capital and neighboring areas.

Colombia: Narcotours in Medellín

  21 August 2008

In Medellín, Colombia, “narco”-tours are being offered for foreigners to visit sites associated with the drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, writes Jorge Gobbi of Blog de Viajes [es].

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