Stories about Spanish from December, 2008
Chile: Santa Claus the Bus Driver in Santiago
Paloma Beytelman boarded a bus in Santiago, Chile to find the driver dressed as Santa Claus, who continues this tradition every year to entertain passengers [es]. She filmed a short interview with the driver and his wife, who accompanies him on this occasion.
Chile: Creative Commons Licensed Album Nominated for Prize
Creative Commons Chile [es] applauds the album by Antonio Díaz titled Minimental, which was recently nominated for the Qwartz Prize in France. The highlight is that this album is licensed under Creative Commons.
Burning the Year Away: New Year Traditions
In many South American countries, it has become a tradition to burn human shaped representations of the previous year, as a way to get rid of everything bad that the year brought, and leave way for the new. The following videos show some of these traditions and some of the controversy soome of them have sparked.
Cuba: Wishing for Freedom
Cuban blogger Retazos [ES] shares some of her wishes for 2009.
Mexico: Campaign to Curb Drunk Driving
The latest campaign to curb driving while intoxicated in Mexico has already jailed 456 drivers writes Jessica Uribe of Vivir México [es].
Mexico: Campaign to Canonize Carlos Abascal
Mexablog [es] thought that the news about the campaign to canonize Carlos Abascal, who passed away earlier this month, was part of the Innocent's Day festivities, which is famous for trying to fool people in believing false news. However, he was shocked to find out that the effort to make...
Venezuela: Casting Doubt on the Cause of Bolivar's Death
Símon Bolívar is a national hero and liberator for many South American countries. In Venezuela, he is especially considered to play an important role in the past and present. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez began to cast doubts on the true cause of Bolívar's death, which has been to believed to be caused tuberculosis. Now Chávez claims that it was an act of poisoning and has ordered an investigation into the matter, which some Venezuelans are supporting and others say is a waste of resources and time.
Nicaragua: Voice of a Sandinista Video Blog
Carlos Corea launches a video blog called La Voz de un Sandinista (The Voice of a Sandinista) [es], which can be found on YouTube. He films the series from his home in France.
Paraguay: Literacy Programs To Arrive
After Paraguay president Fernando Lugo attended a celebration in Bolivia, in which it was declared that the country was free of illiteracy, he stated that the Venezuelan and Cuban teachers would soon arrive in Paraguay to do the same. Edgar Ruiz Diaz of Las Preguntas de Venerando [es] believes that...
Paraguay: The President's Name and Nepotism
Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es] wonders which is Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo's true viewpoint regarding nepotism and relatives receiving help to find employment.
Guatemala: Violence Continues 12 Years After Peace Accords
Today marks the 12th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords that put an end to 36 years of Civil War in Guatemala. In spite of the agreement and an international commission to oversee the process, violence and lawlessness continue to be a part of daily life in the country.
Ecuador: Public Spending by Correa Administration
Juan Montalvo of Ecuador Sin Censura [es] criticizes the public spending of the Rafael Correa government and cites financial figures comparing previous administrations.
Americas: A Look Back at 2008
In 2008, the Latin American team from Global Voices helped add context and helped highlight voices of bloggers that wrote about the numerous news stories that took place across the region. From the election of an ex-bishop in Paraguay to the march against the FARC in Colombia, bloggers provided their thoughts on natural disasters, protests, strikes, and important events across the Americas.
Mexico: Beauty Queen Busted for Arms
Former Mexican beauty queen Laura Elena Zúñiga Huizar was recently busted for arms, ammunition and cash writes Jessica Uribe of Vivir México [es].
Guatemala: Nativity Scenes Around the Holidays
Alfa of Guate 360 [es] writes about the evolution of the Nativity Scene in Guatemala, and how it has become much more colorful and full of scents due to the use of pine leaves as its base.
Guatemala: Mincemeat Pie
Christmas in Guatemala often means celebrating with food. Luis Figueroa of Carpe Diem [es] is especially fond of the dessert “Mincemeat pie.“
Venezuela: Telling the Country's History Through Film
A group of young Venezuelan filmmakers have succeeded in illustrating some of the country's history or adapting famous pieces of literature through films that have been well-received by the general public. Many Venezuelan movies in the past are considered extremely violent, and the emergence of these new kinds of films are showing new expressions of creativity.
Chile: Regional Library of Aysen
The Regional Library of Aysen recently opened in Coyhaique, Chile, which will also house a computer lab. Máximo Moreno Grez describes the newest facilities complete with photos [es].
Argentina: Top 10 Taxi Driver Recommended Restaurants of 2008
Layne Mosler has been documenting her taxi rides in Buenos Aires, where she asks the driver to take her to their favorite restaurants. She lists her Top 10 favorite recommendations from 2008.
Mexico: The Christmas Bonus
In Mexico, the end of the calendar year means a Christmas bonus called “aguinaldo” . Vivir México [es] writes that due to the economic crisis, this tradition is in danger of not being paid.
El Salvador: The Military
Luis writes on the history and role of the military in El Salvador in this blog post published at Dunlaps in San Salvador [es].
