· February, 2013

Stories about Latin America from February, 2013

Christian Protests Target Puerto Rico's Rising LGBTQ Rights

  28 February 2013

In the past few weeks various key events have occurred with respect to LGBTQ rights, the most prominent of which may be a demonstration organized by conservative Christian groups called "Puerto Rico Rises Up" to protest against proposed amendments that would extend legal protection to same sex couples in cases of domestic violence.

Latin America Turns to iPhone App to Take Hammerhead Sharks Off the Chopping Block

  28 February 2013

Countries across Latin America are on a mission to get hammerheads onto the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) list for protection. They’re armed with a new iPhone app that promises to make fin identification quick and easy. Listing the sharks would help fund financially strapped programs in Latin America and restrict global trade.

Online Course in Spanish on Election Coverage

  28 February 2013

The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas is offering a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in Spanish on “How to Improve Electoral Coverage.” The course will be taught by Colombian journalist María Teresa Ronderos from March 8 to April 19, 2013. Ronderos says the course is for journalists and...

Squatters Call Venezuela's Highrises Home

  28 February 2013

In Margarita Island, there’s Corocoro, an unfinished apartment block which was under the control of FOGADE (the State’s entity in charge of taking over assets from failed banks) until June 2009 when it was invaded. Right now, there are a thousand people living there. In Caracas Chronicles, Gustavo Hernandez Acevedo...

Colombia: “Let's Revoke Congress”

  27 February 2013

Colombian netizens are using the the hashtag #revoquemoselCongreso [Let's Revoke Congress] to expose the reasons why the country's members of Congress should leave their jobs.

Why Are Tourists Not Wanted at French Carnival?

  27 February 2013

A video featuring a group of masked Carnival revelers in Dunkirk, France chanting "we don't like tourists" has some web users ruing the flood of visitors who come year after year unprepared for the festival's madness.

Costa Rica: Time of the Vanquished

  27 February 2013

In the post titled “Time of the vanquished” [es], the blog Furia raises profound reflections about what happens when quietness comes. It concludes its reflections by saying: “in order to conquer the silence of the serenity, the vanquished ones invent new ghosts that whisper in their ears. To win, to...

Brazil: Cable Car Goes Up, Houses Come Down for World Cup

  27 February 2013

The construction of a cable car for tourists in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in the Morro da Providência favela in Rio de Janeiro is kicking residents out. Demolished houses are being traded for a stipend of 400 reais (200 US dollars), and many families have been unable find a place to live.

VIDEO: In Bolivia, Indigenous Women Draw Society's Short Straw

  26 February 2013

Marisol, an indigenous Bolivian woman, says that in her country "being an indigenous woman is the worst thing that can happen to you." Her testimony is part of a news report by Mario Munera which explores the lives of Bolivian women in the contexts of education, politics and sexist violence. The report "Women in Bolivia" was published in Periodismo Humano.

Is Mexico Really “Back in the Game”?

  26 February 2013

In his latest column, renowned New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman argues that Mexico “will become the more dominant economic power in the 21st century.” Twitter immediately reacted to his piece, and journalist David Agren aggregated some of these positive and negative reactions posted on the microblogging site.

Uruguay Has South America's Fastest Net

  26 February 2013

Not that long ago, I'd never thought I could report this, but here we are. According to Netindex, Uruguay is the country with the fastest average speed in Latin America, with 9,53Mbps, and that places us 57 at a global level, over Chile (58), Mexico (71) and Brazil (75). The...

Get it Right: “It's Colombia, NOT Columbia”

  25 February 2013

In an attempt to fix a common spelling error and improve the image of their country, four young Colombian professionals launched the social media campaign "It's Colombia, NOT Columbia." Despite its quick success, the campaign has not been free from criticism.

Panama: TV Nostalgia

  24 February 2013

With a nostalgic touch, the blog El Panameño reviews [es] some 70s and 80s TV series, and challenges readers to see if they can match the titles with the posters included in the post.

Cuban Yoani Sánchez's Arrival in Brazil Makes Noise

  24 February 2013

Acclaimed Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez left Cuba this past Sunday for the first time since 2004. Sánchez will visit and speak at universities, NGOs and government forums in Europe, Latin America and the United States. While many voices around the world have expressed joy and excitement about Sánchez’s tour, responses have not all been positive.

Bolivia's President to Seek a Second (or Third?) Term

  22 February 2013

After Bolivia's ruling party announced that President Evo Morales will seek re-election in the next president contest scheduled for December 2014, debate ensued over whether his current term counts as his first or second, and whether the country's four-year-old constitution would allow him to run again.

Ecuador's Political Future After Correa's Reelection

  22 February 2013

On February 17 Rafael Correa was re-elected as the president of Ecuador. According to the quick count, the ruling party also obtained at least 96 of the 137 seats in the new National Assembly. Bloggers were quick to analyze the political future of Ecuador under a new Correa mandate and a new political force in the role of the opposition.

A Timeline of Colombian Peace Talks

  22 February 2013

Adam Isacson has been updating a timeline on the peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). The timeline includes relevant links with more information on each event.

Yoani Sánchez Divides Opinions on a Visit to Brazil

  22 February 2013

Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez was received in Brazil by pro-Cuban government protesters, who accuse her of receiving money from the United States' government and of being a CIA agent. The ones that support the dissident's actions accuse the Brazilian government of collaborating with the Cuban government's repression.

About our Latin America coverage

Gabriela Mesones Rojo
Gabriela Mesones Rojo is the Latin America Spanish-language editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Fernanda Canofre
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.