Stories about Chile from July, 2011
Chile: Starbucks Employees on Hunger Strike
In Chile, a cup of coffee at Starbucks costs more than the baristas’ wages for one hour of work. This is what the 3 union leaders [es] on hunger strike in Chile state through a handwritten sign in this video [es]. They demand Starbucks to comply with only 4 out...
Chile: Mapuche Influence in Purén
In Don't Call Me Gringa Emily blogs about Purén, a town in the Araucanía Region, in an area “home to the country’s main indigenous population, the Mapuche”. Emily writes about the Mapuche history and influence in this town, illustrating her post with pictures of her trip.
Chile: Salvador Allende's Death Ruled a Suicide
As Greg Weeks reports in his blog Two Weeks Notice “Salvador Allende's death has officially been ruled a suicide. I think it is fair to say that very few people believed otherwise. Nonetheless, there is evidence that the military (under the orders of Augusto Pinochet) would have murdered him if...
Chile: Students Take Over Schools Demanding Education Reform
Students have taken over hundreds of schools throughout Chile, turning their classrooms into temporary homes while they demand free and higher quality education. They are sharing their movement online through video and blogs, giving us a glimpse of what it is like to be on the inside of a student-controlled school.
Twitter and Latin American Presidents: Does It Make Them Closer to Us?
Twitter use among the presidents of Latin America is gaining momentum. Whether used as a form of press release, to communicate with citizens or to cheer for a soccer team, Twitter has established itself as a new tool for heads of state to interact in both their public and private lives.
Chile: Teen Warns About Earthquakes via Twitter (@AlarmaSismos)
TNW Latin America features the work of 14-year-old Sebastian Alegria (@sebasak), a Chilean teen sending earthquake warnings on Twitter through @AlarmaSismos: “The way it works is ingenious: Sebastian bought a domestic earthquake detector for only $75. He then replaced the internal circuit with an Arduino board which interprets the signal....
Chile: 40 Years of Nationalized Copper
As Setty writes in his blog, July 11 marked “the 40th anniversary of Chile’s nationalization of the copper industry.” Codelco, (Chile's state-owned copper mining company) workers went on strike that day “to protest the ‘undercover privatization’ of the company”, Setty explains.
Argentine Songwriter Facundo Cabral Murdered in Guatemala
On Saturday July 9 the renowned songwriter Facundo Cabral, whose career was characterised by songs that acted as a vehicle for his messages, was murdered in Guatemala. Moved by his death, many expressed their condolences, memories and emotions on social networks.
Chile: Former Presidential Candidate Accused of ‘Enslaving’ Employees
Chilean television network Canal 13 has aired a documentary in its program 'Contacto' in which they denounce the bad conditions in which Paraguayan immigrants work in former presidential candidate Francisco Javier Errazuriz's companies - even calling them "slavery". The serious accusation has caused a stir on Twitter.
Latin America: Blogging About the ‘2011 Copa América’
Blogger ‘Marsares’ is covering the 2011 Copa América for equinoXio [es], providing analysis about each football game. Argentina (the host), Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela are participating in this edition of the South American football tournament.
Chile: President Piñera's Approval Ratings Drop
Robert L. Funk reports that June poll results show “President Piñera's approval ratings, at 35%, have dropped by 12%.” Robert comments on the President's July 5 speech where he announced his plan for education reform, an issue that has sparked massive protests.
Chile: Massive Protest for Educational Reform
Eileen Smith shares photos of the massive protest for educational reform that took place on June 30 in Santiago. She writes: “Today’s [protest] was lighthearted, tremendously entertaining, at times tender (see, boys with the lemon juice), and just powerful.”
