Stories about Colombia from November, 2007
Brazil: Blogger is awarded prize for investigation
Eduardo Machado, one of the editors of PEbodycount [pt], received an Investigative Journalism award for his special report ‘Colombia Plan: A Manual Against Violence’, the first account in the country of the very successful experiment in combating violence in Bogota. His piece was published in a Brazilian broadsheet.
Colombia: The Future Freedom Plaza in Medellín
President Uribe was recently in Medellín to mark the beginning of construction of the future Freedom Plaza. PISO TR3S [es] does not understand the point of the old-fashioned traditions of officials laying the first stone.
Colombia: Philips to Move Offices from Venezuela
The multinational corporation Philips has decided to move its offices from Venezuela to Colombia writes the blog Liberal Colombiano [es].
Innovative Tools: Live Bicycle Radio
Innovative tools in Colombia and Bangladesh are bringing internet access to communities that would otherwise be disconnected. We take a look at wi-max bicycles in Medellin and mobile phone internet kiosks in Bangladesh.
Colombia: The Breakdown of Negotiations
Adam Isaacson of Plan Colombia and Beyond provides a thorough analysis of the hostage mediation that was called off by Colombian president Álvaro Uribe.
HiperBarrio: Changing Perceptions with Creativity
Rising Voices grantee, the HiperBarrio project, is a great example of how underrepresented communities are increasingly able to tell their stories to the world from distant and remote places. Their success lies in the use of new media tools like blogs, videoblogs, and photoblogs to enable communities to to portray their thoughts and creativity.
Colombia: Pictures of Senator with FARC Leaders
Colombian bloggers react to pictures posted by a press agency featuring a beret-wearing Senator Piedad Cordoba smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers while embracing FARC leaders during a recent meeting in Venezuela where the humanitarian exchange was to be discussed. Some wonder whether this sends an inappropriate message, while others try to see the photo with optimism.
Colombia: Large Hail Storm Rocks Bogotá
The Colombia Herald writes about the biggest hail storm in the history of Bogotá, which caused mass cancellations and injuries from the large hail.
Colombia: Local Elections and Uribe's Influence
Colombia recently held local elections, which were marked by campaign violence. They were also characterized by the influence by current president Álvaro Uribe, who still enjoys considerable popularity around the country. However, Colombian bloggers select their winners and losers beyond the vote counts.