Global Voices » Latin America

Cuba: Prisoner of 18 Years Released

Janine Mendes-Franco — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:55:57 +0000

“After almost 18 years as a captive in the Castro gulag, Rafael Ibarra Roque on Thursday was released from jail“: Uncommon Sense says that “his release represents a victory for Ibarra, his family and the Cuban opposition.”

Puerto Rico: Life One Photo a Day

Firuzeh Shokooh Valle — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:47:27 +0000

The artist and producer Jose Marti (@Jose_Marti) has shot one picture a day for the past two years as part of his online project “Fotos de Hoy” (Photos of Today).

He explains:

Dentro de los temas que publico en su mayoría son fotos casuales donde la foto me encuentra a mí en vez de yo buscarla y bien pueden ser fotos de la ciudad, de mi casa o donde quiera que me encuentre por que en realidad lo importante es expresar algo sobre el momento, donde estoy, que estoy haciendo, etc. Ese es el elemento que me ha llevado ha constantemente publicar en Fotos de Hoy, el poder visualmente resumir semanas y diversas experiencias en un compilado accesible por internet.

They are mostly casual photos, where the photograph finds me instead of me looking for the photograph, and they may well be pictures of the city, my home or wherever it finds me because what is really important is to express something about the moment, where I am, what I'm doing, etc.. That is the element that has led me to constantly publish in “Photos of Today,” to be able to visually summarize weeks and diverse experiences that are accessible online.

I have selected some of his pictures of Old San Juan, the colonial city of the capital of San Juan, Puerto Rico (all photos are republished with his permission). You can follow his visual life daily at Fotos de Hoy.

City with a View.

San José Church.

The window.

Beach El Escambrón.

Fort El Morro.

Bar El Batey.

Luna Street.

Brazil: “We Are All Pinheirinho” Spreads Around the World

Raphael Tsavkko Garcia — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:22:52 +0000

[All the links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.]

Brazilians all over the world, as well as citizens from different countries, have mobilized online and organized protests in various cities like Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Buenos Aires, among others, in support of the community of Pinheirinho. The settlement was recently evicted with extreme violence by the Military Police of São Paulo and the Civil Guard in the city of Sao Jose dos Campos, in what became known as the “Massacre of Pinheirinho.”

Teacher Lúcio Flávio de Almeida comments:

Os lutadores e lutadoras do Pinheirinho foram desalojados e vivem uma situação muito difícil, extremamente difícil. No entanto, sua luta, que é nossa luta, continua. Sob certos aspectos, cresce e deve crescer ainda mais.

The fighters of Pinheirinho were displaced and are facing a very difficult situation, extremely difficult. However, their struggle, which is our struggle, continues. In some ways, grows and should grow even more.

The citizens were organized under the motto “We are all Pinheirinho” on Facebook, in blogs and on the streets. The movement, in a letter released by the blog Vi o Mundo, explains:

Pessoas em várias cidades do mundo estão agindo em rede para mostrar sua indignação pelos acontencimentos no Brasil. São brasileiros e pessoas de várias nacionalidades buscando pressionar para que a situação das famílias em Pinheirinho não caia no esquecimento facilmente.

People in many cities around the world are acting as a network to show their indignation by the events in Brazil. They are Brazilians and people of various nationalities seeking to push for the situation of families in Pinheirinho not to be forgotten easily.

Activist Erick Cristiano produced a video with pictures of various events around the world and posted it on YouTube:

“Eu sou do país dos Pinheirinhenses” (I am of the country of the Pinheirinese) is the motto of a group of activists who put out the Tumblr “What is your country?”, which now has dozens of videos of people declaring their solidarity with the people expelled from Pinheirinho like the following uploaded by user engenhoso:

On January 27, a group of Brazilians protested in front of the Brazilian Embassy in Madrid, capital of Spain, with a great banner and a flag of Brazil.

"Solidarity with Pinheirinho. Brazilians in Madrid". Protest in Madrid. Photo by Fábio TQrz, used with permission

The group also released a letter of complaint, in Portuguese and Spanish, questioning the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, and Minister of the Special Secretariat of Human Rights, Maria do Rosário, requesting action regarding the homeless of Pinheirinho.

Protesters talk to the secretary of the embassy after the ambassador refused to receive them. Photo by Fábio TQrz, used with permission

With banners and flags, Brazilians who live in Lisbon, Portugal, protested in front of the Brazilian Consulate in the country on February 2, and walked through the center of Lisbon, but not before delivering a manifesto to the consul, who declared that the government had already announced its position in relation to what happened in Pinheirinho.

Protest in Lisbon. Photo by Soraya Barret, used with permission

On January 31, with temperatures below minus 10 degrees celsius, Brazilians protested in Berlin with a giant banner that read “Wir Sind alle Pinheirinho” and another calling for an end of social hygiene policy in Sao Paulo. The group released [de] a manifesto on the Internet in German. It was also released a video of the demonstration in Berlin.

"We are all Pinheirinho". Photo by Christian Russau, used with permission

"São Paulo: Stop the politics of sanitation". Photo by Christian Russau, used with permission

About 50 Brazilians demonstrated in Paris, capital of France, with several banners in French and Portuguese, on February 4, also in front of the Brazilian Embassy in the country. The French police, however, did not allow the act to last long, driving the protesters of the place, claiming it would be forbidden to take pictures near the embassy. A small group stood in a square nearby.

Protest in Paris. Photo by Dudas Bastos, used with permission

A Facebook group was created where one can read in French, a manifesto in solidarity with Pinheirinho. Daniel Ybarra, on Facebook, announced that the letter sent by the group to the Brazilian Embassy would be sent to the Brazilian government.

Protest in Paris. Photo by Maite Weill, used with permission

Another protest was also held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where at least 30 people engaged in the march from the “Obelisco”, singing all the way.

Protest in Buenos Aires. Photo by Victoria Vajda, used with permission

In Santiago, Chile, at least 20 people concentrated in the Plaza de Los Heroes, where the embassy of Brazil is located. The protest also gathered some Chileans.

In Natal, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, a demonstration took place on January 31 and in Curitiba, a banner of protest was exposed during a football game of the Paranaense Championship.

Photo by Rodrigo Tomazini, used with permission

Filmmaker Pedro Rios Leão ended his hunger strike after 11 days. The activist Alysson Bordi joined him but had to suspend the strike after being referred for medical care in a health clinic on February 7. The activist, however, wrote a manifesto in which he gives the reasons for the end of the strike and asks for support for the cause.

On Sunday the municipal guard of the city of Rio de Janeiro tried to remove the strikers and other activists who were with Pedro:

Pessoal, ontem a guarda municipal gentilmente atendeu a pedidos e chegou para nos remover. Depois de puxar cacetete, ameaçar muito nos agredir, resolveram só nos deixar ao relento. […] Na confusão perdi meu celular e algumas outras coisas. O acampamento ficou desbaratado e os ânimos devastados. No sol, e no pior ponto da greve, eu comecei a passar muito mal.

Guys, yesterday the municipal guard kindly responded to requests to come in and remove us. After pulling clubs and threatening to beat us, they decided to just leave us in the open. In the confusion I lost my phone and some other things. The camp was in disarray and devastated souls. In the sun, and the worst point of the strike, I started to feel ill.

Firefighters and military police officers on the eve of going on strike in the city supported the hunger strike of Pedro, that completed 11 days on Wednesday, February 8, when it came to an end:

11 dias sem sentir gosto nenhum, 12 quilos a menos no meu corpo. Espero que sirva para alguma coisa. Não peço desculpas pelo transtorno. Isso foi só uma tentativa.

11 days now without feeling any taste, 12 kilos less on my body. I hope that works for something. I do not apologize for the inconvenience. That was just an attempt.

Activists support the hunger strike of Pedro Leão. Photo by Pedro Leão, free use.

On February 2, a great act took more than 5,000 people to the streets of São José dos Campos to protest and show solidarity with the residents of Pinheirinho.

Meanwhile, fundraising campaigns are oganized and it is immense the pressure on politicians to take a stand in relation to the disproportionate violence and on the help the evicted families need.

Brazil: Is the Weather Wacky?

Melissa Mann — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:06:46 +0000

[All links lead to Portuguese language pages except when otherwise noted.]

Talking about the weather may be mere elevator chit-chat but, come rain or shine, there is no honest conversation that does not make some reference to the weather. With the recent droughts in the southern region, floods in the southeast region and atypical weather in the Northeast, terms like El Nino, La Nina and convergence zone have made their way into our everyday vocabulary and become the topic of many conversations.

Obviously the online community could not remain silent on the issue. Especially not in the face of Brazil's readying for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20.

But what do Internet users actually think about these recurring ecological disasters and atypical climate changes? Is the conversation a mere reflection of the fact that we now have access to weather occurrences throughout the world and are aware of disasters occurring at micro- and macro-regional levels, or are we indeed in the midst of a worldwide climate change with disastrous consequences?

Storm approaching in Marau, Rio Grande do Sul, 2009. Photo by Mateus Waechter on Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

As reported in an article [en] published on Global Voices in 2009 concerning the effects of heavy rains in Salvador that were mitigated on account of information circulated among the online community, while some claimed that the heavier rains were due to climate changes, João Miguel Lima left a comment claiming that:

Para os climatólogos, ainda não quer dizer que o volume de chuvas seja mudança climática. Seria necessário um intervalo de tempo maior para se perceber um padrão novo para afirmar isso; até agora é uma instabilidade do clima.

For climatologists, the volume of rain does not mean [we face a] climate change. A longer period of time is needed to observe a new pattern and confirm such a claim; right now, [we can say] it is weather instability.

Now that three years have passed, has it been long enough for us to draw more solid conclusions? Some Internet users believe so.

“Is the weather in your city wacky?“

The question was posed on a Yahoo! Answers forum by a user who triggered an online version of the ever prosaic elevator conversation:

Eu moro em Guarulhos-SP [São Paulo] e o tempo aqui cada vez está mais estranho, uma hora faz calor, outra o tempo fica nublado e friento, e outra chove e depois para de chover e faz bastante calor e depois frio. Tá uma doideira o tempo em Guarulhos, e na sua cidade?

I live in Guarulhos, São Paulo, and the weather is getting stranger and stranger here. One minute it's hot, the next it's cloudy and cold, the next minute it rains, and then it stops raining and gets really hot and then cold again. The weather in Guarulhos is wacky. What about where you live?

The same question has reverberated in many online discussions; and there are few answers to the many questions raised. According to some specialists, climate change is real. A study published by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE according to its Brazilian acronym) in June 2010, for example, points out that floods are occurring with more frequency in the city of São Paulo.

As mudanças no clima (…) indicam aumento de dias com chuvas intensas e mais freqüentes e as projeções de crescimento da população na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo, que deverá dobrar de tamanho nos próximos 20 anos, especialmente nas periferias.

Climate changes… indicate an increase in the number of heavy-rain days and more frequent rains and growth projections for the population of the Greater São Paulo Metropolitan Region, which is expected to double in the next 20 years, especially in the city's outskirts.

Climate changes, combined with urban growth and rural development lacking adequate planning to ensure protection, lead to even greater social and economic consequences in both cities and suburbs.

The site Climate Changes is entirely dedicated to encouraging understanding and information-sharing regarding this phenomenon. In an article published on the site in 2009, the head of the Climate Change and Energy Program for the WWF-Brazil, Carlos Ritti, states that “climate change is the greatest environmental and development challenge of the 21st century.”

Uma série de eventos climáticos muito intensos ocorridos nesta última década já indicava que o clima do planeta está passando por uma transformação significativa.

A series of very intense climatic occurrences in the last decade have already shown that the planet's climate is undergoing notable change.

Nonetheless, between clouds and torrential rains, many people end up not knowing the difference between climate and weather, and they end up not understanding the true dimensions of this phenomenon. According to Gabriel Cabral, in an article written for the site Education World:

O tempo refere-se ao estado momentâneo que ocorre em um determinado local a partir do ar atmosférico que pode ocorrer de maneira lenta ou rápida. Em diferença, o clima refere-se ao conjunto de condições atmosféricas que ocorrem em determinados locais de forma marcante.

Weather refers to the momentary state of atmospheric air in a given locale that occurs either slowly or suddenly. In contrast, climate refers to the set of atmospheric conditions that occur in certain locations in a more remarkable manner.

Rio+20 for change?

Rio+20, the United National Conference on Sustainable Development, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, 20 years after the city also hosted the Earth Summit [en], where the concept of sustainable development was first endorsed, has already included climate change and the worldwide effects of climate change in its agenda. The UN itself already has a Convention on Climate Change [en], most recently held in Durban in November and December 2011.

According to the organization, “the Convention on Climate Change sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. It recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial and other emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.”

Smog in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro. Photo by Pierre-Yves Dansereau on Flickr. (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Despite the objectives of Rio+20 including:

um comprometimento político renovado com o desenvolvimento sustentável, avaliar o progresso feito até o momento e as lacunas que ainda existem na implementação dos resultados dos principais encontros sobre desenvolvimento sustentável, além de abordar os novos desafios emergentes,

[a] renewed political commitment to sustainable development, identify[ing] the progress that has been made to-date and the existing gaps in the implementation of the sustainability declarations, [in addition to] address[ing] new emerging challenges,

some specialists have noted that the conference does not have a clear and specific agenda. Marina Silva, the former presidential candidate, stated in an interview granted to the newspaper Folha de São Paulo and published on the site The Echo that the draft published by the organization, containing the zero draft of the Rio+20 outcome document:

é insuficiente. Genérico, não faz uma crítica ao modelo de desenvolvimento atual e dos padrões de produção e consumo. (…) Tudo parece apontar para aquele conhecido roteiro: decepção e paralisia dos governos, enquanto a crise socioambiental só se agrava -foi assim na COP 15, 16, 17…

is deficient. It is generic, does not at all criticize the current development model or the current patterns of production and consumption…. Everything seems to point to the same old script: deception and government paralysis while the socioenvironmental crises only worsens; this was the case with the COP 15, 16, 17…

One need not be a specialist to realize that something is changing and that the repercussions go beyond the confines of the elevator. This is no longer an isolated fact affecting merely one city, but rather a combination of various elements that bring to light the impact of these climate changes. Instead of questions, however, we need to focus on the answers.

Cuba: Collapsing Capital?

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:28:01 +0000

“For Rogelio, 49, the need for housing is stronger than his fear of losing his life due to a collapse”: Iván's File Cabinet discusses the conundrum many inhabitants of Havana face.

Puerto Rico: Extraordinary Decisions

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:17:29 +0000

“What do you say when you meet someone you think is extraordinary? You should say ‘Hi!' and then start a conversation,” says Gil the Jenius, who profiles the extraordinary Andrea Pérez, a speaker at the recently held TEDx San Juan.

Cuba: Pollan's Family Owed Apology

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:11:59 +0000

Iván García writes about the late leader of Las Damas de Blanco, Laura Pollan, recounting a violent assault on the group days before her death and saying: “If they have anything left of humanism and dignity, her assaulters owe a public apology to the family of Laura Pollan Toledo.” Pedazos de la Isla, meanwhile, notes here and here that the violence and intimidation continue.

El Salvador: The Family Agriculture Plan

Silvia Viñas — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:29:03 +0000

Colleen O'Brien from the blog Locavore del Mundo writes about The Family Agriculture Plan (PAF) in El Salvador, “a new act that was implemented in 2011 by the Ministry of Agriculture that aims to reduce rural poverty and increase agricultural production in order to revitalize the economy in the countryside.”

Mexico, USA: Journalist and Author Sam Quinones Starts Blogging

Silvia Viñas — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:18:42 +0000

Author and journalist Sam Quinones has started a blog about “Los Angeles, Mexico, migrants, culture, drugs, neighborhoods, border, and good storytelling.” You can also follow him on Twitter: @samquinones7.

Argentina: Musician Luis Alberto Spinetta Dies

Betsy Galbreath — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:48:15 +0000

Luis Alberto Spinetta, “El Flaco“, one of the most influential rock musicians in Argentina, died on February 8, 2012, as a result of illness; Spinetta had lung cancer, diagnosed in July, 2011. His condition became public when, towards the end of the year, he addressed his fans with an emotional letter [es] that began like this:

Buenos Aires. Diciembre 23, 2011. Mi nombre es Luis Alberto Spinetta. Tengo 61 años y soy músico. Desde el mes de julio sé que tengo cáncer de pulmón. Estoy muy cuidado por una familia amorosa, por los amigos del alma, y por los mejores médicos que tenemos en el país. Ante el aluvión de información inexacta, quiero aclarar públicamente las condiciones de mi estado de salud. Me encuentro muy bien, en pleno tratamiento hacia una curación definitiva. […]

Buenos Aires. December 23, 2011. My name is Luis Alberto Spinetta. I am 61 years old and I am a musician. I have known since July that I have lung cancer. I am very well cared for by a loving family, by my closest friends, and by the best doctors in our country. Given the barrage of inaccurate information, I want to publicly clarify the state of my health. I feel very well, in full-on treatment towards a definitive cure. […]

Luis Alberto Spinetta, by Facundo M. Nívolo. Image licensed by Creative Commons license Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In January, Spinetta was admitted to the Cemic Institute to undergo surgery for intestinal perforation due to diverticulitis, a diagnosis unrelated to his cancer. On January 30, after 25 days in hospital, he was discharged and was able to go home.

On February 8, just over a week later, “El Flaco” died at home, surrounded by his children: Dante, Catarina, Valentino and Vera, according to [es] the Argentine newspaper Telám. And it was his children themselves who started a wave [es] of messages full of melancholy, sadness and pain, expressed on the social network Twitter. [translator's note: all Twitter links are in Spanish]

Dante (@dantespinetta), in a brief but very profound tweet said [es]:

Te amo por siempre Papá.

I love you forever, Dad.

While Valentino (@Leeva_) posted [es] on his account:

T amo papá, siempre vas a estar en mi alma y mi corazón.

I love you Dad, you will always be in my soul and my heart.

Quoting a line from her father, Catarina (@Cataspinetta) also tweeted [es]:

‘No habrá un destino incierto, ni habrá distancia que pueda alejarme de ti…' Amor eterno a mi Padre♥

‘There will be no uncertain fate, nor any distance that will take me away from you…' Eternal love to my father ♥

Reactions on social networks

The hashtag #chauflaco [goodbye Flaco] quickly became a trending topic, gathering the tweets of those users wanting to express their emotions with the news of the death of a musician with one of the longest careers in Argentine rock:

User Paula Castro (@_paucastro) reflected:

La tristeza de decir #chauflaco .. Gracias x tanta poesia!

The sadness of saying #chauflaco… thank you for so much poetry!

Technology writer Federico Wiemeyer (@wiemeyer) recalled a verse by Spinetta:

“Si no canto lo que siento me voy a morir por dentro” #ChauFlaco

“If I don't sing what I feel I'm going to die inside” #ChauFlaco

Pablo Ferreyra (@PabloRFerreyra) mourned:

Murió el mejor músico argentino. El que más voy a extrañar. Barro tal vez, flaco. #ChauFlaco

The best Argentine musician has died. The one I will miss most. Barro tal vez, flaco [line from a Spinetta song meaning “Mud, perhaps, Flaco.”]. #ChauFlaco

User Bruno Vaccotti (@peztresojos) quoted Spinetta to explain popular sentiment:

“La gente está incluida en el alma. Yo soy toda la gente” #elflaco dixit. Por eso hoy, todos morimos un poco. #chauflaco

“People are part of your soul. I am all people.” So said #elflaco. So today, we all have died a little. #chauflaco

Paula Zuviría (@pau_apichela) related an anecdote:

Mama entra llorando a mi cuarto y me dice: Porque no me contaste que murió Spinetta ? #chauflaco

Mom comes crying to my room and says: Why didn't you tell me Spinetta died? # chauflaco

User Cecilia Ann Tosh (@_CeciliaAnn) reflected:

Por qué se puede estar acongojado por la muerte de alguien que no conociste? Porque su obra enriqueció tu ser. #ChauFlaco

How can you be so distressed by the death of someone you didn't know? Because his work enriched your soul. #ChauFlaco

Messages from Twitter netizens are flowing [es] in at a rate that probably won't slow down in the coming days or weeks, which is understandable since Luis Alberto Spinetta is considered by many the greatest exponent of music in Argentina. And while such a statement is completely subjective, it is undeniable that his work has greatly influenced the work of many musicians, and his legacy will always be part of the heart of Argentina and Latin American culture.

“And this is always true, whether you are staying or you are going.”

Panama: Government and Indigenous Peoples Reach Agreement After Clashes Over Mining

Eleanor Staniforth — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:31:14 +0000

Panama went to bed on Saturday February 4, 2012, with the uncertainty as to what would happen on the Panamericana road, where for the fifth day indigenous peoples were spending the night in the middle of the highway and preventing the circulation of vehicles. The latest news stated that mobile phone networks had been shut down in the area of the conflict, leaving protesters and detainees cut off.

La Prensa [es] reported:

Luego de múltiples quejas de los usuarios que han intentado comunicarse con personas en la zona del oriente chiricano en donde está cerrada la vía Interamericana las telefónicas comunicaron que el servicio está suspendido por orden de las autoridades competentes.

Following multiple complaints from users trying to contact people in the western Chiriquí region where the Interamericana road is closed, the telephone companies reported that the service had been suspended by order of the relevant authorities.

Previous experience and the apparent inability of the government to negotiate prompted fears of an inevitable confrontation. On Sunday, the Twitter account of the National Police of Panama (@protegeryservir) [es] reported that it had successfully obtained the release of the “kidnapped” and therefore the re-opening of the Panamericana road.

COMUNICADO N.1: Informamos a la ciudadanía que en 1hora30minutos se logró rescate de todos los secuestrados en Vía Panamericana…

Communiqué no.1: We inform all citizens that in 1 hour and 30 minutes we managed to rescue all those kidnapped on the Panamericana road…

The lack of communication by mobile phone meant that news of the events spread slowly and somewhat strangely. Many rumours surrounding the time and the means taken to open the road spread on social networks. Later on the police confirmed on their Twitter [es] account that a man had died in circumstances which remain unclear:

COMUNICADO N.2: Se confirma el fallecimiento de ciudadano identificado preliminarmente como Jerónimo Montezuma, se investigan las causas…

Communiqué no.2: We confirm the death of a citizen, tentatively identified as Jerónimo Montezuma. The causes of death are being investigated…

The opening of the road by force did not bring an end to the problem, but instead unleashed chaos not only on the Panamericana but also in other areas of the country where different groups and unions grouped together to show support for the indigenous people. The violence with which events unfolded was criticised and social networks were filled with photos and videos showing images of the police intervention.

YouTube user hjuonnieful uploaded the following video showing police repression in a hospital on February 5:

On Monday, February 6, streets were closed at various points around the country. The indigenous people also became violent and burnt [es] at least two police stations. Soon a propaganda war began in which the police denied what was being shown in the media and the security minister Raúl Molino criticised the lies which were being told.

The Panamanian blogger “Puppetmaster” complains about this in his blog Oye-pty [es]:

¿Cuál es el afán de la Polícia Nacional, nuestra principal institución de “seguridad”, de desmentir los enfrentamientos entre indígenas y unidades ARMADAS mediante su cuenta de Twitter @ProtegeryServir cuando en realidad si están ocurriendo? Gracias a Dios la histeria “inncecesaria” que quieren hacer ver que la población crea queda evidenciada en imágenes captadas por los reporteros gráficos, en este caso el excelente trabajo de Eliezer Oses del diario La Estrella en las que se puede ver a un uniformado haciendo uso de su arma de reglamento, aún cuando la Policía lo niega.

Why are the National Police, our principal “security” institution, in such a hurry to deny the confrontations between indigenous people and ARMED units via their Twitter account @ProtegerServir when in reality these confrontations are happening? Thank God the proof of the “unnecessary” hysteria which they are trying to claim the population has created has been recorded by press photographers, in this case the excellent work of Eliezer Oses from the newspaper ‘La Estrella' in which you can see a uniformed policeman making use of his reglementary weapon, even though the Police are denying this has happened.

In the same way, Joao Q. in his blog Mediocerrado [es] criticises the way in which the security minister has communicated events, and in passing, makes reference to a scandal over the purchase of “overpriced” speed cameras:

Un hombre muere en las protestas. Testigos dicen que de un tiro. Otros tienen evidencias de casquillos de 9mm. Las enseñan en las pantallas. Frente a cámaras de televisión. Ministro niega todo uso de armas de fuego en protestas. Alega que las 9mm no son armas de reglamento policial. Llama mentirosos a los que han hablado de casquillos de este tipo de armas de guerra. Ministro sostiene cara de sarcasmo burlesco mientras dice todo esto en cadena nacional. Su grotesco peinado –black-and-white-pepelepú-style– lo sostiene un fijador muy caro que compró en Italia con dinero de cuestionables fuentes. Uno puede imaginar cosas entre tanta incertidumbre. Pero hay radares que lo indican.

A man dies in the protests. Witnesses say he was shot. Others have evidence of 9mm bullet shells. They show them on-screen. In front of television cameras. Minister denies all use of fire-arms in protests. He alleges that the 9mm bullets aren't from police weapons. He calls those who have spoken of shells from this type of weapon liars. Minister maintains expression of mocking sarcasm while saying all this on national TV. His grotesque black-and-white skunk-style hairdo is held up by a very expensive hairspray which he bought in Italy with money from questionable sources. One can begin to imagine things amongst such uncertainty. But there are cameras that prove it.

However, there are also those who condemn the behaviour of the indigenous people, as is the case of Luis Felipe Manfredo (@luismanfredo) [es] who suggests that if mining doesn't destroy Panama, the indigenous will:

creo antes ke tal vez lo haga la mineria la destruccion, los mismos indigenas desean destruir a Panama.

I think perhaps that before mining destroys Panama, the indigenous people themselves will do it.

Some have also shown their support for the actions of the National Police. For example Clemente Yoell (@CYoell07) [es] thanks the police for fulfilling their constitutional duty:

@protegeryservir ESTAN HACIENDO LO QUE POR LEY LO DEBEN HACER! Felicidades!

THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY ARE OBLIGED BY LAW TO DO! Congratulations!

On Tuesday, February 7, feelings were still running high although the negotiations which the Panamanians hoped would bring peace had begun.

The indigenous leader Silvia Carrera (@CaciqueGeneral) [es] reported on the beginning of the dialogue with the mediation of the Catholic church on her Twitter account.

Estamos iniciando dialogo con el gobierno en compañía de Monseñor Lacunza y el Padre Adonaí

We are commencing dialogue with the government in the company of Mr. Lacunza and Father Adonaí.

C. Bernal (@cacike1976) [es], who describes himself in his biography as “A ngäbe father, husband, and someone who is proud of where he comes from”, comments in two Tweets (1 [es], 2 [es]) which forgive the president and ministers for the damage done but which state that it must never be forgotten.

Pueblo ngäbe perdona y no le desea mal a RM (Ricardo Martinelli), su equipo d ministros, unidades policias q asesinaron a nuestros hermanos y a los miles q …

The ngäbe people forgive and wish no harm to RM (Ricardo Martinelli), his team of ministers, the police units who assessinated our brothers and the thousands who…

Nos odian,menosprecian x reclamar lo justo y x el solo hecho d ser ngäbes,perdonados, pero QUEDA PROHIBIDO IGNORAR Y OLVIDAR las injusticias.

They hate us and look down on us for reclaiming what is just and just for being ngäbes, we forgive them, but IT IS FORBIDDEN TO IGNORE AND FORGET the injustices done.

By the February 7, a second death was added to the total, a young man of 16 years old, although at the time of writing this post the causes of death are unknown, as La Prensa [es] reports:

Juan José Ibarra, padre de crianza del menor de edad que murió en un incidente confuso en el corregimiento de Las Lomas, provincia de Chiriquí la noche de ayer, pidió este martes, 7 de febrero, que se investigue la muerte de este menor de 16 años.

Juan José Ibarra, father of the child who died in unclear circumstances in the township of Las Lomas, in the province of Chiriquí last night, called this Tuesday, February 7, for the causes of the 16 year old's death to be investigated.

Finally, at 6pm on Tuesday, February 7, the government gave in to the demands [es] of the Ngäbe Buglé, prohibiting the use of the region for the exploitation of minerals or water. The Panamanians now ask themselves if such doubt and death were necessary in order to reach this agreement. Karla Acedo (@karla_acedo) [es] remains hopeful that a lesson has been learnt:

Ven? eso es sentarse a dialogar, ahora tomen nota y apliquenlo siempre

See? That's what sitting down to negotiate is, now take note and apply it always.

Brazil: Comments On A New Wave of Privatization As Airports Are Sold

Raphael Tsavkko Garcia — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:15:13 +0000

Blogger Mauricio Caleiro comments [pt] on a new wave of privatization - “masked” as “concessions” - led by Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff who, during the electoral campaign, said she was against this instrument. So far three of the biggest Brazilian airports were sold to private companies.

Brazil: New Minister Denounces Torture Against Her Daughter

Raphael Tsavkko Garcia — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:07:29 +0000

Blogger and writer Antônio Mello reproduces a denouncement [pt] by the new Minister of the Special Secretariat for Women, Eleonora Menicucci, in which she says that her 1 year old daughter was tortured during the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964-1985) in 1972, in front of her.

Cuba: Bloggers Say Pope Should Postpone Trip

Janine Mendes-Franco — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:03:15 +0000

Cuban bloggers have been making their feelings known about the impending papal visit to Cuba, their main concern being that the Vatican is putting its stamp of approval on the Castro regime despite regular reports of human rights violations coming out of the island.

In light of new reports of state-sanctioned actions against members of Las Damas de Blanco Last weekend, diaspora blogger Uncommon Sense suggested that:

Pope Benedict XVI should postpone his planned visit in late March to Cuba. The visit was part of a quid pro quo between the regime and the church, but continued repression of women trying to go to Mass should not have been part of the deal.

The blogger also posted a link to an e-Petition soliciting signatures from people who agreed with the postponement of the pontiff's visit “until human rights conditions improve in Cuba”.

Pedazos de la Isla echoed this concern, as he reported on “another Sunday of repression”:

Just weeks before Pope Benedict’s visit to Cuba in March, another Sunday on the island- February 5th 2012- was marked by an excessive level of violence on behalf of the dictatorship against the peaceful Resistance, for simply trying to attend church.

In the city of Holguin, 5 Ladies in White were brutally arrested around 9 in the morning as they tried to reach the Jesus Christ Redeemer of Men Church.

The post went on to detail the kind of violence some of the women testified about:

In Guantanamo, 11 Ladies in White were able to make it to church, despite a constant vigilance. Another 20 Ladies in White assisted mass in the Santuary of El Cobre in Santiago de Cuba. 16 women were arrested as they tried to get to that mass, however, according to the Twitter account of Jose Daniel Ferrer Garcia (@jdanielferrer). Among those arrested, according to his Twitter, were Oria Casanova who was “violently arrested, dragged, and beaten by 4 oppressive agents” and Liudmilla Cedeno who was victim of “sexual harassment in the cell where she was being held”. Ferrer Garcia denounced, also through his Twitter, “that is how the henchmen who sustain the Castro brothers are- they beat, sexually assault, and harass defensless women in Cuba”.

The blogger ended by saying:

In Cuba, the Ladies in White and other pro-democracy activists will continue marching, whether Pope Benedict publicly speaks out for them or not.

Speaking out for the Ladies in White is one issue, speaking with them is another. Capitol Hill Cubans reported that:

Last week, the Vatican confirmed meetings with Cuban dictators Raul and Fidel Castro during Pope Benedict XVI's March visit to the island.

Meanwhile, Cuba's courageous Ladies in White have been told to stand idly by as the Pope's agenda is “very heavy” (apparently from meeting with dictators).

How has the Castro regime received this news?

With impunity, of course.

babalu also commented:

Apparently, the Vatican has set aside time during the Pope's visit to Cuba in late March to have the pontiff meet with dictators Fidel and Raul Castro. However, they are not sure if the Pope will have time to meet with the Ladies in White, devout Catholics who are suffering repression, intimidation, beatings, humiliating sexual assaults, and death at the hands of the Castro dictatorship for trying to attend mass every Sunday.

Is it me, or do the Vatican's priorities appear to be backwards?

Iván García, meanwhile, wrote a thoughtful post on “the flirtations of Castro with the Vatican”:

It has been a formidable spin. Pure political juggling. A future strategy.

After a stormy and hostile period against the priests, Catholics and of other religions, where not a few went to jail or were imprisoned in labor camps, Fidel Castro changed his policy of confrontation. It was because of the rise to power by popular and democratic vote of Salvador Allende in Chile in 1971, that Castro was restated his strategy of gunfire toward the Vatican.

Latin America was and is the region with the greatest number of Catholics worldwide. The bearded commander realized at once that any revolution, whether through elections or armed uprising, should begin by acknowledging the role played by priests, bishops and cardinals in a new proposal for social change and advocacy of the always excluded in the hemisphere.

And he began to design a new ideological castling. The Fourth Congress of the Communist Party in 1991, he accepted as members believers of any denomination.

He realized that to subvert, ideas were more important than bullets. And if these ideas were proclaimed from the pulpit…so much the better.

The post continued recounting the chain of events that will culminate in next month's papal visit:

After Castro was on the threshold of death in 2006, his brother, General Raul Castro, took the reins of power and further paved the way to Rome.

When the a political prisoner Orlando Zapata died on February 23, 2010, as a result of a prolonged hunger strike, and the civilized world launched a major campaign against the regime in Havana, due to excessive repression against opponents and the Ladies in White, Castro II knew immediately who to call.

And he called Cardinal Jaime Ortega…The Cardinal would become key political chess piece for the Castro brothers. He was the partner par excellence between government, the militant Ladies in White and the Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos. The talks allowed the release of dissidents who had remained behind bars since the crackdown of March 2003. Someday we will know if Ortega is driven by the hope that the situation in Cuba will lead to a democracy, or other pressures have led him to play a role that some exiled opponents see as cowardly.

What intrigues local observers is whether the conspiracy with the Cuban Catholic Church and the Vatican could lead to a democratic state of law. Or is just a ploy to gain time and give a wider social space to Catholicism in education and health, sectors facing hardships due to the widespread economic crisis in the nation.

Church and state, at least from the Cuban blogosphere's perspective, seem to be irrevocably intertwined.

The thumbnail image used in this post is by Catholic Church (England and Wales), used under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Creative Commons license. Visit Catholic Church (England and Wales)'s flickr photostream.

Bolivia: Blogger Interviews Indigenous Leaders on TIPNIS Conflict

Silvia Viñas — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:07:10 +0000

Blogger Dario Kenner from Bolivia Diary interviewed indigenous leaders who are against and in favor of building a road through the Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Sécuro (TIPNIS).