Mariano remains part of one of the most important teams in the world of baseball: the New York Yankees. On May 3, from their Twitter account, the Yankees (@Yankees) sounded the alarm over the veteran pitcher's possible injury:

BREAKING: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera injured during batting practice tonight in Kansas City. More details to come.

Mariano Rivera, image courtesy Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

The Yankees would later confirm that he was being treated for a serious injury, crossed ligaments [es], and that it was very possible that it would be the end of the season for Mariano, or perhaps, taking into account the age of the pitcher, 42, the end of his career.

Reactions came quickly and soon Mariano Rivera became a worldwide Trending Topic. The hashtag #MarianoRivera was created, where the majority of the people showed the appreciation that they felt for the pitcher.

Even those that don't support the New York Yankees showed their appreciation and respect for the pitcher. For example, Randy Savage (@ltzrandysavage), who admits to hating the Yankees, wishes Mariano a speedy recovery.

To be honest. As one of the biggest Yankees haters, this is one of the worst things to happen in baseball. #MarianoRivera#GetWellSoon

Sara Hamling (@shamlingdesign) voiced a similar opinion:

I hate the Yankees but I respect Mariano Rivera a lot and it's incredibly sad if this is how his fantastic career ends.

Ryan Kellog g  (@Ry_Kellog) considers it a show of Rivera's grandeur that his injury had become a worldwide trend:

You know you're an impact player when you get hurt and you trend worldwide on twitter#marianorivera

However, for Panamanians, feelings towards Mariano are mixed. On one hand, there are those that admire him and thank him for holding Panama's name on high, and then there are those that haven't forgiven him for not agreeing to wear the Panama t-shirt for the Baseball World Classic. The pitcher argued that he was being careful with regards to his injuries, but for many Panamanians, it was a show of arrogance and deplorable disdain. José Barria (@JoseBarria_) [es] writes:

Lamento mucho la lesión de Mariano Rivera. También lamento mucho que nunca haya querido jugar por Panamá en un Clásico Mundial.

Others even think that his injury was a product of karma, like Itzel Chavez (@itzelch_07) [es]:

No se desea mal ajeno pero hasta la arrogancia la castiga el karma #marianorivera

Dennis Allen (@Dennis27Allen) [es], on the other hand, is surprised by the love and solidarity that U.S. fanatics have shown to the Panamanian, even when his homeland he isn't so loved:

cha la gente en Panamá odia a Mariano Rivera, y ahora que el man se lesiono te das cuenta como los gringos lo AMAN..

Others such as Eduardo Reyes (@Eduardo_1691) [es] haven't lost hope that the Panamanian will recover and finish his career pitching and representing Panama:

Pienso que mariano rivera tiene que retirarse en el clasico mundial usando la camiseta de panamá

Despite the differences in point of view, the Panamanian pitcher's injury has caused chaos in the world of baseball. Many people, like Alexander Da Silva (@Adasilva507) [es], refuse to believe that this could be the end of Mariano Rivera:

Me rehuso a pensar que la carrera del panameño Mariano Rivera terminara de esta forma…

Written by Ariel Moreno · Translated by Rebecca Knaggs · View original post [es] · comments (1)
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Un comunicado de la Presidencia, señala que la oportunidad es propicia para que se traslade el día de descanso y se favorezca el desarrollo del turismo interno a nivel nacional y la convivencia familiar.

Several labour unions were outraged because they consider the date to be a symbol of their rights, earned by the working class throughout history. Kaos en la red[es] indicates that the change of the date is seen as an insult by many:

Como un insulto y una burla a la clase obrera, se interpreta la imposición del lunes 30 de abril como día puente por el 1º de Mayo.

At Work; Guadalupe, Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá. Image courtesy Lon&Queta on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Nevertheless, the various labour unions decided they would still carry out the marches and activities that they had planned, explained La opinión Panamá [es]:

Los dirigentes sindicalistas manifestaron que pese al día puente decretado por el Gobierno, realizarán hoy martes las distintas actividades.

Uniradioinforma [es] reports that the march became quite forceful, with signs that protest corruption as well as the high cost of living:

“Abajo el alto costo de la vida”, “La corrupción mata”, “Ni corruptos ni coimeros”, se leía en las pancartas que portaban los trabajadores, en alusión a un reciente escándalo de presunto pago de sobornos al presidente Ricardo Martinelli.

Netizens also participated in the celebration of Labour Day. Sthaisy Smith (@Staisy09) [es] considers it madness to have to work on a day that commemorates labour:

Y ahora el 1 de mayo a trabajar q loco esta Panamá!!!

Leilani Gonzalez (@Le1lani) [es] on the other hand sees it as something logical:

Día del Trabajo, trabajando como una trabajadora!!! #Panamá

Agenda 507 (@agenda507) [es] wants to call attention to the fact that Labour Day is for everyone and not only for the groups of labour unions that went out to march on May 1:

#FelizDiadelTrabajador ¡El 1 Mayo es de todos! No exclusivo de un grupo, es tmbn de quienes trabajan en casa, ofi, calle, salud, campo y +

It was in this way that May 1 was celebrated in Panama; some persons with slogans and others gratefully turning up at work, their opinions clearly coinciding with that of Tito Herrera (@TitoHerrera) [es]:

La mejor manera de celebrar el día del trabajo es… TRABAJANDO! Saludos a todos, Feliz día, sigamos trabajando por un mejor Panamá!

Written by Ariel Moreno · Translated by Rebecca Knaggs · View original post [es] · comments (0)
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En pocos minutos se aprobará en Tercer Debate el Proyecto de Ley General de Cultura. Sólo faltará la sanción del Ejecutivo.

In Panama, for a law to take effect, it must first be approved by the Assembly of Deputies and then sanctioned by the executive (the president and his ministers)

Panamaon [es] reminds readers of Deputy Blandon's intentions in presenting the law:

“Queremos que sea un proceso ampliamente participativo en donde haya la mayor consulta posible, por eso vamos a citar y a invitar a participar a todos aquellos que tengan interés en que Panamá tenga una moderna ley de cultura que permita explotar todo el potencial que la cultura puede tener para el país”,

Traje tradicional, "pollera" panameña". Imagen de usuario de Flickr whl.travel (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The reactions on Twitter were that of gratitude and support for the new law. Although certain people like Nicole Rubatino (@nickolin26) [es], recalled that this law, even though it hasn't been sanctioned, could have the same luck as the 308 law that intended to protect domestic animals.

Despues de todo, la Ley de Cultura q incluye?? Seguro la aprobaron porq no hay conflicto d intereses como #Ley308

Zaida Amelie (@zaida_amelie) [es] celebrated the approval of the law because “it was time”:

Tenemos ley de cultura!!! Wow!!! Me encanto ya era hora de darle valor a este sector super importante de mi Panama!!!

Annette Caicedo (@annettec14) [es] congratulated the current director of the National Institute of Culture and noted that the approval of the law demonstrated that there were good people in the government.

No sabia que ya se habia aprobado la ley de la cultura! Felicidades Maruja Herrera eso demuestra que tambb hay gente buena en el gob.

And although the law is now awaiting presidential approval, Panamanians are celebrating that slowly legislators are beginning to take steps towards greater cultural protection in Panama.

Written by Ariel Moreno · Translated by Negarra Akili Kudumu · View original post [es] · comments (0)
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In 2008, Reuters published a story about the “poverty and decay” in Coco Solo, where John McCain (then Republican presidential candidate) was born:

McCain was born in 1936 on the Coco Solo submarine base in a U.S.-run territory in Panama where his father was a Navy officer.

Now, children play next to open sewers in the town that was built around the base and large homes once inhabited by American service families lie abandoned and strewn with debris.

Bored young men stroll around topless, sporting gang tattoos that boast of the number of people they have killed. Areas that were once softball fields have been taken over by rough saw-grass.

The report continues:

Panama gradually took back control of the base and the rest of the Canal Zone after a 1977 treaty with the United States, and Coco Solo has since been converted into a huge container terminal known as Manzanillo. Washington handed over its last remaining Panamanian outposts in 1999.

But apart from this story by Reuters, little has been reported about Coco Solo. Online videos are a few of the available online media that show life in this community.

One of the organizations that frequently uploads videos of Coco Solo is Cambio Creativo (”Creative Change”),

an educational platform that promotes critical thinking skills, determination and self-expression through the process of exchanging ideas and skills. We facilitate a space for mutual exchange between a group of mentors and students in Coco Solo (Colon, Panama). Monthly interdisciplinary workshops are led by mentors from Colon, Panama City and abroad. We trust that by stimulating knowledge, creativity, and positive experiences, participants will find alternatives for their own social and economic development.

Photo from Cambio Creativo website, used with permission.

Two years ago, the co-founder of Cambio Creativo, Rose Cromwell, uploaded a short documentary about Coco Solo by film maker Eric Soussanin. Marisa Treviño from news website Latina Lista shares an excerpt of the documentary and writes:

The men, women and children who live in Coco Solo are described as the ones in Panamanian society who have given up on life because they feel they have been forgotten. Yet, a short documentary about the plight of the Coco Solo people makes sure they’re not forgotten and, in fact, that the world knows about them.

Cambio Creativo works with youth from this community through different workshops. Cromwell blogs [es] about a photography workshop which took place in January 2012. She shares a video of a brainstorming session:

The students' photographs are showcased and sold through an online gallery hosted on the Cambio Creativo site. The money from the sale of these pictures goes directly to the young artists.

You can watch more videos of the Cambio Creativo staff and volunteers working with the youth in Coco Solo on Rose Cromwell's Vimeo page, including the following of a “body percussion” class:

This post was sub-edited by Jane Ellis.

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Cuando a uno lo embarran en algo que no tiene que ver, uno siente que nada tiene que decir o responder. Pronto se sabrá toda la verdad.

At last, on April 19, he decided to break his silence and summoned a national TV broadcast on which he would make an appearance to clear up the Government's position regarding the scandal. At the appointed hour, and to the surprise of very few, the Government accused the opposition and the members of the media of being behind political moves to discredit it. The President also made it clear that no bribe of any kind had been received.

Even so, what really made news of the press conference were the answers the President gave to journalist Hugo Famanía, who had in recent weeks revealed on some media outlets that he'd been involved in a struggle with a drug problem. The President responded to one of the journalist's questions by referring to his past addiction, as summarised by Panamanian TV station Telemetro:

Famanía cuestionaba a Martinelli sobre su relación con el empresario italiano Mauro Velocci, de quien dijo tenía dudosa reputación. “Por el amor de Dios Hugo, tú has tenido problemas de drogas y no significa que por eso yo no voy a hablar contigo, yo no conocía a ese señor, yo no lo conozco, ¿yo te puedo decir ahora que yo no voy a hablar contigo porque tienes problemas de droga o tuviste problemas de droga? Yo creo que eso no es justo“, espetó el mandatario.

The President then left the press conference after addressing the journalist once again: “I hope you won't fall foul of the scourge of drugs again.” Eric507simpson, on his YouTube account, shares an extract of the press conference that was captured by national TV station TVN, and which presents the President's responses to the journalist.

Social networks reverberated with shows of contempt for and condemnation of the President's words. Two hashtags quickly emerged on Twitter: users used #MonseñorMartinelliyoconfieso (”Monsignor Martinelly, I confess”) to criticise the intolerance of the Head of State by themselves admitting to personal sins and mistakes; #UnfollowMartinelli advanced the idea of unfollowing the President's Twitter accounts.

Some made fun of the whole thing: Mercedes Melias (@MercyMelais), referring to other occasions when the Head of State made indiscreet comments on social networks, and then alleged that his account had been hacked, noted:

El presidente mañana dira que le hackearon la Boca jajjaajjaja #Panama

Although the majority of reactions took the side of the journalist, some believe that Hugo Famanía got a little of his just desserts. Martiuska Guerra (@martiuskaguerra) was one:

@HOMERO311251 Famania no tiene moral, El presidente le simplemente le respondiò de su propia medicina.

In contrast, Karina Bazan (@karinabazan) expressed her admiration for a journalist who stoically put up with the President's tactlessness:

Mi respeto y admiracion x H.Famania,un man q esta clarito en cómo los sentimientos,pensamientos y acciones influyen en su vida y el mundo

Blogger Erick Simpson Aguilera (Pma507pty) wrote:

Tal parece por sus palabras y acciones que, el Presidente Ricardo Martinelli no cree en la rehabilitación, y no perdona a quienes han pasado por esta dura experiencia. Bien, pues espero que, todos los panameños que sufren de la adicción a las drogas, quienes ya superaron dicho flagelo, y sus familiares, recuerden estas duras palabras del presidente de la nación, en las próximas elecciones.

So it was that, far from clearing up the Government's guilt or innocence in the Lavitola question, the press conference raised serious doubts about the President's communication skills, and gave more ammunition to those with things to say on social networks.

Written by Ariel Moreno · Translated by Jon Lindsay Miles · View original post [es] · comments (1)
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Telemetro [es] posted the following details on its site:

Adicionalmente, Herrera presentó una serie de intercambios de correos electrónicos entre el italiano Walter Lavítola y Adolfo De Obarrio, secretario privado del presidente Ricardo Martinelli. Las misivas reflejan que el italiano, quien mantiene una orden de detención en su país, recibe custodia del Servicio Protección Institucional (SPI). También hay mensajes que suponen una comunicación entre Lavítola y la cuenta de correo electrónico del propio presidente Martinelli.

Martinelli himself has confronted the accusations, attributing them to evil intentions on the part of of the media, and, as has become customary in his presidential speeches, evoking the “malevolent souls” who wish Panama the worst. In his blog, Pma507pty [es], Erick Simpson Aguilar recalls Martinelli's speech:

“Ya llego la carta de Italia y ojala todos los medios, todas aquellas personas que con mucho morbo, y con mucha mala intención desinformaron todo lo que pasaron sobre los radares y todas las cosas en Italia, que le den la misma prominencia ustedes los medios a eso, que le den la misma prominencia que le dieron a todos los detractores que tanto daño hicieron, porque como no pueden criticar al individuo por las obras que se hacen, critican los precios de los proyectos, pero que me digan dónde hay algo aquí indebido para agarrar y meterlo preso. Ojala todas esas almas malévolas y perversas que lo único que desean es el mal para Panamá sepan recapacitar que cometieron un error”. El Presidente Ricardo Martinelli tratando de justificar el caso del supuesto sobreprecio millonario en detrimento de Panamá, en la compra realizada a la investigada empresa italiana Finmeccanica, la cual  vendió a Panamá 6 helicópteros, 19 radares y 1 mapa digital por unos $250 millones.

La Prensa [es] has put up a video of the president's statements on the matter:

The accusations and criticisms reached a roadblock due to lack of evidence, and, little by little, the Panamanian public forgot the name Valter Lavitola. However, on April 16, 2012, with Lavitola's arrest at the Rome airport, Panama was in the spotlight again, and, inevitably, so was the current government. Moreover, other members of the government are also now facing accusations of taking bribes during tendering for contracts to build prisons, as Terra reports on its site [es]:

En la lista de beneficiarios de sobornos figuran, además del presidente Martinelli, la ministra de Justicia panameña, Roxana Méndez, y otras figuras políticas, sostiene la fiscalía.

“Parte del dinero para el presidente panameño fue entregado en un maletín”, asegura la acusación, que precisa que se hicieron dos entregas de 530.000 euros y 140.000 euros.

The Italian newspaper Corriere [it] details how Lavitola was treated as a guest of honour in Panama, including being transported in official vehicles and provided with an escort, all whilst facing accusations in Italy. In addition, it provides in-depth coverage of the alleged corruption in which the Panamanian government became embroiled.

There was strong reaction to the news on social networking sites. From his Twitter account (@rmartinelli) [es], the Panamanian president, denied that there were any prisons being built by any Italian companies:

En Panamá ninguna empresa italiana está construyendo ni una cárcel.

Amed Arosemena (@AmedArosemena) [es] worries about how the Panamanian justice system will appear in the eyes of the world once the all wrongdoing in the Lavitola case comes to light:

#MePregunto [es] Como queda la Justicia Panameña si en Italia llegan a destapar las bellezas de Lavitola en Panamá?? Mejor sera cerrar la Procu!

Victor Bosch (@BoschVictor) [es] is of the view that the Lavitola case is seriously hurting the country's image:

Que daña mas la imagen del Pais, indígenas protegiendo sus recursos o publicaciones Italianas x caso Lavitola, mucha gente debe estar cagada

Alcides Batista (@abatista15) [es] is also indignant at the apparent impunity with which the case has unfolded:

Es increíble ver como en Italia se llevan 2 procesos a Lavitola, 1 por sobornos a Panameños!!! Y Acá ni siquiera motivos para investigar!!

But for some, like Virgilio Hurtado (@HurtadoVirgilio) [es], the issue has been rather exaggerated, to the point of seeming like something out of a novel. Noting the similarity with two other cases in which suitcases stuffed with money were also involved, she writes:

Los maletines de dinero son como objetos de utileria en la novela política: CEMIS, MURCIA y caso LAVITOLA. Disculpen pero no soy novelero.!

Carlos Pasquini (@pasquinocarlos) [es] also plays down the importance of the case, pointing out that the problems which matter to him are those concerning the day to day life of the Panamanian people:

A mi lo de Lavitola no me da ni picazon. Quiero ver como avanza el metro, expansion de corredores, que haya mas metrobuses

Thus, while some consider the issue to be the height of corruption by the current government, others view it as an issue of little practical importance for Panama. What is certain, is that the coming days will bring some degree of elucidation. At least, this is what the Panamanians are hoping.

Written by Ariel Moreno · Translated by Jea · View original post [es] · comments (2)
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However, the transport system has become a real headache for all Panamanians, whether they use public transport or they are fortunate enough to own their own vehicle.

The constant works and long-term improvements organised by the government have turned the centre of the city into a transportational chaos. Amongst the major works, an underground metro system [es] is being built that will run across a large part of the city, but this has meant the closing of certain main roads during its construction.

Post-work congestion. Photo used with permission of photographer Eirene Moreno.

Social networking sites have become daily reflections of the experiences of Panamanians throughout the “tranques” (a local slang term for traffic congestion). Accounts are beginning to appear on Twitter such as ¡Vía Noticias y más! (Highway News and More!) (@traficologo) [es] which has more than 18,000 followers and describes itself as follows:

¡El que madruga y tiene Twitter, Dios le ayuda!.. Brindamos reportes de Tráfico, tiempo, noticias e información variada desde Panamá.

Traffic Panamá (@TrafficPanama) [es], another very popular feed with more than 20,000 followers, says it is:

La forma de llegar mas rápido a tu destino, información de Trafico y temas de actualidad, cargados de opiniones diversas y polemicas

The interaction between Twitter users is varied and on-going, such as those who see the funny side of it all like Maria Elisa Cabal (@MareCabal) [es] who writes:

Jaja dizque aquí en #panamá no hay tranque sino caravana laboral

Others, like Gaby Acosta (@gabygabs27) [es] are voicing their anger over the never ending traffic congestion:

Cuánto más hay que madrugar para encontrar transporte o para no encontrar tranque? #Panamá

There are also those who try to enjoy the beauty of certain parts of the city, like Crisabel Delgado (@Crisalina01) [es] who took a photo of a Guayacan flower and shared it on her feed:

La belleza de mi Panama, la contemplo en el medio del tranque. @RobaMorena :D

A number of videos of the congestion can be found on Youtube.  n October 2011, a user known as pipolopez shared this short video:

According to the blog Mirando hacia Panamá [es] the situation is not as bad as it's made out to be; the blogger also points out that the situation is the same as in any city and that the blame lies with those who chose to use their cars even just to go as far as the street corner.

La verdad es que acabo de volver de un mes de vacaciones familiares en Panamá y la situación del tráfico no me pareció tan calamitosa como la pinta la voz pública. Es verdad que las avenidas no están tan vacías como en mi álbum de la Ciudad de Panamá de los años setenta y hasta ochenta (miren mi album de la Ciudad de Panamá). Es verdad que después de las 4 p.m., el viernes, más te vale no intentar cruzar el Puente de las Américas pensando ir y volver de Veracruz en menos que canta un gallo. Pero tampoco es para tanto, ni hay tantos accidentes como dicen, ni la gente es tan grosera como las pintan y claro, como en todas partes tienes que entrar en la fluidez del tráfico, con todos tus derechos y, sin jugar vivo más de la cuenta, no dejarte comer… y todo sale bien.

The “traque” is a part of Panamanians' daily lives and social networks are for the most part helpful as a means of venting and prevention. On April 9, 2012, the Trending Topics PTY account (@TrendingsPanama) reported  that the term “Traque” was the number one most used in interactions between Panamanian users.

Written by Ariel Moreno · Translated by Vivienne Griffiths · View original post [es] · comments (1)
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But if this part of the world is so magical, why isn't it also the most visited?

According to statistics of the most visited countries in 2010, Mexico has the highest ranking among Latin American nations, in tenth place on the list, followed by Argentina, which is at number 43. And if we take into account that France, which heads the list, receives 79.3 million tourists, compared with the 22.6 million that put Mexico in tenth place, and the 5.2 million that visit Argentina, it becomes clear that Latin America is not chosen by large numbers of people as a tourist destination.

However, if we look at these statistics from a historical perspective, tourism to Latin America has increased, and, even if not dramatically so, certainly enough to provide governments with reason to grant more importance to the sector. As mentioned [es] in a statement on EnlaRedRadio, there are various challenges for the region when it comes to increasing tourism:

Marco Antonio Serrato, director general de Educación Ejecutiva en el TEC de Monterrey en México, comenta que entre los temas que determinan el debate actual sobre el turismo en la región, destacan “el rol que la industria juega como motor del desarrollo económico y social en los países de América Latina; la puesta en valor de los activos, sean naturales, culturales, arqueológicos o humanos, con los que nuestros países cuentan para posicionar la actividad turística y las marcas país a nivel internacional; y la diversificación del turismo en variantes no solo de playa, sino de naturaleza, cultura, negocios, salud y congresos”.

Serrato añade que “el desarrollo de estrategias e infraestructuras que promuevan y faciliten un turismo sostenible y la mejora de servicios complementarios como los gastronómicos, telefonía móvil, renta de vehículos y hospitalarios, además de la profesionalización de los trabajadores que atienden a los usuarios, al igual que garantizar la seguridad de los turistas y reforzar la percepción de esta, son tareas que vienen aparejadas con los lineamientos de desarrollo más generales”.

Jorge Gobbi, Global Voices author and blogger specialising in tourist matters, wrote [es] in early 2012 about this growth trend in tourism in Latin America in his Blog de Viajes (Travel Blog) [es]:

se pueden señalar al menos dos cosas. La primera, las cifras de crecimiento de las naciones sudamericanas se ubica entre el 8 al 14%, dos a tres veces más que la tasa de crecimiento mundial. Segundo, buena parte de ese crecimiento se está dando gracias al aumento del turismo regional. Lo que es una muy buena consecuencia de la mejor situación económica y del aumento del consumo en nuestros países.

Con esas perspectivas, es de esperar que para este 2012 los organismos de turismo sudamericanos se van a concentrar en incrementar su promoción en otros países de la región, sin apuntar tanto a América del Norte y Europa. Esperemos que 2012 sea la consolidación de una tendencia de crecimiento económico a mediano y largo plazo en América del Sur, ya que las perspectivas globales no parecen demasiado positivas.

A question follows: What concrete actions are governments or businesses taking to increase the flow of tourists into their countries? Apart from the infrastructure works and service sector training that needs to be carried out, one of the most common strategies is that of the publicity campaign.

Colombia is host to one of the most well-known tourist promotion campaigns, with its slogan, “Colombia, the danger is you'll want to stay“, which was preceded by the establishment of the country brand: “Colombia is passion” [es]. There is an official travel guide to accompany the campaign, which has produced various promotional videos:

Neighbouring Venezuela is also attempting to attract tourists through its Venezuela Turismo, since the country possesses many interesting [es] destinations.

Another Colombian neighbour, Panama, has recently launched [es] its “Disfruta Panamá” or “Enjoy Panama” campaign, which makes use of a YouTube channel and Facebook pages in both Spanish and English, as well as Twitter accounts, also in Spanish and English. The website Visit Panama provides an additional resource.

As for Central America, although there is a regional campaign to promote tourism within the region, several of its countries have their own campaigns, as in the case of Guatemala with its “Corazón del Mundo Maya” [Heart of the Mayan World], or Costa Rica's “Sin Ingredientes Artificiales” (No Artificial Ingredients).

Mexico is running several campaigns, one of which, Mundo Maya 2012 [Mayan World 2012, es], places the same emphasis as Guatemala on the ancient Mayan civilisation. Another is Visit Mexico. The Federal Executive Authority in this country has its own Ministry of Tourism, which initiates the development of tourist destinations and activities at the same time as promoting these among both Mexicans and those from abroad. And then there is the Mexican Tourist Board (also an arm of the Federal Government), which coordinates, designs and develops both national strategies and those targeting the overseas market.

Moving south, we find “Chile es tuyo” [Chile belongs to you, es], a campaign mainly targeted at the internal tourist market. Something similar can be found in Argentina's “Viajá por tu país” [Travel your own land, es]. But we also come across local initiatives here, as in the case of that of the Tourist Secretariat of Santa Cruz Patagonia [es] or that of Mendoza [es].

In neighbouring Uruguay there are several websites that promote tourism in the country, including Tourists Club Uruguay, Viaje a Uruguay [Journey to Uruguay, es] and Turismo en Uruguay [es].

Several campaigns have been put into motion in Peru as part of the activity that takes place within its country brand, with the launch of a new campaign [es] in the coming days. One of its previous campaigns, “Perú: Vive la leyenda” [Peru: Live the Legend] was a prizewinner in Brazil last year. This is the video:

I had the opportunity earlier this year to speak with the Argentinian journalist and blogger previously cited in this article, Jorge Gobbi, and we recorded a short podcast [es] about tourism in Latin America today.

Although the above is not an exhaustive survey, it does give a rough idea of how the promotion of tourism is currently taking place in a region with an infinite number of attractions to offer to both local and international visitors.

Written by Juan Arellano · Translated by Jon Lindsay Miles · View original post [es] · comments (2)
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President Ricardo Martinelli decided to veto Law 308 that protected domestic animals. According to the President the veto is simply to correct some interpretations. He tweeted (@rmartinelli) [es] that, “only an article of the bill has been vetoed so that students can continue to carry out experiments in schools. Everything is O.K.” This, however, takes the law back to the National Assembly and domestic animals still don't have a law that protects them.

Panama's National Assembly passed a new law to protect domestic animals. The Animal & Nature Friend Association of Panama [es] celebrated the new law with an emotional post on its website:

Después de muchos meses, mucha persistencia, mucha constancia el Proyecto de Ley 308 es un hecho. Nos unimos, discutimos, se negoció, lloramos, reímos y en el día jueves 15 de marzo de 2012 se hizo historia, el Proyecto de Ley 308 que ampara a los animales domésticos, es un hecho.

Angels of Animals, a group dedicated to picking up animals from the streets and finding them a new place to live share with Internet users the complete law on their webpage [es]:

Que contiene las modificaciones y adiciones introducidas al Proyecto de Ley No. 308, “Por medio de la cual se dictan medidas de protección a los animales, reforma normas penales y dicta otras disposiciones para mantener un trato digno a los animales domésticos”.

Netizens are also sharing this video to inform about the law:

However, nineteen days after the law was passed by the Assembly, it still hasn't been sanctioned by the president. In Panama, the signature of the President is necessary in order to pass or veto a law.

On the March 31, President Ricardo Martinelli (@rmartinelli) [es] wrote an enigmatic tweet saying that he could partially veto the law 308:

Aun en legal de la presidencia la ley 308 Tan pronto finalize analisis se firma entera o se veta parcialmente. Igual con seguros, minera.

The issue didn't go unnoticed in social networks, causing a lot of reactions against the president and requests to pass the law as soon as possible. The hashtag #ley308 [es] was created and Twitter users encouraged each other to write to the president as a measure of pressure.

Edward Allen (@DjEdwardAllen) [es] uses the president's campaign slogan, “los locos somos más” (”we crazy people are the majority”), to request the ratification of the law:

Los que estamos Locos por los Animales somos Mas! Porfavor firme ya la #ley308!! @rmartinelli @angelesanimales

Elisa Sánchez (@Elisa_TaoTao) [es] promises to keep on writing to the president until he signs the law:

NO ME VOY A CANSAR DE ESCRIBIR AL PRESIDENTE HASTA QUE NO FIRME LA#LEY308 COMPLETA NO QUEREMOS MAS CRUELDAD DE NINGUN TIPO

Amie Lurie (@AmieLurie) [es] wonders which are the reasons that prevent the president from signing the law completely and she reminds him that his presidency is in a constant evolution:

Pq tanta vuelta le da para firmar?Q se lo impide??@rmartinelli no todo es jumboferias y el metro tambien hay cosas mas importantes #ley308

But not everybody shares the same urgency about the ratification of the law. In the blog Chrisfaw [es] blogger Chris Faw confesses that he thinks that there are more important and urgent issues in Panama, such as stopping the increasing violence in the country, although he clarifies that promoting the law is an honest, worthy and important effort.

Me parece crítico que pongamos tanto empeño en aprobar esto, tomándolo como un problema fundamental y viendo cómo tanta gente se involucra con esto, mientras que muchos panameños pierden la vida a causa de la violencia a manos de otro ser humano. Dice mucho de nosotros como sociedad que haya más interés no provocado* para con la prevención de la violencia contra los animales que para la prevención de la violencia entre las personas.

This law is still waiting to be passed or vetoed while the people keep on discussing the topic on a lot in the social networks. Even international organisations are involved; Humane Society International asked Panama's president to pass the law, as La Estrella de Panamá (The star of Panama) [es] informs:

“Instamos al presidente Martinelli a promulgar esta ley para proteger a muchos animales de la crueldad”, dijo Alexandra Rothlisberger, directora de programas en América Latina para HSI, en un boletín de prensa.

Written by Ariel Moreno · Translated by Angela Munoz · View original post [es] · comments (2)
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Written by Silvia Viñas · comments (0)
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“Una bloguera es, ante todo, una mujer valiente, que se atreve y se compromete. ¿Por qué? Porque a través de su blog se expresa, dice lo que piensa, siente, lo que es. Si tiene miedo de hablar o darle cuerpo a sus ideas, enfrenta ese miedo y lo supera.”

- “¿Quién es una bloguera?”, Mujeres Construyendo

Women make up almost half of Latin America's Internet users. However, in spite of their high web-presence, women are mainly content consumers. Mujeres Construyendo [es], the first platform for female bloggers in Spanish, wants to transform Hispanic women into creators, not just consumers, of internet content.

Its founder, Claudia Calvin, answered some questions about this platform and community of Hispanic female bloggers.

Global Voices: How and when was Mujeres Construyendo created? 

Claudia Calvin: Mujeres Construyendo surge como proyecto en el 2008, después de un tiempo de haberme hecho bloguera. Su origen se encuentra principalmente en mis andares por internet y después de descubrir una realidad que llamó profundamente mi atención: que las mujeres de habla hispana que participamos en internet seguimos transmitiendo en este espacio una creencia profundamente arraigada en nuestra cultura. ¿Cuál es? Aquella que nos inculcaron de niñas y en la que nos decían que “calladitas nos veíamos más bonitas”. Descubrí que nuestra participación como blogueras era muy distinta a  la participación de las blogueras estadounidenses: ellas en la actualidad representan casi un 60% de los blogueros en su país y las blogueras en internet de habla hispana representamos un escaso 27%. Cuando inicié Mujeres Construyendo, la cifra era más desalentadora aún: 15%.

Busqué afanosamente un espacio de convergencia de mujeres blogueras, un espacio que no fuese un directorio, sino un lugar de convivencia, una comunidad como tal. Al no encontrarla, decidí hacerla, y así es como surge Mujeres Construyendo.

Hablé con unos amigos desarrolladores y lograron darle vida a esta idea que tenía en mi mente. La plataforma Mujeres Construyendo surge como tal en el 2009.

GV: What is Mujeres Construyendo's mission? What does it want to achieve with this female blogging platform?

CC: El objetivo de Mujeres Construyendo es que las mujeres aprendamos a hacer uso de las nuevas tecnologías y las herramientas que brinda internet para empoderarnos, crecer, desarrollarnos. Los blogs son una herramienta de empoderamiento para nosotras: nos permite comunicar lo que hacemos, pensamos, visualizamos y participar en un diálogo central en el nuevo espacio público, que es internet.

Hemos participado más como observadoras y consumidoras de contenido que como proveedoras y en este espacio vacío se está perdiendo una enorme oportunidad para construir una realidad que refleje nuestros intereses y manera de entender y participar en el mundo, tanto en el ámbito de lo social, como lo político y empresarial, y ni qué decir de lo personal y familiar.

Las mujeres vivimos muchos tipos de marginación en el mundo, no necesitamos sumar una más a las existentes: la digital.

GV: Why is it important for women to have a blog?

CC: Como mencionaba anteriormente, los blogs son una herramienta de empoderamiento en la medida en que posibilitan que las mujeres puedan comunicarse, expresar, proponer y dialogar en internet y con ello contribuir a la definición y construcción de una realidad que refleje sus intereses y visión. Las voces de mujeres en la blogósfera son importantes porque son el reflejo de la mitad de los habitantes del planeta y en el medida en que sean actores sociales, políticos, voten, consuman, tomen decisiones y vivan de manera cotidiana los diversos contextos de su entorno (desde violencia, hasta crisis económicas, pasando por desastres naturales o guerras) su voz es importante. Son actores de la vida cotidiana y su visión y mirada cuentan, valen, reflejan una circunstancia. Su silencio resulta -sin que ellas mismas los sepan- cómplices de realidades sexistas o que marginan y en la medida en que paulatinamente vayan apareciendo y expresando su voz…irá cambiando el entorno. El silencio jamás ha sido socio del empoderamiento.

GV: How many women have a blog on Mujeres Construyendo?

CC: La comunidad de Mujeres Construyendo está constituida por la plataforma Mujeres Construyendo (www.mujeresconstruyendo.com) y las redes sociales a través de las cuáles se conecta su comunidad. La suma de personas conectadas a esta propuesta y a este espacio suma hoy cerca de 9 mil personas.

GV: What is the profile of the women who blog on Mujeres Construyendo?

CC: Cabe decir que participan hombres y mujeres en nuestra plataforma. Somos un espacio incluyente y consideramos que no se puede hablar de equidad partiendo de un principio de exclusión, por ello, las voces masculinas son bien recibidas. La mayoría, estamos hablando de más del 96%, son mujeres. Su perfil es principalmente urbano, de entre 25 y 45 años, en su mayoría de México, España, Argentina, Venezuela y Estados Unidos. Quiero destacar a una de nuestras blogueras más activas, y que inclusive ha sido entrevistada en televisión: Bertha, una extraordinaria mujer de 82 años que nos enseña que no hay edad para seguir aprendiendo y que las herramientas digitales son poderosas y permiten a las personas seguirle dando sentido a su vida.

GV: What will 2012 bring for Mujeres Construyendo?

CC: Empezamos el año con el pie derecho, estrenando nueva casa y nuestro nuevo sitio nos permite interactuar mejor, conocernos y convivir de manera más cercana. Detrás de esto hay trabajo y compromiso y queremos consolidarnos como un espacio central para que las mujeres participen, tengan voz y con ello contribuir con nuestro grano de arena no sólo a su empoderamiento, sino al fortalecimiento de la democracia. Queremos incrementar el número de blogueras participando y vinculadas a nuestra comunidad, estamos trabajando en ofrecer herramientas a las blogueras que les permitan fortalecer su presencia y cumplir sus objetivos, sean estos personales, familiares, profesionales. Detrás de este trabajo hay alianzas y proyectos que podrán ver en un futuro muy cercano y del que con gusto les platicaremos en su momento.

Muchas gracias por su interés en conocernos y ojalá a través de Global Voices más mujeres se animen a sumar su voz a nuestra comunidad. Juntas podemos hacer una diferencia.

Claudia is also a blogger [es] and she tweets under @LaClau [es]. You can follow Mujeres Construyendo on Facebook [es], Twitter, [es] YouTube [es], and LinkedIn [es].

Written by Silvia Vinas · Translated by Kathryn Morgan · View original post [es] · comments (0)
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This year, the struggle of the indigenous Ngäbe-Bugle have become more visible than ever before, thanks to social networks. In February, as Ariel Moreno reported on Global Voices, members of the Ngäbe-Bugle community had blocked the Pan-American highway to protest against mining and also “to demand that the government comply with the agreement reached last year with respect to mining in the region.”

Ariel later wrote:

Panama went through one of the biggest crises it has seen since democracy was restored in 1989, when the indigenous people of Ngobe Bugle decided to take over the highway on January 31, 2012, protesting mining and construction of hydroelectric facilities in their district. They stayed there until February 5, when national police removed them by force.

The crisis has been alleviated for the moment with an agreement between the indigenous group and the government. Even so, the uncertainty of what could happen if there is hydroelectric construction or mining in these districts is still on the minds of Panamanians.

Now, to raise awareness about the excessive force used by police, Cooperativa Audiovisua has created the video campaign “Soy Ngäbe, soy Buglé, soy Panameñ@” (”I'm Ngäbe, I'm Bugle, I'm Panamanian”) under the direction of director Guna Orgun Wagua.

The blog Prensa Ngäbe-Bugle [es] explains:

Yomira John, Kanabiz, Lucy Cristina Chau, Said Isaac, o Nelva Reyes son algunas de las y los panameños reconocidos que han prestado su vos y su rostro a la campaña “Soy Ngäbe, soy Buglé, soy panameñ@”. En ella, denuncian con templanza las violaciones de derechos humanos registradas en el informe de varias organizaciones de la sociedad civil que han documentado el uso excesivo de la fuerza, la arbitrariedad y la violencia sexual empleada por la Policía durante la represión de las protestas antimineras de febrero en el país.

In the video, these well-known Panamanians give voice to the testimonies of the indigenous protesters that were affected by police repression. The whole report can be downloaded as a PDF [es].

In the video's description [es] Cooperativa Audiovisual adds that the campaign aims to,

mostrar que la lucha por la defensa de los recursos minerales, hídricos y ambientales no es un deber exclusivo de los Ngäbe-Buglé, sino de todos los panameñ@s.

You can see pictures of the making of the video on Facebook. Follow indigenous leader Silvia Carrera on Twitter [es] and Facebook [es] to stay on top of the news related to the Ngäbe-Bugle.

This post is part of our special coverage Indigenous Rights.

Written by Silvia Viñas · comments (1)
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Written by Juliana Rincón Parra · comments (0)
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