Global Voices Online

Will at imaginethief comments on the recent Chinese official, Yang Xiaokun's statement that China has no censorship! - an insult to people's intelligence and a PR suicide.

El Blog de Rodrigo [ES], Ana Maria Salazar, El Sendero del Peje [ES], and Mark in Mexico [ES] continue their near-hourly updates on the tension in Oaxaca. Blog.com.mx draws a comparison [ES] between Apple Computer's hesitation to license its software and President Fox's decision to send in federal troops: both decisions were correct, but came too late. Finally, Ciudad de México has various links to stories covering yesterday's march in favor of embattled governor Ulises Ruiz, but then asks: “wouldn't it be obvious that some co-called march in support of the governor … was organized by Ulises Ruiz himself?”

Liz Henry recounts an incredible (if not completely credible) story about the 1995 Medellin Poetry Festival where poets were kidnapped until they secured their freedom by reciting poetry to their captors. For more info on this year's Medellin Poetry Festival, check out Henry's post and the blogs she links to.

Gretchen Gordon takes a look at Bolivia's renegotiated contracts with foreign oil companies. Miguel Buitrago, posting a graph of the new agreements, writes: “I haven't looked at it in detail, but on the fly I am thinking, if the companies agreed to this conditions, if they agreed to keep investing, and if they said this deal is benefitial for them. Also, if the deal is benefitial for Bolivia, I'd say, way to go Evo.”

Rob Rivera paints with broad strokes what one can expect of Halloween in Panama.

Campaigning (and the consumption of alcohol) has ended in Nicaragua with Ortega in the lead, writes Erwin Cifuentes in a well-linked pre-election wrap up. Bloggings by Boz has three observations to keep in mind for on Sunday's election.

Panama was invaded by Zombies on October 28th. The event promoted by Rob Rivera and ButterFest Media was a total success. The walk started by Parque Urraca in Avenida Balboa and ended outside of the Unplugged Bar in Avenida Uruguay. For more information on this activity visit Jorge Yau's blog, Rob Rivera's Blog and Butter's Blog. Also, you can see pictures at the Photo Gallery of the Portodiao Network and Butter's official Gallery.

Tim Muth gives an update on Solidarity Net, “the program of president Tony Saca's government to provide subsidies of $30 to $40 per month to poor families with children.”

My Czech Republic Blog writes about the country that is “the hiking heaven” and “a world trail marking superpower.”