December, 2011
Stories from December, 2011
7 December 2011
Russia: Second Day of Post-Election Protests

The intrigue of the second day of post-election protests has centered around several major events: court appearances by bloggers Ilya Yashin and Alexey Navalny, a protest demonstration at Triumfalnaya Square, and discussions regarding the Kremlin's soft-power counter-revolution and various means of cyber warfare.
Guyana: Police Versus Protesters
A new president has taken his place at the helm of Guyanese government following the country's recent general elections, but while the incumbent party got re-elected, it also lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in nearly twenty years. In the wake of the postponement of election results, the national mood was edgy, but the violence unexpectedly came after the new president was already sworn into office. A handful of bloggers discuss an incident in which police confronted opposition protesters.
Cuba: Reggaeton Hit ‘Chupi Chupi' Denounced by Authorities
Over the past two weeks, reggaeton artist Osmani “La Voz” García’s popular hit 'Chupi Chupi' has begun stirring more than just the hips of partygoers on Havana’s Malecón. Cuban Minister of Culture Abel Prieto, and Cuban Institute of Music President Orlando Vistel, have publicly denounced the song and the video.
Peru: Blogs from Cajamarca Report on Conga Mine Conflict
Protests against the Conga mining project in Cajamarca continue despite the suspension of activities announced by the mining company. Juan Arellano highlights blogs written from Cajamarca that are reporting on the conflict.
Venezuela: Fighting Urban Violence
The national deployment of a branch of the Armed Forces, known as the People's Guard, has sparked interest, concern and skepticism among Venezuelan netizens.
Russia: Election and the “Other Side of the Panopticon”

The protests of recent days in Moscow were triggered by the common feeling of many Russians that the parliamentary election results are not legitimate. Gregory Asmolov analyzes the role of the Internet in exposure of falsifications and the power change between state and citizens in the new information environment.































I think the reason it stuck with me is that I was fired from my first real job--teaching at a...