Global Voices » Alfredo Richner

Puerto Rico: Another Way to Look Up

Alfredo Richner — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 12:00:52 +0000

Puerto Rican street artist and photographer Enrique Arce, known as Aslan, (@ASLANTWIT) has been posting photographs of airplanes on his Instagram account for over six months now as part of his “#parriba” (upwards) series. The project looks to engage with the community via a “Scavenger Hunt” [es] challenge detailed on his blog. Selections from the series are printed and pasted unto tiles, which are then tacked on to walls and buildings throughout San Juan. Those lucky enough to be the first to find one of these tiles and send a picture to Aslan with its location win a copy of the tile for them to keep.

In a recent interview published by Global Voices, Aslan notes: “I started collecting [the photographs] at first without a clear motive. It wasn't until I decided to work on the series that I realized that this exploration could lend itself to a different type of artistic creation that would attract attention. Its interesting to see how simple ideas such as looking up (or “p'arriba”) and photographing an airplane are the ones that attract more people.”

Below you will find ten of my favorite #parriba airplane photographs from the gigantic series – with over 600 photographs to date! All photos are republished with the artist's permission. Follow Aslan as he continues to collect more photographs through Twitter and his blog.

The following paintings belong to Aslan's collection of Creaturas en limbo (Creatures In Limbo), presented here to show some of the artist's other work. More can be seen in his blog.

Puerto Rico: Journalism Called Into Question

Alfredo Richner — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:02:09 +0000

Former President of the Association of Puerto Rican Journalists (ASPPRO), Wilda Rodríguez, wrote a scathing column [es] on the current state of journalism in Puerto Rico for local blog 80grados.net. In it, she asks for what she refers to as “simply the basics”: journalism that is informed, honest, and sensible, in order to make a better country – not before saying that:

[...] the majority of journalists are sloppy, ignorant, and undeserving of the distinction of being chroniclers of the people.

Puerto Rico: In Conversation with Calle 13′s “Residente” René Pérez

Alfredo Richner — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:16:04 +0000

It's hard to imagine anyone betting on Calle 13‘s success back in 2005, as the popular Puerto Rican group prepared to release their eponymous debut. Back then, reggaeton was still very much the rage on – and off – the island, and René Pérez Joglar (“Residente” – the group's lyricist and vocalist) and Eduardo Cabra Martínez (“Visitante” – band leader and musical mastermind) where, at first glance, just another duo trying to make it. However, their irreverent blend of hip-hop, electronica, World Music, and reggaeton was in truth much more interesting than anything else getting the media's attention – even revelatory by local radio standards.

And while the majority of the entertainment press – not ready or willing to tackle Calle 13′s more politically minded lyrics and public statements – chose to focus on the group's penchant for controversy, René and Eduardo kept working on their music: upping the stakes with each release, collaborating with renowned musicians like Café Tacuba and Gustavo Santaolalla – among many others – and conquering Latin America in the process. “Our project is honest and good. We have good lyrics, good music, we have a great live show,” René said to me simply, a couple of days before headlining the Latin Alternative Music Conference in New York City. The more than six thousand people who showed up at Brooklyn's Prospect Park for Calle 13‘s set clearly agree with him.

Our conversation took place over a couple of hours last July 3rd at Residente's apartment in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Comfortable, yet spare, with colorful paintings by local artists adorning its walls – it's evident René spends more time away from home, having played over a hundred concerts in 2011 alone. We sat down over a beer to chat about Puerto Rico's independent music scene, Twitter, and his involvement with the Movimiento Revolucionario Calle 13 or MRC13 for short – a revolutionary movement inspired by the group's lyrics. What follows is an edited version of that interview, produced for Puerto Rico Indie‘s online music series Archipiélago [es].

NOTE: If the video doesn't display English subtitles automatically, first press PLAY and then look for the CC (Captions) button under the video timeline. Click the CC button to enable or disable english captions.

*Thumbnail photo taken from Flickr from Oscalito's stream and republished under CC License BY-2.0.

Puerto Rico: Blogger's Book Doesn't Shy Away From a Good Brawl

Alfredo Richner — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:03:41 +0000

The Internet and its social networks have a peculiar way of introducing new distractions to our timelines. Reading the constant stream of status updates and tweets generated by friends, strangers, and peers can be similar to the experience of channel surfing. Too much information, not much of it particularly useful or striking.

Then something catches your eye and opens up new worlds to explore. Such was the case when I spotted a couple of Twitter users talking about Reyerta TV [es] (Brawl TV), a short story collection written by Puerto Rican writer and blogger Juanluis Ramos. I had met Juanluis thanks to our passion for music (we both run our own music blogs, his is “El Cassette Grabao” [es] or “The Mixtape”) and had even collaborated on some blog posts, as well as appeared in local radio as part of a music panel together. But I didn't know about his book before that tweet, and it was just a few days after it caught my eye that I sat down and read it.

A wonderful collection of grainy, technicolored, pop-culture inspired windows into fully realized worlds that revel in television's classic tropes. Juanluis imbues his stories with the heavy heart of a child that has taken everything in without having the chance to sort it all out: a town's sanity rests on the secret identity of its butcher, the most hated wrestler known to the sport; a woman with no cooking skills lives out the plot of a telenovela, trying to win a man's heart with a single meal; a retired detective becomes his nemesis's closest ally as his world view unravels. CLICK-CLICK-CLICK. Each story a satisfying slice of literary fiction bent on reworking our memories from sitting in front of the TV.

Intrigued with what I had just experienced, I sent Juanluis a few questions about Reyerta TV and his experience publishing the book.

GV: I just finished Reyerta TV a few days ago. So… How do I subscribe to this? Is it like Cable TV or more like Netflix? Tell us a bit about what it is and how it works.

Juanluis Ramos: Sometimes you'd wake up on a Saturday morning, there was only one television set in the house, so you couldn't turn on the Nintendo. On top of that, it was pouring outside, so you couldn't go out and ride your bike either. The only option was to sit down in front of the television and watch whatever your dad was watching.

He was nice and would let you watch Ninja Turtles, and would even watch them with you, but once that show was over and a soap opera would begin (I don't know why local channels always have to broadcast soap operas) – then it was your mother who sat down to watch. Once that was over, it was the wresting superstars that everyone in the family sat down to watch. And afterwards a movie with karate or guns – and you would get really pumped because you loved to see some kicking and shooting. Then the news, and you'd watch even if you didn't know much about what was going on. Your mother would call you for dinner and after you'd eaten, then you could turn on the Nintendo.

That's more or less Reyerta TV. But in the end, it is just a book.

GV: The collection was published first in 2010 and now enjoys a second edition. It is not only surprising that it exists, but that its design shows great care in what must have clearly been a labor of love. When did you decide to publish Reyerta TV and how many people did the process involve?

JR: The idea to publish the book came after an earlier version of it came in second place in a literary competition sponsored by the University of Puerto Rico. Several publishers expressed interest in publishing the book, but nothing came out of it. Until a new publisher Libros AC [es] (AC Books) was born, offering Reyerta TV as one of its first two titles.

And yes, it is a labor of love. It is so because it was made between friends. It was designed by Samuel Medina with artwork by Cristian Guzmán Cardona.

GV: You also received the National Story Award handed out by Puerto Rico's PEN Club. What's been the general reaction to Reyerta TV?

JR: Overall it has been good. I was reviewed in a couple of local newspapers, various blogs, a few radio shows with a focus on culture, and it even showed up in Venezuela's national television just the other day. Also, several University of Puerto Rico professors have assigned the book to their students, and tell me that they enjoy it, plus they send me essays they've made in school about my book. Sometimes these teachers invite me to class so I can talk with their students and their reaction has always been positive – they have shown much interest.

GV: Which one's your favorite story within Reyerta TV?

JR: I'm not really sure, but the one I have most affection for is the chronicle that ends the book, “Ficción Aparte: Boletín de Última Hora” (Fiction Aside: Breaking News). Why? Because everything in that text happened to me. It's really intense, to have been robbed in front of your house, for someone to hold a gun to your head and steal your computer – with the book's manuscript in it. They stole the book weeks before I took it to the press. Then, I had to do it all again.

GV: Since we both met through our music blogs, and could very well be considered music geeks, I wanted to ask you: What's the soundtrack to Reyerta TV?

JR: A difficult question! It's something I've thought about since the book came out and I've never been able to come close to a satisfying answer – but let's see…

Black Flag – TV Party
The Minutemen – This Ain’t No Picnic
Mima – Como en un anuncio [es] (Like in an advertisement)
Alexander Ebert – Truth
Pedro Piedra – Vacaciones en el más allá [es] (Far Away Vacations)

What do you think? Which songs would you add?

GV: Excellent. I would add “De mí enamórate” [es] (Fall in love with me), written by Juan Gabriel and sung by Daniela Romo, and “Watching the Detectives” by Elvis Costello & The Attractions. I think we just might have made one of the greatest literary mixtapes ever.

Reyerta TV is available through the Libros AC Online Store[es]. You can follow Juanluis Ramos through his Twitter account: @jey_elle.

This interview is edited for length and context. The full interview was published (in Spanish) in PuertoRicoIndie.com and can be read here.

Puerto Rico: It's a Bird… It's a Plane… It's Aslan!

Alfredo Richner — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:59:16 +0000

Enrique “Kike” Arce is known online and on walls as Aslan, one of the most innovative street artists working in Puerto Rico. His online presence has developed into a key instrument for promoting his work while actively engaging with his followers and fans. Aslan's projects mix the more traditional art tools – pencils, ink, paper, acrylics on canvas – with cutting edge social tools like Instagram, blogger platforms, as well as more playful components like toys, t-shirts, vinyl records, and tiles.

Aslan's blog is a virtual gallery of his works and ideas, which reveal a joyful, highly stylized and colorful world filled with wonder and nostalgia, and influenced in large part by American and Japanese popular culture. Enrique recognizes his art as fun for both him and his audience – and it is precisely that preoccupation which brings cohesion to his various projects.

His series of airplane photographs, #parriba [es] (upwards), is perhaps Aslan's most ambitious and engaging project yet. Using his iPhone and the popular photo application Instagram, Enrique documents airplanes flying high above – collecting hundreds of samples in the process. A selection of photographs is then printed and pasted unto tiles which are scattered throughout San Juan's buildings, walls, and streets. People are invited through his blog and Instagram to participate on a “Scavenger Hunt” [es]: the first person to find each tile and take a picture of its location wins his own copy.

Selections from the #parriba series.

The #parriba series is a powerful example of the interactions possible between artists and the public at large online. By blending technology, exploratory elements, and serialization, Aslan has arrived at something that is both rigorous and accessible, art that can be enjoyed far from the galleries that often alienate artists from potential followers – and clients.

Global Voices (GV): How would you describe your work? What do you think are its most distinctive features?

Aslan (A): My work demonstrates the passion I felt as a kid towards japanese Otaku culture and the Pop Culture of the 80′s. In a very spontaneous way, I've decided to illustrate these fantastic themes that congregate in my mind, creating characters or creatures from how I see the surreal world.

GV: Do you feel as part of a wider artistic movement?

A: I think that my work has made me part of a group of emergent artists in Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans are known around the world for being helpful, for extending a helping hand to neighbors, friends, co-workers – and that is not an exception in the art world. The support that each of my projects receives is grand, it transcends barriers and turns into friendships. Criticism is constructive and helps us to improve.

GV: Why Instagram?

A: I decided to use the medium as a means of expression towards an artistic goal. I'm an impulsive and hyperactive person that always needs to find something to do and I found the perfect medium – social networks, which have so much happening that they are a perfect match. They represent a new lifestyle where we acquire tons of information. I decided to show my work through them in order to help in educating Puerto Ricans to appreciate art.

GV: How did you arrive at the concept for #parriba and why your fascination with airplanes?

A: If you only knew – I have no fascination with planes. It's more like an obsession with posting (photos). When I first decided to think about what to do with Instagram that was different to how it is normally used for – photos from daily life – I found planes interesting because of their abundance and the monothematic capacity that proved to be a perfect fit with my vision.

I started collecting them at first without a clear motive. It wasn't until I decided to work on the series that I realized that this exploration could lend itself to a different type of artistic creation that would attract attention. Its interesting to see how simple ideas such as looking up (or “p'arriba”) and photographing an airplane are the ones that attract more people.

GV: How many pictures of airplanes do you currently have? How many do you need?

A: Over the past six months – or more – I've been taking more and more pictures. It has become part of me, to the point I've collected over 600 photos. I think for a project like this to take flight you need at least 200 photographs or more. Although it is never enough – I've thought about expanding the project to the whole island and I would need more than a thousand photos. It's something I have been thinking about and will decide sometime. For the time being I keep preparing myself by taking photos each time I can.

Learn more about Aslan and his work by visiting his blog and following him on Twitter.

This interview is edited for length and context. The full interview was published (in Spanish) in PuertoRicoIndie.com and can be read here.

Puerto Rico: Concerns About Wind Energy Proposal

Alfredo Richner — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:46:39 +0000

“Don Quijote felt he needed to defend himself from giants. I need to protect my family from these giants that are being installed in a densely populated area. Not only are they feet away from [our] homes but they are in fertile grounds used for agriculture,” wrote Puerto Rican blogger Raúl Colón on a post titled “Don Quijote, “Molinos”, Health Risks, & Santa Isabel” [es] this past May. A resident of Santa Isabel, a southern coastal municipality in Puerto Rico, Raúl is concerned about the health risks related to having 44 wind turbines installed near his home.

The project “Finca de Viento Santa Isabel” (Santa Isabel Wind Farm), of the San Francisco, California, company Pattern Energy, is one of several [es] multi-million dollar renewable-energy projects projected to begin production this year on the island – and once completed it will be the largest of its kind in the Caribbean. The company states on its website that it expects “to provide clean, safe and renewable energy equal to the annual power needs of about 25,000 homes.” However, as the first turbines were being raised during the last weeks of May, some of Santa Isabel's 21,000+ residents such as Raúl began having second thoughts about the project and its proximity to their homes.

Concerned activist groups such as the Frente de Rescate Agrícola (FRA) [es] (Agriculture Rescue Front) have raised awareness about Pattern Energy's Santa Isabel wind farm claiming [es] the project will have a adverse effects on the municipality's agricultural industry and its residents’ health – without the promised benefit of reduced energy costs. The Puerto Rico Farmers Association President Ramón González blasted the project, stating to the press: “What is happening in this case is troubling. They are sacrificing 3,000 acres of some of the island’s best farmland.” Several members of the FRA where arrested late last year while protesting at the site.

This is not the first time that Pattern Energy has encountered resistance from concerned citizens; a similar project in Ocotillo Wells in San Diego County, California has also met with opposition. Meanwhile, residents from Falmouth, Massachusetts have begun speaking out about how noisy turbines have affected their health, leading to the temporary shutdown of that project.

Back in Puerto Rico, residents of the municipality of Guayanilla recently reported suspicious smoke [es] emanating from the cracked soils at another wind farm development project. The troubled project [es], by Windmar Renewal Energy, has resulted in what many consider an ecological disaster [es].

Below, a humorous tour of Pattern Energy's Santa Isabel facility by Puerto Rican independent musician and artist Fernando Castro Álvarez. The video features the character of “El obrero Curet”, a worker more than happy to risk his life and well-being in the name of “progress,” and was produced as part of Fernando's audio-visual project, La Avanzada Y.

Thumbnail image of a wind turbine in the Isle of Lewis, taken from http://www.uhi.ac.uk/sustainable's Flickr account under CC License BY-2.0.

Puerto Rico: Student Detained After Performance Deemed “Indecent”

Alfredo Richner — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:07:32 +0000

Charlene Jane González de Jesús, a student at the University of Puerto Rico, was detained by state police last Thursday, April 19, 2012, at the institution's Río Piedras campus after taking her top off in public as part of a performance art piece in protest of gender inequality.

The fourth year Drama major was approached first by campus police, who intervened after having received several complaints from offended parties and proceeded to drive González to the Río Piedras police station once she refused to put her top back on. At the station, she was interviewed by state police and received a citation for next Friday, April 27.

The case was widely reported by all major local news media outlets, except by the University of Puerto Rico's own newspaper, Diálogo and its online component Diálogo Digital [es]. Diálogo reporter Joel Cintrón, who covered Charlene's story, expressed his frustration through local blog 80grados.com [es], which ended up publishing the censored piece:

[...] la historia fue reseñada, pero el presidente de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Miguel Muñoz, dio la orden de que el tema de Charlene y su arresto no se trataran de ninguna manera por Diálogo Digital. Así me lo hizo saber Melba I. Guzmán Díaz, relacionista pública que fue nombrada como directora de Diálogo pero quien en la práctica funge como relacionista de la administración.

[...] the story was covered, but the University of Puerto Rico's president, Miguel Muñoz, gave the order that Charlene and her arrest where not to be addressed in any way by Diálogo Digital. So I was told by Melba I. Guzmán Díaz, the public relations manager named director of Diálogo who in practice acts as a publicist for the administration.

Questions about why campus police had taken Charlene González directly to the police station and not the University's security office were left unanswered by said institution's security personnel.

Charlene Jane González de Jesús, at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus (Source: Facebook Public Profile)

Local bloggers and social media users where quick to disregard University president Muñoz's wishes that the story go unreported – with many chiming in on Charlene's story. Perhaps most controversial was PODER 5′s Michael Castro, who describes himself as a “Christian human father, husband, teacher, blogger” on his Twitter account (@MichaelDCC), and led the charge against Charlene's protest.

On his post “Charlene Jane Gonzalez: The body as a weapon to make fool of yourself” [es], Michael writes under his blogger name, Prometeo:

Personalmente entiendo que ni hombres ni mujeres deben andar por ahí descamisados[...] En una playa, si un hombre quiere andar descamisado lo hace y punto y la mujer usa su bikini y ya está. Si quieren ir a una playa donde ir topless sea para ambos entonces esas playas tienen acceso restringido porque no todo el mundo quiere verle los pechos a una mujer[...] Hay un lugar para cada cosa pero algunas personas no entienden eso, en especial gente como Charlene Jane Gonzalez [...]

Personally, I understand that neither men nor women should walk around topless[...] At a beach, if a man wants to walk around topless he can do so and a woman can wear her bikini and that's it. If you want to go to a topless beach for both, then those beaches have restricted access because not everyone wants to see a woman's breasts [...] There is a place for everything, but some people don't understand that – especially people like Charlene Jane Gonzalez [...]

He continued, making numerous references throughout his post to Charlene's breast size:

Si Charlene quiere que la acompañen va a tener que buscar otras muchachas con su condición de microbusto para que la acompañen en la lucha por los derechos de las que no tienen… derechos.

If Charlene wants people to join her she better find other women with her condition of “microbust” so that they may accompany her in her fight for the rights of those who don't have any… rights.

The misogyny was not lost on all readers, some of whom reached out to Michael through Twitter, Facebook, and blog comments:

Nadie Hernández (@aerigirl80) questioned via Twitter: “Why make constant references to her [chest] size? If they were big, would they be “melons”? Is the fact relevant? [es]

Hector Ramos similarly addressed the subject in Raul Colón's blog post regarding the issue, “Topless Self Expression, Noise & Using the Right Platform”:

How did she open herself for mockery? By failing to have breasts big enough for your liking? Your repeated comments regarding the size of her breasts show a lack of respect towards women.

Blogger “Elco Lao” was moved further towards Charlene's defense after reading Prometeo's post, writing in his “Letter to Prometeo about Nude Protests and the University of Puerto Rico's scandal after noticing a student protesting with her naked breasts…” [es]:

En el caso de Charlene González de Jesús, su PROTESTA DESNUDA es un acto en el que ejerce un DERECHO HUMANO DE LIBERTAD DE EXPRESIÓN, que NINGUNA SOCIEDAD DEBE CONDENAR… Pero, que tú, o que yo, no estemos dispuestos a realizar este tipo de protesta, sea por los criterios morales o éticos que cada cual tenga [...] no es JUSTO que impongamos nuestros criterios a la hora de limitar o prohibir una MANIFESTACIÓN PACÍFICA que denuncia las actitudes de discrimen en nuestra sociedad, INCLUYENDO EL RECHAZO AL CUERPO DESNUDO EN PÚBLICO…

In the case of Charlene González de Jesús, her nude protest is an act in which a human right to free speech is exercised, which no society should condemn [...] That you or I are not willing to participate in this type of protest, be it for the moral or ethical criteria that each of us may have [...] it is not fair for us to impose our criteria in order to limit or prohibit a peaceful protest that denounces discriminatory attitudes in our society, including the rejection of the naked body in public…

What remains crystal clear is that there are still many more people on the island that, like Michael Castro, dismiss Charlene's protest and subsequent arrest as something worthy of public ridicule. Katherine M. Cepeda-Rivera writes for Cruce – an online culture magazine published by Puerto Rico's Metropolitan University – about the more than 800 comments [es] posted under leading local newspaper El Nuevo Día's initial news report about the incident:

Los mismos nos plantean un problema grave: un problema grave de moralidad. Tanto hombres como mujeres se dedicaron a escribir insultos dentro de los cuales se encontraban: “puerca”, “sucia”, “puta”, “inconsciente”, “loca”, “desquiciada” [...] Aparentemente mostrar las tetas es un acto más lascivo que, de acuerdo con algunas personas, un beso entre gays o lesbianas, más lascivo que un hombre se case con una mujer veinte años menor o viceversa, más lascivo que el problema de trata humana en Puerto Rico. Repito, TRATA HUMANA en Puerto Rico (el cual no ha tenido cobertura). El que una mujer muestre las tetas es un acto más lascivo, más lascivo… LASCIVO.

These pose a grave problem: a grave problem about morality. Both men and women wrote insults, including: “pig”, “dirty”, “whore”, “irresponsible”, “crazy”, “mad” [...] Apparently, showing your breasts is a more lascivious act for some than a kiss between gays or lesbians, more lascivious than a man marrying a woman twenty years younger or vice versa, more lascivious than the problem of human trafficking in Puerto Rico. I repeat, HUMAN TRAFFICKING in Puerto Rico (which has received no news coverage). For a woman to show her breasts is a more lascivious act, more lascivious… LASCIVIOUS.

Amárilis Pagán Jiménez states her concerns in a separate column for Cruce, “El cuerpo en guerra” [es] (The body in battle):

En Puerto Rico al día de hoy, los cuerpos de las mujeres son campos de batalla devastados por el fundamentalismo religioso, el conservadurismo gubernamental y la hipocresía de los líderes políticos que seguramente disfrutan plenamente de sus propios cuerpos y que prefieren guardar silencio con una mojigatería que les debería avergonzar. Acuso a esos líderes, a las iglesias cuyos discursos sólo contribuyen a reprimir el cuerpo humano y a verlo como pecado y a las empresas que se lucran de la venta de nuestra sexualidad, de todas las agresiones sexuales, la violencia en relaciones de pareja y la represión de expresiones políticas legítimas que hoy nos avasallan. Pero también asumo parte de la culpabilidad, y creo que el resto del país debe asumirla. Porque en la medida en que guardamos silencio, miramos a otro lado o nos sentimos con demasiado trabajo como para apoyar las acciones de defensa de nuestra humanidad, nos hacemos cómplices de quienes nos agreden.

In Today's Puerto Rico, women's bodies are battlegrounds devastated by religious fundamentalism, government conservatism, and the hypocrisy of political leaders that surely enjoy their own bodies to the fullest – and that prefer to remain silent with a prudishness they should be ashamed of. I accuse those leaders, and the churches whose discourse contributes to the repression of the human body and to see it as sin, and the businesses that make money by selling our sexuality, from all the sexual aggressions, violence between couples and the repression of legitimate political expressions that subjugate us today. But I also assume part of the blame, and I think the rest of the country should too. Because as we remain silent, look the other way or feel too busy to support the defense of actions in favor of our humanity, we become accomplices to those who assault us.

And as interest for Charlene's story dies down, one comment lingers and a question remains. As blogger and Twitter user Michael Castro wrote to fellow Twitter users @aerogirl80 and @elcolao in their back-and-forth about this incident: “My attitude is a reaction to Charlene's “protest”. Some praise her, some defend her, and I laugh.”

What will Puerto Rico do?
.

Puerto Rico: Journalist Adds Volume to His Voice on Twitter

Alfredo Richner — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:20:25 +0000

One of Puerto Rico's most recognizable journalistic voices, Rafael Lenín López has made his career on local television news programming (Noticentro, WAPA TV) and radio shows (Pegaos en la Mañana, Radio Isla). At 34, he has already been elected twice as president of the Puerto Rican Journalists Association.

Although his incursion into Facebook and Twitter should not come as a surprise, what is genuinely thrilling is the way in which Rafael has been able to use social networks as a bridge between his different journalistic enterprises.

Rafael uses his @LeninPR Twitter account – with over 20,000 followers – to offer quick updates and information about the latest news, later to be covered in greater depth on television or radio. The account has also provided him an outlet to voice his opinions and establish a more direct connection with the Puerto Rican audience. In fact, it was through Twitter that we politely asked Rafael for some time away from his busy schedule in order to answer a few questions for us:

Journalist Rafael Lenín López. Photo republished with his permission.

Global Voices (GV): I would like to start by asking you – not about the beginning of your career (we’ll get to that later) – but about your introduction to social networks. Since you already had the experience of working within more traditional or established mediums such as radio and television, what motivated you to start reporting through Twitter? How did you come by this medium?

Rafael Lenín López (RLL): Hello! Thank you for your interest. After the frenzy over Facebook, I was a little skeptical about going into other social networks. However, I went into the Twittersphere and found a much more practical way to simultaneously report breaking news and create a new personality through a medium with an audience which was different from the one for traditional media. It also grants me the opportunity to slip personal comments and opinions through, which wouldn’t be allowed in traditional media. I can quickly exchange comments with the audience, people get to know me better, and I get to know them better as well.

I don’t remember how I came by Twitter, but I’m pretty sure that the events that boosted my account were [ex-Senator] Héctor Martínez’s trial [es] and the governor’s interview [es] in [local television gossip program] La Comay.

GV: You’re presently working for WAPA TV and Radio Isla, and you were also reelected president of the Puerto Rican Journalist Association. Has your exposition over social networks created any conflict with your professional work? Has it resulted in any qualms about the way you present yourself to the audience? Do you hold any considerations when you send a tweet or share something over the social networks?

RLL: For more conservative individuals perhaps this “over-exposure” would imply a conflict, but not to me. I try to complement my professional job with the content I put out in social media. Maybe it has become the outlet through which I combine the work I do in radio with the work I do on TV. My objective is to share the most urgent and immediate information through social media, and leave the details and explanations for radio and television.

I write my opinions and comments when I deem it important to express them and generate some sort of discussion or debate. People need that spark to wake them up. To date, there hasn't been any conflict generated by this.

GV: Journalism seems to be more hard-pressed than ever to adopt a greater focus towards entertainment, thanks to the economic realities of media outlets. The emergence of the so-called “crowdsourcing” also complicates the situation. Were these trends already taking shape when you started your career? What were your greatest challenges back then? How does it all compare with your experience in the present day?

RLL: When I began my career at WPAB Radio in Ponce, none of these trends were emerging just yet. I had the chance to witness a great and disorderly transition in mass media, a transition that made most people a little crazy and left many without a job. At the beginning, I was working with analog broadcast consoles and playing publicity ads from cartridges; I edited reels with razor blades and ripped the paper out of the teleprinter with a ruler. I used to break into a sprint whenever I heard the bell that announced an urgent piece of news. And be mindful that I’m only 34 years old!

The present-day experience is completely different, but what I’ve gone through previously – at risk of sounding a bit nostalgic – allows me to perfectly understand the situation confronted by communicators nowadays.

GV: What is the present state of journalism in Puerto Rico? Are journalists fulfilling their role?

RLL: I think they are. I think we have journalists that tend to be very responsible and committed to their work and, above all, to our nation. However, we should improve our investigative journalism.

GV: You recently shared an essay on Facebook [es] about the national broadcast of the picture of a decapitated head. In this essay, you say: “we have to take an investigative angle on these cases, and analyze how the lack of proper planning to confront this social problem has brought us to this point.” What hinders this kind of coverage? Is investigative coverage being done as rigorously as it should?

RLL: Our daily criminal activity does not allow us communicators – hence the rest of the nation – to take pause and thoroughly analyze the social problems we’re afflicted by. The daily time slots allowed for news are taken up by the most recent events, and very little time is left over for a more composed discussion. Alternative media, therefore, plays an important role in this.

GV: The Occupy Wall Street movement is becoming the North American version of the Arab Spring. What’s your take on this movement? What effect could it have on our island?

RLL: I think it’s appropriate for people to attempt to occupy spaces we’ve come to accept as “not ours.” However, I think we’re far from a widespread movement in Puerto Rico because of the poor sense of collectivity we have when it comes to explaining and solving our own problems.

GV: In your career, which news have most impressed you and what did you learn from them?

RLL: For its human drama, the explosion in Río Piedras in 1996 – without a doubt. Considering more frequent, everyday events, the trials over cases of corruption are evidence of how our political elite is rotting from the inside. Also, when it comes to people, both interviews to Filiberto Ojeda Ríos [es] marked me for life.

GV: Is it difficult to detach yourself emotionally from news that impassion you, be it a coverage on elections, interviews, or anything else? Do you feel detachment is a requirement?

RLL: I don’t think it’s necessary, and I usually don’t detach myself. I’m a citizen and resident of this nation and this planet. We cannot offer coverage as if we were aliens. This doesn’t mean we should take sides in a controversial case. In such situations, what’s appropriate is to present all angles justly.

GV: You’ve openly supported musical projects such as Orquesta el Macabeo and Calle 13 over Twitter. Do you follow the local musical scene? What other music do you like?

RLL: I do follow the local musical scene. I like what’s happening out there with the artists and cultural exponents that aren’t well received by the mainstream media. That’s how I realize how disconnected traditional media really is.

I listen to almost every kind of music, as long as it’s good.

GV: Lastly, could you share with our readers any advice that you understand is vital to achieve a better nation for everyone?

RLL: We need to build a nation whose ultimate goal is solidarity and collectivity.

Special thanks to Diana Campo (@dianadhevi) for her work translating this interview.

For a longer version of this interview (in Spanish) you can read Puerto Rico Indie here.

Puerto Rico: Calle 13 Reach New Heights with Music Video

Alfredo Richner — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 03:16:51 +0000

With more than 2 million views since being uploaded to YouTube a week ago, music group Calle 13′s new video “Latinoamérica” [es] has found widespread acclaim online and around the world.

The clip, co-directed by Jorge Carmona and Milovan Radovic, begins with the Puerto Rican duo of brothers René Pérez Joglar (Residente) and Eduardo José Cabra Martínez (Visitante) visiting a small Peruvian radio station in the mountains, where they are introduced by a Quechua-speaking discjockey. It then alternates between clips of Latin American people and landscapes, as well as several animated segments which allude to the lyrics “vamos dibujando el camino” (we are drawing the way as we go) [es].

A couple of blogs from the Puerto Rican blogosphere have commented on the video. Ivonne Acosta Lespier, from the blog Sin Mordazas [es,] wrote:

En lo alto de los Andes, en tierra Inca, nuestros embajadores de buena voluntad René Pérez (Residente) y su hermano Eduardo Cabra (Visitante), censurados en su propia tierra, cantan lo que quisieran que nuestra gente escuchara a “las caras más bonitas que he conocido” que resultan ser los olvidados del mundo en la era del capitalismo salvaje.

In the heights of the Andes, in Inca land, our ambassadors of good will René Pérez (Residente) and his brother Eduardo Cabra (Visitante), censored in their own land, sing what they wish our own people could hear, to “the most beautiful places that I have known,” which are the world's forgotten people in the capitalist era.

She adds:

El estribillo podría ser un himno para cantarle a los desarrollistas preferidos por este Gobierno que se canta “verde” pero destruye la naturaleza de nuestra Isla para venderle terrenos, incluyendo los que antes estaban protegidos, al mejor postor y ganar millones.

The lyrics could be the hymn to sing to the favorite developers of this government, who call themselves “green” but destroy our island's nature to sell lands, including those lands that before were protected, to the best bidder and to win millions.

PuertoRicoIndie.com, which recently posted an essay [es] comparing Calle 13′s ‘Latinoamérica’ to a song by the ever-popular Mexican rock group Maná, that shares the same name, had this to say about the video:

Una colaboración entre los directores Jorge Carmona y Milovan Radovic, el vídeo captura la diversidad del continente, encontrando su esencia entre su gente y sus paisajes. Logra esto con la misma efectividad que lo hacen la música y letras del tema – René Pérez y Eduardo Cabra reconocen que el tema es más grande que ellos dos y que el trabajó está en documentar. Tampoco se trata de sorpresas, si no de un reflejo – de la historia, de la realidad, de la actualidad.

A collaboration between directors Jorge Carmona and Milovan Radovic, the video captures the continent's diversity, finding its essence among its people and landscapes. It achieves this with the same effectiveness as the song's music and lyrics – René Pérez and Eduardo Cabra recognize the song is bigger than the two of them and that their job is to document. It's not really about surprises, but of creating a reflection – of [the continent's] history, of its reality, of actuality.

René “Residente” Pérez, who has spent the week actively promoting the video through his Twitter account, @Calle13Oficial [es] proudly proclaimed to his millions of followers:

el video de #Latinoamerica en menos de 1 semana llegara a los 2 millones de views,sin sonar en la radio.

The video for “Latinoamérica” in less than a week will reach 2 million views, without the song being played on the radio.

He later added:

El video de”Latinoamérica” llegó a las 2 millones de visitas..Gracias a VEVO por nada..jeje..

The video for “Latinoamérica” reached 2 million views… Thanks for nothing, VEVO!

The video for “Latinoamérica” was uploaded directly to YouTube by the group, eschewing the popular music video syndication platform VEVO, which is used by many international artists and is co-owned by Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media.

Calle 13 was recently nominated in a record-setting 10 categories for the 2011 Latin Grammy Awards, including “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year” for “Latinoamérica.

*Post co-authored with César Santiago.

Puerto Rico: Tuning In to a New Voice For Political Satire

Alfredo Richner — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:01:54 +0000

Really?! Yes – there is a political satire show aimed at young people, and it’s not Los Rayos Gamma™ 2.0. En Serio is broadcast on channel 30 (Play TV) in Puerto Rico, Sundays at 6pm, and through their website.

It’s inspired mainly by successful American political satire shows – blending Stephen Colbert’s irreverence, Jon Stewart’s social commentary and Bill Maher’s panel discussions, and adapting those influences for a young Puerto Rican audience with topics of interest and local guests. To date, En Serio’s studio has hosted a healthy mix of politicians, bloggers, analysts, musicians and activists.

With the show's first season officially over, we sent some questions to En Serio’s anchorman, Alejandro Díaz, in order to learn more about his experience with the show and its production process. The resulting interview is a great way to familiarize yourselves with the show before the start of its second season, scheduled to begin during this month (September 2011).

Global Voices (GV): For those who haven’t tuned in yet, what is ¿¡En Serio!?, and where can you catch the show?

Alejandro Díaz (AD): En Serio is a political satire show produced with the intention of reporting the weekly news in a humorous way, thus setting us apart from traditional media and their manner of reporting, which never breaks the surface. You can tune in on Sundays at 6pm, on channel 30 (on local Puerto Rican television station Play TV). You can also watch us on Mondays from 6pm through our website achoenserio.com [es], where all of our episodes are uploaded.

GV: How did this project come into being? Was it always meant to be broadcast through both TV and the Internet?

AD: It was our producer’s (Juan Marrero) idea. Juan came to me with the concept more than two years ago, but it wasn’t anything tangible. None of us thought it would materialize. Last summer, we attempted to start working on the show, made exclusively for the Internet. But our lack of discipline kept us from even writing a script. Last February, Juan calls me up and tells me that the owner of local channel 30 (Play TV) was interested in the show – that he wouldn’t censor us, and that he would allow us to put all the episodes online. It was very important for us to be able to upload all episodes to the Internet because our target audience spends more time online than in front of the TV set. Besides, there aren’t that many shows that do that sort of thing in Puerto Rico.

Image credit: achoenserio.com

GV: Do you have any academic background on media production? Who or what inspired you to make a show about political commentary, discussion, and satire?

AD: I have no academic background on production, but I’ve worked in many production projects. My father was a publicist for years, and I used to help him out in the sets for his ads. I also worked with my brother in some short films he made. I never expected to work in production, and I wasn’t interested in being in front of the cameras either, but Juan’s idea got me really motivated. I’m a fan of politics, but I’ve never been fond of how they treat political topics on our island. I used to get embarrassed when my friends turned on my car’s stereo and it happened to be tuned to AM radio.

GV: How many people are involved in the show’s production? How long does it take to make an episode?

AD: Right now, there’s 5 of us, and it takes us 5 days to make a complete episode. On Wednesdays we meet up to discuss the most relevant topics and to decide which of those have the most potential for comedy. This meeting is very important because it is where we decide the angle from which we will report each news piece, and we are at disadvantage because we’re the last show to discuss any topic on a typical news cycle since we air on Sundays. On Thursdays and Friday mornings, I write the script. We record the monologue and panel discussion on Friday nights. On Saturdays, our art director (Alfredo Bermúdez) works on all the required images and edits the recordings from his home. By 6pm on Sunday, Alfredo has a finished show, and we do the interview live.

GV: How do you decide whom to invite to the show, either for an interview or a discussion panel?

AD: We try to have young people that ascribe to different societal and economical ideologies (conservatives vs. liberals) for the discussion panel. We’re not interested in partisan debates because they’ve proved to be of no use at all as a solution to anything. Besides, there’s WKAQ [es] and RadioIsla [es] for that. In the next few months we’re going to try new things with the panel. We want political discussions to be more humorous without losing substance. We also have a discussion panel about films, plus other pending panels about sports and music. Some of the guests are friends of ours, others have been referred to us. We’ve even met some of them through Twitter.

I have to admit I don’t have a set system when it comes to choosing guests. Usually, Juan comes up with a name, then I come up with another, until we come to an agreement. The difficulty in getting a hold of them factors into our decision.

GV: Which is the most difficult: the monologue, the interview or the discussion panel? Which part of your job is your favorite, and why?

AD: The most difficult is the monologue. Preparing it takes the most time in the production stage, and it’s an emotional investment. That’s why I think it’s my favorite part as well. Seeing the final product and hearing the audience’s reactions and laughter is very gratifying.

GV: Who would you like to interview in the future? Is there anyone you wouldn’t interview?

AD: I’d like to interview Alejandro García Padilla, since he conveyed interest in coming to the show before announcing his candidacy [for local governor], but we don’t exist for him anymore. Apparently, channel 30 is below his level now. I confess that I’d also like to interview Ruben Sánchez [a local TV and radio personality] and spend the entire interview interrupting him [as he does frequently on his interviews].

GV: Who constitutes the show’s audience? What are you doing to make the numbers grow?

AD: Our audience is composed of young people – students and professionals interested in local and global politics. We’ve worked to make our audience grow by handing out flyers in places where they gather. We’ve also been reviewed by local newspapers, and our press releases have been published. Another medium that has covered the show is the Puerto Rican blogosphere.

GV: I imagine you watch shows like The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Real Time with Bill Maher… Do you have a favorite? Who has the best monologue, in your opinion?

AD: Of course I watch them! They were the inspiration for this project. My favorite, even though I know some of my colleagues think otherwise, is Jon Stewart. Stewart has achieved what I aspire to: a balance between comedy and information. Stewart is the happy medium between Colbert and Maher. He’s not as serious as Maher, nor as silly as Colbert. For most young people, these shows – along with the Internet and social networks – are their main news sources. That is what we aspire to be.

We want to be one of the primary news sources for Puerto Rico's youth. Behind our cynicism and satire are actual facts that help keep our audience informed.

Interview originally published in Spanish at PuertoRicoIndie.com. Translation for Global Voices by Diana Campo (Twitter: @dianadhevi).

Puerto Rico: Resident Sends Message to Mayor Through Blog

Alfredo Richner — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:51:19 +0000

A polarizing figure in Puerto Rican politics, Jorge Santini is currently serving his third term as the Mayor of San Juan. During his years in office, Puerto Rico's capital has faced plenty of tough challenges that affect the entire island – slow economic growth, rise in crime, the ongoing drug wars, more homeless people living in its streets, and more.

There are, however, very specific issues that affect San Juan's residents and business owners, administrative issues, for example, that slowly take their toll on the day to day lives of voters and leave them wishing for better leadership. Such is the case with Giancarlo González, born and raised in San Juan, and currently residing in the historic district of Old San Juan. Giancarlo runs the blog JorgeSantini.com [es], dedicated to improving the life of sanjuaneros by reporting on the particular issues that affect him and his neighbors, as well as those who visit the district.

www.jorgesantini.com

Poor administrative handling of issues such as traffic, city planning, and energy conservation are all discussed in JorgeSantini.com in an effort to form a discussion between fellow residents, businessmen – and of course, their mayor. Global Voices sent some questions over to Giancarlo in order to learn more about his experience with the blog.

Global Voices (GV): When did you acquire JorgeSantini.com and what did you intend to do with the URL in the first place?

Giancarlo González (GG): I first acquired JorgeSantini.com in 2005, after noticing that for the 2004 elections it pointed to the opponent's website (Puerto Rican Senator Eduardo Bhatia of the Popular Democratic Party). I found it funny and showed it to different people when the subject came up… One day, I checked the domain and found that the opposing party had let the name expire, so I bought it.

I had no plans for it initially, but I did have ideas for San Juan, so I thought it was a good URL name to have in case I had an opportunity to talk to the mayor.

GV: What motivated you to start the JorgeSantini.com blog?

GG: I wanted to get the mayor's attention. I ran into him several times and mentioned that I had the name, and he always said that “he would get in touch with me in regards to some ideas he had.” He also left me some contacts – which I called, but never received a response…

One day, I just decided to start blogging about the situation with JorgeSantini.com and the fact that the mayor didn't care enough about the name nor the potential opportunities that we could develop [through it].

During the 2008 elections, his ad-agency (Publicidad Tere Suárez, which I am familiar with) contacted me in regards to the blog, and requested that we redirect the name to the official election site – santinialcalde2008.com [no longer online] – which we did. But the relationship never went beyond that, so after the election was over, I reactivated the blog.

GV: Have you always lived in the municipality?

GG: Yes, born and raised in San Juan. This past year, however, I moved to Old San Juan.

GV: Has the blog allowed you to get closer to your neighbors? How has it impacted your community?

GG: Unlike the suburbs, Old San Juan has a lot of issues – traffic, the homeless, construction, commerce, activities, etc. After experiencing numerous traffic and parking issues, I decided to focus the blog on Old San Juan issues, reporting situations that I considered important for every resident of the area.

People email me their concerns and complaints, and I post them on the blog. In many cases, it's as simple as noticing a “closed street” that is currently open [es], and cars keep going in, only to have to back up because the street has no exit. Visitors encounter issues of poor guidance and the municipality does a bad job of keeping order with incoming traffic. This is my number one concern. If a resident of Old San Juan has a medical emergency on a Saturday or Sunday, there is a high probability he will not have aid arrive on time [es] (or he will not be able to leave fast enough) because of the log-jam traffic.

Traffic in Old San Juan on a typical weekend. Image by jorgesantini.com.

GV: What do you think is the role of citizen journalism? Do you consider yourself a citizen journalist?

GG: Peole say “the world is smaller” in terms of technology connecting remote places and allowing people to communicate easier. This also means that there is a lot of “news” that happens in specific areas, that is much easier for individuals to report on – the major newspapers can't cover every single issue that is ocurring in specific sectors of Puerto Rico. For example: Santurce, Hato Rey, Ocean Park, Viejo San Juan, Condado, Miramar – each particular neighborhood or district within the municipality of San Juan has issues affecting the residents of that community. How do you get the message accross to those who can do something about it?

I think the role of citizen journalism, at least on my end, is to try and make the life of those around you better by reporting and proposing solutions to daily situations that may be improved. Why should Old San Juan residents feel like they live in a prison, when it takes them twenty minutes to exit their home, spending time in eternal traffic jams, or having to hear a “symphony orchestra” of car horns every Saturday and Sunday?

I consider myself part of a problem that has a solution – but the municipality is too inept to implement the necessary rules and restrictions to solve the problem. If this means I am a “citizen journalist” then I guess I am, but I don't consider myself to be one. I just want to solve a problem that affects all of us in Old San Juan.

GV: Have you received any communication from Jorge Santini or his staff? Do you think he has read it?

GG: Not from Mayor Santini, but people within his circle have read it. I also report on positive news related to Old San Juan.

Lampposts throughout the city waste electricity during daylight. Image by jorgesantini.com.

GV: Would you consider ceding the URL to the mayor's upcoming campaign efforts?

GG: Probably not. I already did that in 2008 and the advertising agency that handles the campaign hasn't expressed any interest in providing access to the municipality for us in order to be able to present issues that need to be solved, so I don't think they deserve it.

I'll probably step up the content and promotion of the blog during his campaign – if it results in more efficient management of the insane traffic jams around “La Puntilla” on weekends I'll be happy.

Maybe the blog provides fuel for the mayor's opponents, resulting in controversy – which would drive attention to the issue. Think about it: Jorge Santini cannot provide for decent traffic management in Old San Juan… How come? Isn't the role of a mayor to provide efficient administration for the city?

GV: What are some of your favorite spots in San Juan?

GG: In Old San Juan: Cuatro Sombras [es], Baccaro, Fefo's, Cafeycultura, Antonella's (best pizza in town!) and a new Waffle Place on Tetuan St. Very nice!

GV: What is the biggest challenge facing your community right now?

GG: The lack of a leader who truly cares about his residents’ and businesses’ particular situations. A great leader would make the entire municipality proud by implementing efficient handling of access to Old San Juan.

Those in government expect this traffic mess and don't care to make it better – while those who do care, end up running into issues with people who stand in the way. For example, local businesses set up in areas where they end up contributing to limitting traffic flow, and there are local restaurants who have managed to close down access to specific streets, etc. Taxis in Old San Juan need to make inefficient turns on Paseo Covadonga because Tetuan Street no longer pulls up to Fortaleza St. This was made to please the restaurants in the area, but it affects the traffic flow.

How can the municipality continue closing and fixing streets without avoiding the monumental collapse of the local economy due to limited access and the insane traffic to enter and exit the city?

Puerto Rico: Uproar Over Blogger's Story

Alfredo Richner — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:51:42 +0000

The first post on the FemiLista blog [es], titled ”Bájate de mi carro, puta” (Get out of my car, whore) was published at 3:44 am on Wednesday, June 8, 2011. In it, the blog's author and creator – who goes simply by the Internet handle of “Yuyu” – narrated the unfortunate events that led to its creation.

As Yuyu explains in her blog [es], a night out socializing and partying with friends (and friends of friends) ended up with her catching a ride to a club with three fellow Puerto Ricans – men she had just met, but trusted enough to get her to where the rest of the group was convening. During the ride, the car's driver, one Mr. Eduardo Hilera, Legislative Assistant to Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner in Washington, turned hostile toward his newly met passenger while questioning her manner of speaking:

Empezamos a conversar: de dónde somos, qué estudiamos, las preguntas de rigor. De golpe, el joven que va manejando me dice: “¿Qué problema de autoestima tu tienes que hablas así?” [...] “Pues no me gustan las mujeres que hablan así. Tengo mucho respeto por las personas que hablan simple”.

We started a conversation: who we were, what we studied, the usual questions. Suddenly, the driver asks me: “What self-esteem problem do you have that makes you speak that way? [...] I don't like women who speak that way. I have much respect for people who speak simply.

The conversation turned to politics, with Mr. Hilera insisting several times to know her opinion about Puerto Rico's current Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi, who unbeknown to Yuyu at the time, was and is still his employer:

Bueno, pensé, a la tercera va la vencida: Pienso que no sirve para nada tener un tipo que tiene voz pero no voto en el Congreso. Sabía que había cometido un error.

Well – I thought – the third time's the charm: “I think that there is no real use in having a guy that has a voice but cannot vote in Congress.” I knew I had made a mistake.

Mr. Hilera, who has been under employment at his current position since 2009, proceeded to unleash a slew of insults on his female passenger, identifying himself and another one of the men as employees of Pedro Pierluisi. She was then told to exit the car – “Bájate de mi carro, puta” (Get out of my car, whore) – and left alone in the streets of D.C.

The account spread through the Internet via email, the blogosphere, and social networks, where it reached local media outlets and well-known reporters, such as Rafael Lenin López, President of Puerto Rico Journalists’ Association or ASPPRO [es] who sent out the following tweets with links to FemiLista later that evening via his @LeninPR Twitter account:

@LeninPR: Un relato que si es serio deben despedir a alguien. Si es broma…un buen cuento de una noche en DC http://t.co/0l2VVqK”

@LeninPR: An account that if true, should result in someone being fired. If a hoax, then a good story of a night in DC http://t.co/0l2VVqK”

Followed by:

@LeninPR: La autora del blog me reafirmó lo escrito. Quiere mantenerse anónima por represalias. Mañana a las 6am en @radioisla1320 http://t.co/0l2VVqK

@LeninPR: The blog's author confirmed her account to me. Wants to stay anonymous for fear of reprisals. Tomorrow at 6am on @radioisla1320 http://t.co/0l2VVqK

The next morning, as promised, Lenin asked the Resident Commissioner during his morning radio show on Radio Isla about the FemiLista blog's account of Mr. Hilera's behavior in Washington.

Pedro Pierluisi had this to say, as reported by local newspaper El Nuevo Día [es]:

Sí me dicen que hubo un incidente mi equipo de trabajo… Yo no he hablado con Eduardo Hilera. Él está en Washington, yo estoy acá en Puerto Rico. Y lo que te puedo decir es que si hubo algún tipo de insulto en ese incidente… porque la dama se haya expresado negativamente en cuanto a mi persona o lo que yo hago… Yo rechazo cualquier insulto. Esa no es mi manera de ser… Eso lo saben todo mis empleados y ellos deben reflejar como yo me comporto y lo que yo hago. En su momento me sentaré con Eduardo y le llamaré la atención si es que ocurrió tal insulto [...]

I've been told there was an incident with my staff… I have not yet spoken with Eduardo Hilera. He is in Washington, I'm here in Puerto Rico. What I can tell you is that if there was any type of insult during the incident… because the lady expressed herself negatively in regard to my person or what I do… I condemn any insult. It is not the way I am… All my employees know that and they must reflect the way I conduct myself and what I do. In due course I will sit down with Eduardo and I will scold him if it turns out that such an insult ocurred [...]

The report gave way to commentaries by Puerto Rican bloggers such as Puerto Rico Indie contributor Sandra of Sand(r)eces [es], who recognized in Hilera's insulting phrase a profoundly antidemocratic sentiment [es]:

[A]quél que vota no puede tener ningún tipo de opinión sobre el votado ni su gestión ni tampoco puede involucrarse en la gestión política más allá del voto cada cuatro años. El cargo político, una vez alcanzado, se cubre de una impunidad que le permite al que lo ejerce disparar a diestra y siniestra frases machistas, racistas, homofóbicas, etc. sin ningún tipo de consecuencia.

The electorate can't have any opinions about the elected nor his performance, and also can't get involved in politics besides voting every four years. The political office, once reached, covers itself in an impunity that allows its holder to spit out phrases that are sexist, racist, homophobic, etc. without any type of consequence.

She goes even further, linking Hilera's desire to silence Yuyu with the role of Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner in Congress:

Reproduce también la ironía del cargo: elegido democráticamente en la isla, va allende los mares (¡de domingo!) a gestionar de la forma más antidemocrática: sin voto. Lo que se le niega al Comisionado es lo mismo que se le niega a Yuyu, la traductora. Y esto es lo que la infortunada frase de Hilera esconde: una hilera de prejuicios y una hilera de políticos bajándose del carro.

[The insult] also reproduces the irony of the office [of Resident Commissioner]: elected democratically in Puerto Rico, he crosses the ocean to work in the most antidemocratic way: without a vote. What is denied to the Commissioner is the same thing that is denied to “Yuyu.” And this is what the unfortunate phrase by Hilera hides: a history of prejudice and of politicians told to get out of the car.

Fellow Puerto Rican blog La Acera had a different take [es], volunteering the following advice to FemiLista‘s author:

En momentos como ese, es mejor decir una mentira positiva, que la realidad negativa. No conocías a esa gente, y estoy seguro que con un “me da igual” llegarías hasta tu hogar sin humillación. Tristemente, fueron tus palabras que prendieron este fuego.

It's times like these when it is best to say a positive lie than a negative truth. You didn't know these people and I am sure that with an “I'm indifferent” you would have gotten home without any humiliation. Sadly, your words lighted this fire.

But it's clear that Yuyu would rather let her opinions be known, writing on FemiLista:

Este blog será dedicado a denunciar actitudes y comportamientos misóginos por parte de nuestros políticos, periodistas y pensadores. Asimismo, destacará temas de interés en torno al movimiento por la igualdad de género. Espero que esta página sirva como un espacio para reunir a mujeres y hombres con el valor de decir “¡basta!” en la tierra del eterno “ay bendito”.

This blog will dedicate itself to denouncing the misogynistic attitudes and behaviors of our politicians, journalists, and thinkers. It will also highlight related themes of interest to the movement towards gender equality. I hope this page will work as a space to unite women and men with the courage to say “Enough!” in the land of the eternal “oh well” (“ay bendito” [es]).

Puerto Rico: A Student's Life Broadcast Through Youtube

Alfredo Richner — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:23:50 +0000

Christan Ortega. Photo used with permission.

Thousands have followed the impulse to be seen online through video based social networks – expressing their feelings, showing off their talents, and filming every aspect of their lives (including goofs and gaffs). Fewer, however, have been able to establish themselves as an online presence with a popular video channel on Youtube.

Christian Ortega published the first episode of his regular web series “La Cabeza de Christian” (“Christian's Head”) back in the summer of 2009. Through LCC [es], as it is known for short, Christian generally speaks his mind about Puerto Rican politics, headline news, and his life on the island for seven to nine minutes at a time each week. It's Puerto Rican life filtered through the mind of an energetic and media-savvy twenty-one year old. To this date, his Youtube video channel has amassed over 1.3 million views – and counting.

We asked Christian a few questions about his success online, Puerto Rico's blogosphere, and the student strike at the University of Puerto Rico, among other topics.

Global Voices (GV): What was your first video camera and what did you record with it?

Christian Ortega (CO): I've only had one video camera – the same one I currently use, a Sony HDR-SR12. The first footage I recorded with it took place around my home. I recorded birds singing in the morning and my dog playing around. I then started acquiring the necessary editing skills using software like Sony Vegas and Adobe After Effects. I'd watch tutorials online through Youtube – so you could say I make videos thanks to the site. Without having a user account yet from which to upload my own content, I was already being influenced by Youtube.

GV: How did the idea for your project, “La Cabeza de Christian”, come about?

CO: Three years ago I did not pay attention to any type of news. It was then that I first listened to @JayFonsecaPR [Jay Fonseca; a local young radio and TV personality that comments on news] and developed an interest for what was happening in my country and the rest of the world. Without having listened to 180 grados [es] (“180 degrees”, Fonseca's program) every Monday to Friday from 5pm to 7pm, La Cabeza de Christian would not exist today.

The station I'd tune in for news, RED96FM, was closed down and replaced with Ritmo 96, its programming dedicated to merengue and bachata music. A news program that appealed to the youth was taken off the air by those beloved “market forces.” All the indignation I'd built up in my head needed a place for release. But it wasn't all indignation – I wanted to have a space where I could have some fun as well.

After a couple of months of studying tutorials in Youtube, it was inevitable that I'd start watching videos by Shane Dawson, Smosh, Nigahiga, Philip DeFranco, among others – all of them american vloggers with different focuses and recording methods. The idea of having my say through Youtube came from watching all of these programs and the delivery comes from the way I naturally act, what I read and who I am.

GV: Did you think your videos would find an audience like the one you have today?

CO: I never imagined it. I always thought that they would be enjoyed only by family and friends. It has been a very emotional experience, full of human warmth.

GV: What topics interest you the most?

CO: I'm passionate about history, philosophy, politics, and colonialism – this last one interests me a lot, how it has impacted the world, as of course, how to eradicate it. Social sciences, technology, and in six months I'll have more topics to add if I am asked the same question again. I'm very nosey and prone to have several interests at the same time.

GV: The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is going through a critical time in its history. Through “La Cabeza de Christian” your viewers have been able to follow your participation in the student strike. What is most surprising about the on-going conflict afflicting the institution?

CO: What's most surprising to me is the wave of repression coming from the state, who has decided to invade all of the university's campuses that show any type of commitment to fighting against the imposition of an $800 fee for this semester and $400 for all subsequent semesters through use of police force.

GV: What do you think is (or should be) the role of Puerto Rico's blogosphere? Is it a substitute for traditional media?

CO: I think the principal role of our blogosphere should be tackling topics in a more in-depth manner so that people that consume the information can receive other points of view about the same problem that was mentioned in traditional media. It also serves as a dissenting voice amidst an oppressive reality against the individual and against a collective that wishes to maintain every citizen obedient and subservient.

To be honest, our blogosphere does not yet have the resources necessary in order to substitute traditional media but it does have the talent in order to serve as an example to them. But since we don't have the considerable resources needed to establish our own information networks, at least personally, I depend on traditional media in order to inform and form my opinions, that I'll then be able to transmit through alternative media.

GV: Many people in the blogosphere would love to live off their online projects, but we don't hear a lot of stories about local blogs successfully monetizing their blogs. Can bloggers live off their blogs?

CO: My own efforts have been pretty effective. I first invested money in a hundred pin-back buttons to sell and little by little I was able to buy two machines so I can make them myself – not only for my vlog but now I offer the service to others with similar projects.

My products have traveled to parts of Latin America, the United States, and Spain. And although the fact gives me great pleasure, it has not produced sufficient money to live off the vlog. I think that for that to happen we need more companies assigning funds for online marketing efforts. But that method doesn't make me entirely comfortable, since I think that it would make me have to respond to other interests other than my program.

GV: What is the biggest challenge facing Puerto Rico's youth?

CO: Puerto Rico's youth in general should be prouder of their roots and more conscious of the historical events that have taken place on our island. This historical conscience and defense of our roots should lead Puerto Rico's youth to visualize themselves inside a colony of the United States that should be repudiated and protested against.

Besides fomenting this nationalism of the oppressed, I believe we must also look to an economic nationalism, in order to reinforce our local economy. If we are going to be consumers, at least we should consume what we produce most of the time. Puerto Rico's youth has to assume the responsibility imposed by our status as a colony and to stop living in a vacuum free of all worry.

GV: Are you “preaching to the converted” or do you reach a broader audience with “La Cabeza de Christian”?

CO: I spend a great part of my day reading messages and compiling information in my mind about the people who watch LCC and I can say I am not preaching to the converted. I've spoken to people who don't share my views and say they enjoy the videos, as well as there are people who share ideas with me but hate the way I execute them.

The capacity to reach a young audience – 13, 14, 15-year olds – allows me to speak to a depoliticized group that has yet to assume postures; and perhaps by mentioning historical events or important figures in Puerto Rico's history I can help foment different views to those they would have without knowing of said facts.

I also recommend from time to time books and places I've visited – I record these experiences and share them through my vlog. Its gratifying to know that someone is reading a book I recommended through social networks.

GV: Is there any topic you are not willing to speak about in front of a camera and share with your followers?

CO: The relationship I have with my viewers has reached such an extreme – and this might sound absurd – that I feel I must share every topic that affects my personal life. A few months ago my dog passed away and I wanted to say it on Youtube so that people would understand my mental state in those weeks. I was criticized a lot but I know those people don't know the relationship you can establish with others through social networking.

An extended version of this interview first appeared in PuertoRicoIndie.com in Spanish.

Learn more about La Cabeza de Christian: Youtube / Official Website / Facebook / Twitter

Puerto Rico: Triumph Over Television, The Comedy of Esoez.com

Alfredo Richner — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:40:31 +0000

Photo: Courtesy of PuertoRicoIndie.com

Back in April 15, 2009, when @Nerdote and @Fetoso sat down in front of a computer to create their first YouTube account, hoping people would tune into their comedy channel, they didn't really know what would come out of the whole ordeal. Fast-forward a couple of years and the duo has developed a loyal following within Puerto Rico's blogosphere, racking up over 800,000 video views on their YouTube channel, and welcoming thousands of visitors a month to their blog – Esoez.com.

Their particular brand of NSFW (“not safe for work”) comedy might offend those with delicate sensibilities – however, Nerdote and Fetoso's charming personalities seem to brake through the “vulgarity” and, in the end, please those initially shocked by their inventiveness. Either that or Puerto Ricans really love their dirty, raw, and irreverent humor!

We sat down with the creators of Esoez.com to talk about the origin of their blog and YouTube channel, their most beloved characters, and the blogosphere. Parts of the interview, originally conducted for PuertoRicoIndie.com (in Spanish), were also edited by the duo into a video which you can watch below – but not on TV.

Global Voices: Esoez.com started off as a variety show of sorts. What was the planning like for that first episode?

Nerdote: I think that in the mind of everyone with the intent to make a video, there's this “Let's go film, and we'll have musicians, and we'll have comedy, and we'll have interviews with people on the street and sketches!” moment. And in reality, once you turn that camera on you realize you have no idea what you are doing. If you watch the first episode of the Esoez variety show, it opens with a shot of myself – dead quiet – because we hadn't planned anything. We tried a couple of jokes – stuff we improvised, without planning, and nothing “clicked.” A friend of ours said: “And what if you don't say anything, you act like you are nervous (which wasn't difficult at all) and just as you are about to speak, we'll cut?” And that was… PERFECT!!!

GV: What was the reaction you got on the Internet to that first episode?

N: We thought people would keel over – that once we completed that first episode, people were going to be like: “Can we be on your show?!?” No one cared at all…

Fetoso: We thought we would have a live audience and everything – but it didn't pan out.

GV: But now the blog has a steady audience. What's Esoez.com's biggest success? What has brought you the most traffic?

N: A character called Fico Fronte – by the thousands.

GV: And what's the origin of that character? Why do you think that it has been well received?

F: People like it!

N: I've been doing a version of Fico Fronte throughout my life. When I was younger, I'd always imitate a “badass” like Fico Fronte – because I'm really a pussy. But everyone has a friend that swears he's super-badass and that's why I think the character has been well received. I don't think its because he swears a lot and calls women “bitches.” People leave us a lot of comments saying: “Damn, I know someone EXACTLY like Fico Fronte.”

F: And like Maritere [Fico Fronte's sometimes-love interest].

GV: Does the character represent a social critique?

N: Look – a lot of our videos, after we've published them online, we've receive comments saying: “Nice video and love the critique.” And maybe after we've made them – and after someone has pointed it out to us – we'll go like: “Damn, it's true.” But not quite with Fico Fronte. There's no real message there. I'm not going to try to sell you something I don't quite buy. Fico Fronte is a character who calls women “bitches”… Perhaps you should use Fico Fronte as an example of how NOT to behave, since I'm making him the target of ridicule.

We have a slogan: Giving good opportunities to bad ideas. I think that sums up the whole thinking behind Fico Fronte and the rest of what we do. Esoez – giving good opportunities to bad ideas. Triunfo (Triumph).

GV: You made the word “Triunfo” or “Triumph” a staple in Puerto Rico's blogosphere – it has become one of your catchphrases in Esoez.com. How did that come about?

N: It comes from the phrase “estamos triunfando” (we are triumphing) – something I've always said for a long time now. I don't know if there's a bit of sarcasm in it…

F: I started using the word “Triunfo” thanks to @Nerdote. I think it's one of those words that people don't use as much but it sounds really cool to you personally so you start using them. Like “estiércol” (manure). I love saying “estiércol” when I go to the bathroom.

N: “Triunfo” is such a positive word… When I got to work on a Monday and people asked me how I was doing, I'd say “estamos triunfando” (we are triumphing). And people are surprised to hear that, but it's something so positive and so good that… it's a good message. And I know it sounds clichéd but triumphing is good.

Photo credit: Amarilys Oyola for PuertoRicoIndie.com / Used with permission

GV: Do you think that what you do is more offensive than what is commonly shown on local television programming or heard on the radio?

N: Perhaps… We never think about what is or not appropriate.

F: We try to stay true to our name – which by the way, comes from “es soez”, “soez” being a synonym for “vulgar.”

N: I was surprised recently by how many people don't realize that about our name. It is a play with words. It can mean “Es soez” (it's vulgar), “Eso es” (that's it!) or “S.O.S.” (distress signal) but the kick comes from it having the word “soez” (for “vulgar”) in it.

F: And vulgarity is relative because the hypocrisy displayed on television is sometimes more vulgar [than our stuff].

GV: What recommendations can you give someone wishing to join Puerto Rico's blogosphere?

N: I don't follow this… but it helps a lot if you establish a constant rhythm for posts. You don't necessarily need to write much, but if you write once a week, you should maintain that rhythm. I don't follow that rule but I know it would increase the traffic Esoez.com receives.

I also recommend being an active participant: reading other blogs and commenting on other posts, because every time you comment on someone else's blog your name becomes a hyperlink to your own blog. Making good use of tools like Twitter and Facebook – and trying to create content that other people would like to share.

You have to engage and try to maintain a conversation, because the blogosphere is another community, very similar to the one on Twitter, and similar to the one on Facebook… At the end of the day you are talking about a group of people who are doing the same thing. And in the blogosphere, everyone shares a similar goal – for the public to read your blog or look at your photographs or your movies, or what not. The most important thing is to comment and participate within that community.

Photo credit: Amarilys Oyola for PuertoRicoIndie.com / Used with permission

GV: Do you have any plans for 2011?

N: We'll keep making posts and cool videos. And collaborations. We've been collaborating with different Internet projects in Puerto Rico during the last few months.

F: We are going to do something. Don't expect something, in case it doesn't get done. But we'll do something. The only thing planned is that we'll meet to talk about what to do. That is a given. I swear that will happen. We are going to have a meeting and talk about what we'll do. That is the only thing I can guarantee.

A longer version of this interview was originally published at PuertoRicoIndie.com: “Conversando con Nerdote y Fetoso de ESOEZ.”

Learn more about Esoez

Blog: www.Esoez.com [NSFW]
Youtube: Esoez TV [NSFW]
Twitter: Nerdote / Fetoso / Fico Fronte [NSFW]

Puerto Rico: A Charming Podcast with Plenty of Bite

Alfredo Richner — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:03:43 +0000

A podcast about nothing… or so the ladies (and guy) voicing Kitty Kitty Dinosaur [es] would have you believe on their website. Named after their favorite cat ladies (@dianadhevi @sumares) and resident dinosaur lover (@veedot), Kitty Kitty Dinosaur began as the (mostly) female answer to #EnProfundo, another Puerto Rican podcast known for its media critique and spirited conversations.

The members of Kitty Kitty Dinosaur come from all walks of life: some work full-time jobs on media related projects, others pursue graduate degrees, or work full-time retail jobs as struggling artists, or are writers with (and without) teaching jobs, and there's also an Occupational Therapist in the group. @dianadhevi, @veedot, @amypunchline, @amparoarrebato, @arsenic447, and @dr_zu try to take some time off their busy schedules every two weeks or so to record their observations and opinions on the current media climate and state of affairs in Puerto Rico.

@dianadhevi describes their work as:

…a podcast about nothing in particular, yet if you listen close enough you'll realize it's the voice of a generation of women that has been hidden for a long while behind a curtain of skepticism. We're not exactly the mothers of the next generation, nor are we the sexual feminazis taking back the dick that's rightfully ours. We're Plain Janes vying for our respect as human beings. Oh, and there's @arsenic447, of course.

We sent the group some questions regarding the podcast and its place within Puerto Rico's online community. @dianadhevi consulted with the other members of Kitty Kitty Dinosaur and sent the following replies our way.

Global Voices (GV): How did Kitty Kitty Dinosaur get started and what motivated you to begin sharing a podcast with the Puerto Rican blogosphere and general online community?

@dianadhevi: We were mostly inspired by what the crew of #EnProfundo [es] was doing, but we also felt that something was missing: that extra estrogen shot. So we tried our first podcast out. If you've heard it, you will agree it was deliciously disastrous. Not ones to be discouraged, we kept at it … and here we are (sixteen episodes later). A podcast gives you the opportunity to put yourself out there, which is exciting and intimidating. It's exciting to know that people will hear what you have to say -even if they don't agree with it- but it's intimidating because of how vulnerable you are. We share very personal things, we make mistakes, and it's there recorded for posterity.

GV: What topics are the most interesting to the group and how do you decide what to cover for each episode?

@dianadhevi: I think we are a diverse group with some common interests that unite us. Topics that interest all of us are politics and pop culture. We used to choose 3 to 4 broad topics to talk about, and we brought our personal perspectives about each. These topics were chosen out of suggestions we shared via email with each other during the week – stuff we thought was interesting. Now the format has become a little bit more like #EnProfund, more news oriented. We try to keep an eye out for interesting and relevant pieces of news.

GV: Are you involved in the Puerto Rican blogosphere and social media sphere in other ways besides the podcast? What do you think of those online communities?

@dianadhevi: Most of us are more or less active on Twitter, which can be turned into a Puerto Rican micro-environment if you let it. Myself and @dr_zu have collaborated in other media blogs (I covered Mad Men's fourth season for [es], for example, and we've both contributed to Puerto Rico Indie Vortice Online [es]), while @amypunchline is intensely active in independent media (she's the most active of all of us, working in Frecuencias Alternas [es] and Música Realenga, among other projects). @amparoarrebato has forsaken cybernetic presence for personal presence instead (that you barely hear from her doesn't mean she's not around). @veedot has her own Tumblr account in which she uploads her works of art (some of them are available for sale too). @arsenic447 isn't as active in social media, but that's due to his intense love for Pokemon.

Of the online communities we're currently aware of, Twitter is the one in which most of us spend more time. It's a double-edged sword: you can get a quick feel for what people are saying and thinking about current events, but you can also be drowned by a sea of inconsequential bull. It's up to the individual user to sift through the sand to get to the pellets of gold [in knowledge] lying underneath.

Other blogs we're aware of (Vortice Online, Puerto Rico Indie, 80 Grados [es], Rojo Gallito, etc) are true proof that conventional media is being swiftly rendered unnecessary. There are progressively less and less people who will take a newscaster's “word for it” without double-checking online. Not to say “this is it,” because it would be foolish to think that tech-oriented folk are a majority, but “this is BECOMING it” one baby step at a time. We're also glad that there are young people out there taking matters into their own hands, seeking the truth, the data, the news. It was about damned time that the other side of the coin was shown in plain view and with equal opportunity!

GV: How are female and gay voices represented in traditional media? Is it the same online?

@dianadhevi: The female voice in traditional media has improved, but it sometimes fears to push the envelope. You have Joy Behar and Christiane Amanpour, who shine, but aren't as blatant and witty as Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert. Both of these men have brilliant female writers, but why is it that traditional media can't sell the idea of a woman being the face of this type of show? Gay voices in traditional media have been stifled or limited: they use the LGBT movement for ratings on talk shows and made-for-tv movies. But to give them space to really talk about anything and everything outside of a special allotted time? We don't see it happening yet.

Now, if we took into account only local Puerto Rican media, this becomes a very disheartening answer. Puerto Rican traditional media has kept itself shielded from any real progress: women are still widely regarded as talking sex symbols (at best), and gay people are still the butt end of jokes. In the most serious end of the spectrum, these are stones best left unturned. The issues at hand are still ignored or made light of.

“Online” is a whole different game, and maybe that's why there's a large portion of Puerto Ricans who don't know how to deal with the change in dynamics. We're learning, though, to be more tolerant of dissenting voices. “Online” is a whole different playground, nobody is really “shut up” since, when a voice is censored somewhere, it may sprout up at another spot and start broadcasting again. The “force” might be in numbers, but it is also in the validity of the wielded argument and the logic in reasoning. That's why it IS different online, inasmuch as we're dedicated to sticking to our points and views. Until now, it has worked pretty well.