Global Voices » Juan Arellano

Peru: 14 Shamans Murdered in Amazon Town

Juan Arellano — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:28:23 +0000

Peruvian bloggers Juan Arellano [es] and Paco Bardales [es] report on the murders of 14 shamans in the amazon town of Balsapuerto. The main suspect is the mayor of Balsapuerto, Alfredo Torres, and his brother, who are reportedly evangelical Christian and see these shamans as “devils”.

Peru: The Media's Role During the Presidential Elections

Juan Arellano — Wed, 11 May 2011 14:13:35 +0000

Ibis Liulla at CiComunica asks [es]: “How can the media help citizens make an informed vote, if they are polarized and so outrageously biased in favor of a candidate at the expense of the other?” in relation to the Peruvian run-off elections next June.

Colombia: Fractal, a Sci-Fi event in Medellín

Juan Arellano — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:58:37 +0000

Juan Diego Gómez posts in his blog about Fractal'11, an event about fiction, art, science and technology that will take place in Medellín, Colombia, on April 8-9, 2011. Juan Diego introduces [es] some of the speakers: awarded Science Fiction writer Kij Johnson (@kijjohnson), cyborg anthropologist Amber Case (@caseorganic), researcher Johanna Blakley (@Mojojohanna), creative technologist James Alliban (@jamesalliban), and musician Sam Pool aka SPL (@SPLSamuel).

Peru: Facebook Campaign Against Journalist for Homophobic Comments

Juan Arellano — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 23:16:06 +0000

Jonathan Sánchez examines [es] how the media should face a viral campaign against them, in connection with a recent Facebook campaign [es] organized against Philip Butters, a journalist at Capital Radio who aired some statements that were considered homophobic during his radio program. Jonathan indicates that the radio's Facebook page [es] is full of messages about this incident.

Colombia: Inspiring videos

Juan Arellano — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 02:46:27 +0000

@coloresmari posts in her blog [es] that she feels inspired when she watches videos by @juancanola and says: “I see people from different communities and regions in Colombia really working, taking advantage of the possibilities that digital media gives them.”

Featured Translator: Adriana Gutiérrez

Juan Arellano — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:29:17 +0000

The team of translators at Global Voices in Spanish is the largest of the various Lingua teams, and yet little is known about the people who make up the group. At this point I must make the appropriate mea culpa, admitting responsibility, and of course, remedying the situation. Thus, I present, with more than 1800 translated posts, one of our star collaborations. I had the opportunity, as several other GVers, to meet her in person in Santiago during our Summit this year, and as expected, the first time we met we treated each other as life-long friends. For those who do not have that privilege, here is Adriana Gutiérrez [es]:

Adriana Gutiérrez

Hi Adriana, people say that a good translator must go unnoticed, but we'd really love to know more about you.
Well, I am Venezuelan by birth and habit. For the last 10 years I've been a graphic designer, a freelancer for 1, married to another graphic designer for 18 months and a loving fan of my dog, music, internet and film… in that order. I also like reading, mainly novels of epic fantasy, suspense and magic realism (the latter has always seemed very typical of Latin America to me). I have few friends, perhaps because I'm shy, perhaps because I'm unfriendly (or both), but do not be fooled by appearances, there is no “seriousness “about me.

Tell us about your experience as a designer.
As a designer I have been closely linked to the advertising area. Since I graduated I've had plenty of work, thankfully, and most of the time in advertising agencies in the city where I live. Eventually these jobs ended up boring me (they are cyclical and most agencies work in the same way), so over a year ago my husband and I decided to risk creating our own design studio and although it has been a little hard (like every beginning), we've also had plenty of work as independent designers. Go and check out our Facebook page and see some of our work… please don't be too cruel with the criticism hahaha.

What about your blog and other things you have online?
My blog is Bitácora Invisible [es] (Invisible Blog) (since 2005) and is a personal space where there is a little bit of everything (literally), anecdotes, thoughts and photographs, and I write mostly in Spanish. That space was on stand-by for a couple of years, coincidentally during the time when my Twitter account (@Adri021) and Tumblr began to grow… but recently I wanted to take up the habit of writing on it and already have a few new entries. I have a podcast about movie soundtracks, also in Spanish, but because of my work it got stuck on the 28th episode and the 29th is still one of my pending tasks. And there's my Flickr, as varied as my blog. Ah! Sometimes I also collaborate with some friends who are slowly engaging in the production of viral videos, and there are a couple of pieces on YouTube as El Jefe se entera… [”The boss finds out…”, a parody of Hitler finds out about a video meme, in Spanish] and CollowFriday [a parody of the FollowFriday videos on Twitter, in Spanish].

Being a professional designer, where do you get your interest and skills as a translator?
I liked languages since I was a child, while taking English classes I liked to translate (short) texts or songs to learn more and every time I increased the amount of translated text. Then, knowing blogs around the world, sometimes I wanted to share some things I read, but I knew that some of my contacts didn't understand English, so I translated the articles… then I got to GV… the rest is history.

Would you share that story with our readers?
Sure. Since I started my blog I was fascinated by the potential of communication and expression of the media, then in 2007 I found out about Global Voices Online thanks to Luis Carlos Diaz, where he worked as a writer and translator for the Spanish version. He echoed a call from the editor to capture volunteer translators and I heeded his calling, attracted by the idea of taking all this compilation of local stories to a wider audience. Since then I have not stopped working with the project, I may have come down a bit in frequency, but the truth is that my interest in GVO/Lingua has not diminished one cubic millimeter… I think it is as Leonard [Chien] says, the relationship between Lingua and its translators is like a love story. The issues I translate have always been very varied, but although I'm attracted to posts on the Environment, Culture and Cyberactivism, I prefer to give some diversity to my translation “time line” and carry different types of stories to readers at GV in Spanish.

You've been translating for GV for over three years, what would you say to those just starting out?
Tough question, let's see… I'll speak from my own experience to better illustrate what it has been like working in GV (and what it could be like for beginners): For me, GV/Lingua has meant having the world closer, and I don't mean it as a physical space but as being closer to people, leaning about the realities of different places at once, told by the main characters themselves, without “makeup” or other interest to express what they're living/feeling. At first I began to translate with a “selfish” idea: What would I like to read in a site like GV? and starting from there I chose the entries to translate, each of these translations were making me want to know more and more about those stories, as I said, the reality of other places… somehow, knowing that my own interest in learning helps certain stories reach a wider audience, is a special added value. So far I don't see GV as an obligation, it is difficult to see it that way when I can devote to it on my own terms, without schedules or a tight agenda and with a peer group always willing to contribute something more to the work of others.

Adriana Gutiérrez

Venezuela has become a little bit of a “complicated” country, how do you see it from within?
More complicated (because I live here)! In Venezuela, from my view, a very negative social and ideological division has grown and it largely prevents reaching agreements for the majority and has helped citizens become reactionary and even violent. There is also the lack of organization and balance in the current administration, there is often no consistency between what is said (which in theory seems very positive) and what is done. Offering opportunities for advancement and growth to those who historically didn't have them (this is very good), but doing it in a messy way, uneven and not very transparent, so the results end up being insufficient or even harmful for most… repeating the vices of the previous administrations, which they criticize. Venezuela remains a beautiful country with people who want to do things right, only that for the moment we're walking uphill…

Tell us about the city you live in.
Barquisimeto is the city of twilight (that's why there are so many pictures of twilight skies in my Flickr account), a growing city that has so far managed to balance concrete and nature. In Venezuela it is known as the “music city” because of the many talented musicians that come out of its land (the most recent and notorious example is the master Gustavo Dudamel, Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic) …in fact, one of the best training academies of the System for Children and Youth Orchestras of Venezuela, recognized and replicated throughout the world, is in Barquisimeto. If there is something that the city has is that, although many of us weren't born here (I was born in Merida, a city of the Venezuelan Andes and several of my friends are from other cities too), we feel so “guaros”* as anyone born in this locality. (*) In Venezuela, they call “guaro” people born or living in the Lara State, whose capital is Barquisimeto.

What can you mention about Barquisimeto that is particularly attractive or that you like?
Although many people here say that in the city there is nothing to do, I think that is a baseless complaint. Barquisimeto and the surrounding area has it all: Nightlife, constant cultural shows, many restaurants (the traditional food from El Roble is special), parks and places to spend the day outdoors… my current favorite place is La Flor de Venezuela [es], a pavilion designed by architect Fruto Vivas to represent Venezuela at the 2000 Hannover Expo, which combines architecture, flora and fauna, as well as cultural information about the country, and within its space is a small restaurant with delicious crêpes. You also have the town of Santa Rosa, where its church houses the religious patron of the region, the Divina Pastora, a history museum, a viewpoint from which you can see Cabudare (sister city of Barquisimeto) and other of my favorite places: a bakery with delicious desserts where they let you draw on paper placemats while waiting for what you ordered.

And how would you describe Venezuela to a foreigner?
Venezuela is a country of contrasts, with very cold or very hot areas (with its intermediates), extreme wealth or poverty, idyllic and unforgettable landscapes, and despite my comment on the “aggressiveness” of our citizens there are still many people with the ability to make a good impression on our visitors… I think there are no “foreigners” here, because from the moment you step on Venezuelan soil (to visit or to stay) you will find people who will treat you as “one of the family”.

I hope to someday test that out Adriana, thank you for the interview.
Thank you.

Other team members of Global Voices in Spanish in this section:
Gabriela García-Calderón

The first picture is from Flickr user oso reproduced with an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC license.

Translated by Adriana Gutiérrez

Peru: Book About Social Conflicts in Peru

Juan Arellano — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:27:27 +0000

Silvio Rendón from GranComboClub analyzed [es] the book “Between economic growth and social dissatisfaction. Social protests in contemporary Peru” [es] by Romeo Grompone and Martin Tanaka. Aside from reviewing the interesting material on the case studies presented, Silvio thinks the conclusions the book reaches try to distort the social conflicts it presents by treating them as isolated events and does not analyze the relationship between the state and local or transnational economic power.

Blog Carnival: Colombia, Women and the Web - A Summary

Juan Arellano — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:45:06 +0000

There seems to be a concern among Colombian women about defending their rights and about increasing the number of women who can use the Internet and new media to express themselves and take advantage of the benefits this medium offers, like other women do in other countries. This is evident after going over 21 posts submitted for the first blog carnival organized by Global Voices in Spanish: Blog Carnival: Colombia, women on the net [es].

What is a blog carnival? It is a virtual event where a host, Global Voices in Spanish in this case, calls on other blogs to write about a specific topic. The carnival tends to last for a determined length of time, and once it is over, a post summarizing the participation is published.

Young women participating in a digital inclusion workshop in Medellín, Colombia.

Let's begin the journey through these blogs with Kathy Gámez who, from Santa Marta, publishes the blog Lo que no voy a callar (What I Won’t be Silent About), and presents the post, Y tu mujer?? como usas el internet?? [es], (And You Woman?? How Are Do You Use the Internet?) where she gives us her personal view on Colombian women and the Internet. She points out a few advantages and disadvantages about the use of the Internet, but also mentions that women are now “taken into account, so let’s give ourselves the opportunity to offer something else, something many will remember, this is an invitation to make good use of the Internet, in my network, in your network, in our network..” she also says:

… internet en nuestras vidas juega un papel muy importante sobre todo para las mujeres que trabajamos y que no podemos dejar nuestras obligaciones laborales para ejecutar determinada actividad, hoy en dia nuestras vidas se ven resueltas y pueden girar en torno al sin numero de aplicaciones web de diferentes entidades que nos permiten movernos en este mundo virtual sin necesidad de dejar tirado lo que estamos haciendo en nuestro mundo real, podemos pagar nuestras cuentas, enviar cartas, comunicados, actualizar informacion, enviar hojas de vida, asistir a conferencias e incluso vigilar lo que sucede en nuestras casas mientras no estamos presentes. Lastimosamente y por el poco apoyo de las entidades gubernamentales de algunos paises, por escaces de recursos o por la poca formacion o sensibilizacion acerca del adecuado uso que podemos darle a esta herramienta solo algunas tenemos la posibilidad de acceder a este mundo 2.0.

…the Internet in our lives plays a very important role, especially for women who work and can’t abandon our job obligations to engage in other activities, nowadays our lives are resolved and can revolve around the numberless web applications from different entities that allow us to move around this virtual world without having to discard what we are doing in our real world, because we can pay bills, send letters, memos, update information, send resumes, attend conferences and even keep an eye on what happens in our home while we are not there. Unfortunately and because of the little support from government entities in some countries, because of a lack of resources or because of little education or sensitivity about the adequate way we can use this tool, only a few of us have the possibility to access this 2.0 world.

In the blog Opinopongo, Mrs. Colombia, from a place “close to the city of the wind” in The United States, participates with the post Bloggueras con impedimentos [es] (Women Bloggers with Impediments) where she compares the Colombian Internet with other realities in other places, and despite the differences points out that “there is no valid motive for Colombian women to not contribute more posts on the web.” Nevertheless, she is aware of reality:

Colombia: un país en el que el treinta y ocho por ciento de la población tiene acceso a internet, el tercer lugar en penetración en América Latina después de Brasil y Argentina. Nada mal para un país que lucha diariamente con problemas mucho más graves que darle acceso a la red a todos sus habitantes. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las mujeres colombianas aún no han logrado adoptar este medio como una forma de expresarse a sí mismas o de luchar por sus derechos y sus ideales. … Colombia es un país, en el cual no sólo es el acceso físico a la red, sino más que todo la sociedad la que regula lo que escribes, cómo escribes y para quien escribes. Especialmente en el caso de las bloggueras, la sociedad es un impedimento real para decir a calzón quitao lo que se piensa de un tema en particular.

Colombia: a country where thirty eight percent of the population has access to the internet, the third place in penetration from Latin America after Brazil and Argentina. Not bad for a place that fights daily with problems a lot more serious than giving web access to all its citizens. However, the majority of Colombian women have not been able to adopt this medium as a way to express themselves or fight for their ideals…Colombia is a country, in which not only physical access to the web, but most of all society regulates what you write, how you write and for whom you write. Especially in the case of female bloggers, society is a real impediment to boldly say what one thinks about a particular issue.

Self-enforced impediments, among other things, is what the young Lina Marcías talks about in her blog Angelesituango's blog, from the small city of Ituango. She published the post La mujer en la red [es] (Women on the Net) where she says:

(las) mujeres aceptan y son testigos del avance tecnológico, pero se inhiben a participar de él, poniendo como escusa su edad, diciendo que la internet y otros adelantos son hechos para los jóvenes. Pero “como todos no pensamos igual”, son muchas otras las mujeres que se atreven a hacer parte del desarrollo tecnológico, sin importar su edad, descubren las infinitas posibilidades que la red ofrece: saber de sus viejos amigos, investigar, jugar… otras se proponen cambiar los estereotipos que hay de la mujer, hacer respetar sus derechos, reclamar por sus violaciones, formando en la red una comunidad de apoyo hacia la mujer, causa a la que muchos hombres se le unen.

Women accept and are witnesses to technological advances, but they inhibit themselves from participating in it, putting their age as an excuse, saying that the Internet and other technologies are made for young people. But since “we don’t all think alike,” there are other women who dare to take part in this technological development, despite their age, and discover the infinite possibilities the web has to offer: learn about old friends, research, play… others aim to change stereotypes about women, have their rights respected, complain about violations, forming a community of support in the web for women, a cause which many men also join.

And speaking of men, a gentleman from Bogotá, Luis Angel Pérez, through his post Mujeres conectadas [es] (Connnected Women) from his blog El blog de Luis gives us the names of various women who presently lead in the fields of Free Software, and Free Culture in Colombia, and not only that, also [talks about] their growing presence in the expression of various opinions through blogs and Twitter. This is what he says:

Tomo como base lo que al principio fué el FISOL (Festival de Instalación de Software Libre), cuando asistí a este evento por primera vez en 2003 todos eran hombres, en la logística y como instaladores. Hoy la situación es muy distinta. Las mujeres han liderado en los últimos años el capítulo del FLISOL (Festival Latinoamericano de Instalación de Software Libre) en Colombia un evento internacional desde el aspecto organizacional y también en la creación de proyectos y productos relacionados al software libre. Desmintiendo con hechos el mito de que la informática era un campo exclusivo para los hombres nerd.

I base [my argument] on what once was FISOL (Festival of Free Software Installation), when I attended this event for the first time in 2003 there were all men in attendance, in logistics as well as in the installation. Today this is very different. Women have led in the last years in the chapter of FLISOL (Latin American Festival of Free Software Installation) in Colombia it is an international event from its organizational aspect as well as the creation of projects and products related to free software. Denying the myth that IT is a field exclusively for nerdy men.

Acting as a testimony to this, madame web from the blog La lógica de mi papa (My Father’s Logic), from Pasto, asks ¿La Mujer y la Red? [es] (Women and the Web?) where she considers her recent experience at Campus Party and poders:

Este año asistieron mas mujeres que en versiones anteriores, pero ¿a que se debe que no haya una igualdad en la asistencia? acaso las conferencias, talleres y concursos que se desarrollan en Corferias durante estos días no son lo suficientemente atractivos para las mujeres?. Seria muy atrevido generalizar y decir que todas las mujeres tienen acceso a un computador, mas aun cuando yo trabajo en un proyecto de Inclusión Digital en la zona rural y se que no es así. Si, Internet te acerca a todo, pero también te aleja de la realidad.

This year more women attended than in previous versions, but what is the reason for a lack of equal attendance? Are the conferences, workshops and courses that are developed in Corferias during those days not attractive enough for women? It would be very bold to generalize and say that all women have access to a computer, even more when I work in a Digital Inclusion project in a rural area so I know that is not the case. Yes, the Internet brings you closer to everything, but it also alienates you from reality.

Reality is something that Maria Eugenia Alonso, from Bogotá but living in Cali, takes into consideration in her blog La Mariposa (The Butterfly) and asks ¿Por qué creé un blog? [es] (Why did I Create a Blog?). This introspection leads her to remember some criticism she got for blogging, in the sense that she was doing it because she had nothing better to do, to which she answers enumerating all of her domestic duties as a woman, wife and mother, and also adds:

ahh… fuera de eso me queda tiempo para tomar fotos, encontrar gente que hace 40 años no veo y hacer dibujos en computador para un proyecto. Dios si eso es no tener qué hacer y es tanta mi depresión que tengo que llenar mis vacíos con el blog y estar 24 horas frente al pc sin ningún objetivo, entonces sí es pérdida de tiempo, pero si me sirve para salir de mi supuesta depresión y ayudo a mi vejez porque no tengo que tomar ativan, ni bon sleep, ni valeriana para conciliar el sueño, ayudo con mis sugerencias y comentarios… Entonces NO es pérdida de tiempo.

Ahh…apart from that I have time to take pictures, find people I haven’t seen in 40 years and make drawings on my computer for a project. God if that is not having anything to do and my depression is so bad that I have to fill my free time with a blog and spend 24 hours in front of the PC without an objective, then it is a waste of time, but if it helps me get out of my supposed depression and help my old age because I don’t have to take ativan, or bon sleep, or valeriana to fall asleep, I help [others] with my suggestions and commentaries…So it is NOT a waste of time.

Citizen Journalism workshop, Medellín.

And Entre nosotras… ¿para qué sirve la red? [es] (Between us…What is the Web Good For?) is the question with a double meaning that Sonia.Ro asks in her blog Hazlo poco pero bueno (Do it a little bit but do it well). She not only takes on the Internet, but also talks about society to reveal the “supposed advances” of women in modern times. But despite the criticism she has towards the position of women in society, she thinks the Internet is good for something that is very important to women: communicate.

Contándonos historias tejemos nuevas redes, de confidencias, de afectos, de ayudas, de intercambios, de generosidades. Y entre las historias que nos contamos, vemos que vivimos lo mismo, en nuestros hogares, nuestras escuelas, nuestro barrio, nuestras ciudades. Y que los problemas que tenemos no son sólo de nuestra comunidad, no es el profesor del colegio, o el pastor de nuestra iglesia, o el alcalde de nuestra ciudad. Porque del otro lado del mundo sucede igual, y nos llegan las mismas historias. Y si sucede igual allá, entonces el problema debe ser más grande, su raíz más profunda… Por eso creo en la red que conecta.

Telling each other stories we weave new webs, of confidences, of affection, of help, of exchanges and generosity. And among the stories we tell each other, we see that we have lived through the same, in our homes, our schools, our neighborhoods, our cities. And that the problems that we have are not only from our community, it’s not the school teacher, or the priest from our church, or the mayor of our city. Because on the other side of the world the same thing happens, and we get the same stories. And if the same thing happens there, then the problem must be bigger, its root cause deeper…That is why I think the web connects.

Andrea Juliana Enciso who blogs in Anotaciones para solitarios profesionales :escritos (Annotations for lonely professionals: writings) is also critical in her post with a long title, No me compres una olla a presión cuando sea grande: los susurros femeninos en los blogs en la democracia del simulacro de internet [es], (Don’t Buy Me a Pressure Cooker When I’m Older: the Feminine Whispers in Blogs in the Democracy of the Simulation of the Internet) she thinks about female readers, as well as writers, wondering what has changed and whether new technologies are being used to stall progress, but at the end shows some hope:

No me quejo de internet, creo que la mayor parte de mi tiempo estoy conectada, pero creo que el asunto no es solo el espacio abierto de lo otro, es también, pensar como esos otros que no están en la vitrina de la buena simulación, son válidos como lecturas posibles más allá de lo freak o lo especial, en que irónicamente lo común- los trece kilos de sobrepeso, el hombre que no supera los 1.70, la mujer que pelea todos los días con su armario- puede ser un lugar seductor en estás épocas de tantos disfraces y exceso de representación.

I’m not complaining about the Internet, I think that I spend most of my time online, but I think that the issue is not only the space it opens about other people, but also, thinking about how those who are not in the spotlight, are valid as readings that go beyond what is weird or special, where ironically the ordinary –the thirteen kilos of extra weight, the man that is not taller that 1.70 [m], the woman that fights every day with her closet—can be a seductive place in this era of so much disguising and excessive presentation.

Representations and stereotypes is precisely what Johanna writes about on her blog Licuc in the post La princesa rosada que olía a fresas [es] (The Pink Princess that Smelled like Strawberries) where she appeals to sarcasm to describe a certain type of woman that, “accesses technology because it’s fashionable, not because of necessity”:

No le interesa tener un blog, ni cuenta en Twitter. El tiempo que gastaría averiguándolo preferiría invertirlo depilándose o en cualquier otro tratamiento de belleza. En su mundo la etiqueta multitarea se aplica a leer una revista de farándula mientras le arreglan las uñas, no a recibir correos electrónicos al tiempo que habla por teléfono.

She doesn’t care about having a blog, or a Twitter account. The time she would spend finding out about it she would rather spend waxing or getting any other beauty treatment. In her world the multitasking label applies to reading a gossip magazine while she does her nails, not to receiving emails and talking on the phone at the same time.

In this similar mood we find the post Reinas como hormigas [es] (Queens like Ants) that Maria Paz Ruiz published on her blog Compota de historias (Story Composte) and that she submitted for the blog carnival. Overall, the subject of gender has been a popular focus for the carnival. For example Juliana Rincón fron the blog MedeaMaterial offers the post Mujer en la Red: ¿género? [es] (Woman on the Web: Gender?) where she tells us how gender is something that can’t be ignored on the web, but that it is not the only thing that defines us as a person:

Porque de la misma manera como nos define ser mujer, también nos define nuestra edad, dónde vivimos, cómo nos vemos, cómo nos expresamos, el vocabulario que usamos, nuestros referentes culturales. Ésas son las cosas que van armando el avatar que nos representa en la red, esa idea nebulosa que quienes me leen se hacen a través de la distancia, de donde agarran pedacitos de cada post o de frases y arman una imagen de cómo debo ser según lo que escribo.

Because in the same way we are defined by being a woman, we are also defined by our age, where we live, how we look, how we express ourselves, the vocabulary we use, our cultural references. Those are the things that make up the avatar that represents us on the web, that nebulous idea that those who read what I write do so through the distance, where they can grab small pieces of each post or phrase to construct an image of who I must be depending on what I write.

Catalina Urquijo from Medellín provides a similar approach to the issue, and from her blog $ujetate (Unknown II) [es] publishes the post Mujeres en la red ¿Un espejo de nuestra realidad? [es] (Women on the Web: A Mirror of our Reality?) where, among other things, she tells us:

esta red no es más que un pequeño reflejo de las muchas cosas que ocurren en nuestra realidad, acá también hay machismo, prostitución,anorexia, bulimia… Pero, afortunadamente, esto es solo una parte de la realidad, pues en esta red colombiana existen muchas mujeres que con un buen uso de estas herramientas ayudan a eliminar muchos estereotipos, y ejemplos de ellas (que) hay por todos lados … nos permiten afirmar sin temor a equivocarnos que esta red, desde el lado del prisma en que se le mire/use, ha permitido mostrar también esa otra cara de la realidad, esa dónde la mujer también busca sus oportunidades, un mejor futuro, igualdad, defender sus derechos, eliminar estereotipos ó simplemente interactuar y compartir con otros sus ideas, como el ser pensante que es.

The web is no more than a small reflection of what happens in our reality, here [ìn the web] there is also sexism, prostitution [es], anorexia [es], bulimia [es]…But, fortunately, this is only part of reality, because on the Colombian web there are a lot of women who with the good use of these tools can get rid of a lot of stereotypes, and examples of these women are everywhere…they let us affirm without the fear of being wrong that this web, from either the side of the prism that it is looked at, has allowed us to show another face of reality, where women also seek for opportunities, a better future, equality, defending their rights, eliminating stereotypes or simply interacting and sharing with others their ideas, like the intelligent being that she is.

Cristina Parra Lozano also shows optimism and hope in the post MUJER COLOMBIANA: La red es nuestra [es] (COLOMBIAN WOMAN: The Web is Ours) from her blog Pensando sin Efectos Secundarios (Thinking Without Side Effects). She explains what being a Colombian woman on the web should mean, but above all she thinks that:

No es simplemente el que participemos mayor número de mujeres en muchos espacios. Es que legitimemos el estar en estos espacios nombrándonos y autoreconociéndonos en nuestras diferencias. Vá más allá de espacios dedicados a nosotras,o exclusivos para hablar de temas femeninos. Reconocernos pasa por saber cómo nos estamos involucrando en los procesos y qué tanta visibilidad le estamos dando a los temas donde somos las mujeres las más vulneradas como en el caso de las víctimas de la guerra, o donde somos las mujeres quienes damos ejemplo, o quienes mostramos nuevas formas de colaborar, de ayudar, de trabajar… de construir.

[The issue] is not simply that a greater number of women participate in a lot of spaces. It is that we legitimize being in those spaces naming ourselves and getting to know ourselves in our differences. It goes beyond the spaces dedicated to us, or exclusively made to discuss female issues. To recognize who we are means knowing how we are getting involved in the process and how much visibility we are giving to the issues where women are the most vulnerable like in the case of war victims, or where we are the ones who give the example, or who show new ways of collaborating, helping, working…or creating.

During a workshop for young women in Medellín.

Inspired on an advertisement she heard on the radio, Cristina Mazo makes a short but interesting reflection on how women are being represented on the web in the post La mujer y sus dos caras en la web [es] (Women and Their Two Sides on the Web) in her blog Pensando el Mundo (Thinking the World)

Las mujeres en la red son una ambivalencia, quienes sólo buscan lo superficial de ellas o las que sólo quieren mostrar su lado meramente sexual tienen su espacio y para aquellos y aquellas quienes se quieren instruir, conocer y vivir experiencias únicas donde sólo las mujeres son la principal fuente del conocimiento, la mayor inspiración para tan bellos poemas, cuadros y demás maravillas que se hacen en honor a la mujer, para todos ellos y ellas que buscan en la mujer la mayor fuente de deseo está la WEB.

Women on the web are an ambivalence, those only looking for the superficial in them or those who only want to show their sexual side have their space and for those looking to learn, get to know and live unique experiences where only women are the main source of knowledge, the greatest inspiration for such beautiful poems, paintings and other wonders that are made in honor of women, to all those who seek in women the greatest source of desire there is the WEB.

And Darío Gómez also explores the subject of ambivalence and of multiple functions with the poem Mujer, ¿Cuál es tu red? [es] (Woman, What is Your Web?) in his blog Con la pata al suelo (With the Foot on the Ground) from which we select this small part:

Exhuberante mujer vestida con prenda de malla para atraer
Tímida mujer con el pelo recogido en redecilla para llorar
Mujer, ¿Cuál es tu red?

Exhuberant woman dressed with that net to attract
Shy woman with your hair in a net to cry
Woman, What is your web?

From multiple functions to multiple personalities there could only be one step. Manuela Londoño Hurtado, also known as “MALHU -y su parche” (MALHU –and her friends) offers a humurous post for the carnival, Monólogo a cuatro manos (no es que seamos mancas, es que solo tecleamos con una [es]) (Monologue by four hands (not because we are one-armed, it’s just that we type with one [hand]) where she says:

Que no tenemos que saber de ingeniería avanzada para manejar un blog
Que somos tan buenas (y mas) manejando estos aparatos tecleados
que no consideramos esto una pérdida de tiempo
Que escribimos mejor de lo que cocinamos

That we don’t have to know advanced engineering to handle a blog
That we are as good (and better) handling those keyboards
That we don’t consider this to be a waste of time
That we write better than we cook.

And now moving on to more specific cases of women on the web, we have the parcicipation of Astrid Uribe who on the post La mujer y su conexión con el mundo a través de la web [es] (Women and Their Connexion to the World Through the Web) from her blog astriduribe, sees libraries as important promoters of access to new technologies:

vemos que aún hay muchas personas, entre ellas, una considerable cantidad de mujeres que no tienen conocimiento frente a estas herramientas y se están perdiendo de grandes oportunidades que allí se ofrecen; y aunque hayan en el momento grandes esfuerzos por parte de algunas organizaciones, colectivos de mujeres, redes de personas, entidades gubernamentales, entre otras, para mejorar esta situación, se debe pensar en un trabajo más elaborado si bien por todas estas organizaciones, redes, entidades y demás, con las instituciones educativas, más específicamente con las bibliotecas.

We see that there are still a lot of people, among them, a considerable amount of women who don’t have the knowledge about these tools and that are losing great opportunities that are offered there, and even though at the time there are great efforts from some organizations, women groups, networks of people, government entities, among others, to improve this situation, they must think about a more elaborate effort by all these organizations, networks, entities etc., with educational intuitions, more specifically with libraries.

Yesenia Corrales in her blog Yeskenia shares the post Mujer rural: “Desafìo del herramientas de campo, un hecho que marca la historia en la tecnologìa” [es] (Rural Women “The Challenge of Tools of the Countryside, a Fact that Marks the History of Technology”) where she tells us about Susana’s experience, from the “vereda ‘San José de la Montaña'” from the township of San Cristóbal (Medellín, Colombia), an active member of the Women’s group “Siempre vivas” (Always Alive):

La vida campesina cambia y el rol de la mujer en éstos escenarios se vuelve importante porque hay toma de decisiones propias … se vuelven negociadoras pues el choque de las actividades del campo, con la dinámica de ciudad exige que aprendan y que tengan conocimientos básicos en la áreas de: emprendimiento, administraciòn y contabilidad. Cuando la mujer rural enfrenta estos cambios, enfrenta también una realidad que es inherente a los ojos: “La tecnología”, ¿còmo entra la tecnologìa en la dinámica de ruralidad?

Life in the countryside changes and the role of women in these scenarios becomes important because they involve women making decisions… they become negotiators because the crash between countryside activities, with the dynamic of the city requires that they learn and have basic knowledge in the areas of: entrepreneurship, management and accounting. When the rural woman faces these changes, she also faces a reality that is visually inherent: “technology” , how does technology enter into the dynamic of a rural life?

But we also received first-hand testimonies, like one from Johanna Reyes from Red Mujeres Ciudadanas (Network of Citizen Women) and WiKiCiudadanía, who on the post Mujeres hiperconectadas y visibles [es] (Hyper-connected and Visible Women) summarizes the projects she works on:

Durante 2008 y 2009 creamos dos proyectos importantes en la Web que visibilizan el rol y los proyectos liderados por mujeres, aprovechando el potencial de las redes sociales, creando recursos, aportando ideas y opiniones, haciendo valer el ingenio y creatividad en temas sobre comunicación participativa, e-democracia, periodismo digital y uso de la tecnología para la transparencia de lo público: 1. La iniciativa -Yo Cuido mi Voto- y 2. WIkiCiudanía, el proyecto bandera de la Red Mujeres Ciudadanas.

During 2008 and 2009 we created two important projects on the web which visualize the role and the projects led by women, taking advantage of the potential of social networks, creating resources, contributing ideas and opinions, asserting ingenuity and creativity in subjects about participative communication, e-democracy, digial journalism and the use of technology for transparency: 1. The inciative Yo Cuido mi Voto (I Take Care of My Vote) [es]- and 2. WIkiCiudanía [es], the main project from the Network of Citizen Women

We could call the blog Mi Bypass Gástrico (My Gastric Bypass) by María Fernanda Quintero a personal crusade, where she tells “my story, of a person with morbid obisity in Colombia, to make it simpler, it is the story of a human being rejected by society because of her weight. I know it sounds dramatic, but only those who have gone through these trials with excesive weight know what I’m talking about.” For our carnival, María Fernanda wrote the post Un testimonio, un beneficio para todos [es] (A testimony, a benefit for everyone):

En dos años y medio de compartir este espacio, no solo se han abierto lazos de amistad, sino que he logrado interactuar con pacientes que ya cuentan con mas de 5 años de experiencia … me he dado cuenta que el 85 % de mis lectores son mujeres, que encuentran en el blog la manera mas sencilla de expresar sus temores y complejos … No tengo el numero exacto de a cuantas personas o de a cuantas mujeres les ha sido nfo la nformación del blog, las estadísticas solo sirven para medir el trafico, no para medir el impacto de mi testimonio en la comunidad … de las mujeres colombianas que gracias a este humilde espacio tomaron la decisión de seguir adelante en su lucha por una vida digna llena de sueños.

In two years and a half sharing this space, I have not only created bonds of friendship, but I’ve also managed to interact with patients that have more than 5 years of experience… I have noticed that 85% of my readers are women, who find in the blog a simple way to express their fears and complexes… I don’t have the exact number of how many people or how many women have benefited from the information of the blog, statistics are only good for measuring traffic, not measuring the impact a testimony has on a community… of the Colombian women who thanks to this humble space made decisions to move forward in their fight for a worthy life full of dreams.

I will finish the journey through these blogs with the post G [es] from the blog loquera. It is about a man and technology isn’t mentioned, but it is a daughter writing about her father in a blog. Reading what she says and the way she says it touched me. It is an excellent example of how a woman can express herself on the web.

Young women in a digital photography workshop in Medellín.

The images from this post come from Flickr account Mujeres e Inclusión Digital [es] (Women and Digital Inclusion), as part of a project [es] with the same name that our GV author, Cati Restrepo [es], is working on in Medellín, Colombia, with the support from the Mayor's office from that city. Cati won the competition Mujer Talento [es] (Women and Talent) last year, and she has been a great help with this blog carnival.

And finally, we are very thankful to all those who participated, maybe taking time off from other activities to do so; also to those who supported us in spreading the carnival, of whom I especially remember Equinoxio [es], CCeN [es] and La Verdadera Vida de Un Gerente [es] and the Twitter users who re-Tweeted [es] our call. Thank you all! But I also thank in advance all those who have the time to read this post and enjoy a series of very diverse but high-quality blogs. I encourage a trip through all of them, a great sample of the Colombian blogosphere that might be going unnoticed by many. See you in the next carnival in August!

This post translated by Silvia Viñas

Peru: The Return of the Indigenous Leader Alberto Pizango

Juan Arellano — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:39:59 +0000

As announced [es] earlier, the exiled indigenous leader Alberto Pizango returned to Peru on May 26. The former head of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (or AIDESEP for its initials in Spanish) spent more than 11 months in exile in Nicaragua after leaving the country following the events and conflicts in the region of Bagua. He had been facing an arrest order during this time, but he finally decided to return to the country, despite certain skepticism from his own organization.

Following news of his return, Peruvian President Alan García stated [es] that he would guarantee that Pizango would be treated fairly during his judicial process for the events in Bagua, which is also known as the “Baguazo.” However, the Minister of Women Affairs, Nidia Vílchez said [es] that Pizango's return appeared to be a provocation on his part.

Protest sign reads "Bagua, I don't forget and I don't forgive. Sanction the person guilty of genocide, Alan García." Image by Javier Fernandez, Flickr User javi270270, used with photographer's permission.

During the early morning hours of May 26, teams of journalists made their way to the airport to cover Pizango's arrival. Families of the police officers who were killed during the Bagua conflict went to demand an arrest and to place responsibility of the death of their loved ones on Pizango. Finally, Pizango arrived at approximately 3:45 pm accompanied by Daysi Zapata the current president of AIDESEP, and the actress Q'orianka Kilcher. As expected, he was first held [es] in the offices of immigration and later arrested and taken to the police station in the area of La Victoria.

Following his arrest, it was announced that Pizango would go on trial [es] for the events in Bagua and face charges of sedition and homicide, as well as charges for attacking the Armed Forces. At the same time, protests have been planned calling for his release.

The next day, on May 27, the judge announced that the arrest order will be changed to a restrictive order [es], meaning that he will have to fulfill the restrictions placed by the judge, including that he cannot leave the country, that he must report on all of his activities each month, and that he cannot change residences without informing the judge.

In the blog Prensa Alternativa [es], there is a brief summary of the reason why the arrest order was changed:

Con inocultable alegria fue recibida la noticia de la liberación del lider indigena amazonico el Apu Alberto Pizango Chota. La orden que hace casi un año fuera emitida por una jueza debido a presiones politicas, que lo acusaba de ser responsable de los sangrientos acaecidos en el llamado “Baguazo”, en donde perdieron la vida 34 ciudadanos peruanos debido a un enfrentamiento entre indigenas amazonicos y policias miembros de fuerzas especiales.

The news of the release of the Amazonian indigenous leader Apu Alberto Pizango Chota was met with unhidden joy. Last year's order was emitted by a judge due to political pressures, who accused him of being responsible for the bloody events called the “Baguazo,” and where 34 Peruvians lost their lives in a conflict between Amazonian indigenous and the special forces police.

The blog Transparencia Nacional Perú [es] doubts Pizango's declared intentions for his return and writes the following:

El retorno de aquel instigador que no informo debidamente a la gente de lo que ocurria, que se lavo las manos luego de los sucesos sangrientos, que lucho por intereses fuera de la realidad, no es un regreso para solo enfrentar a la justicia por los cargos de cuatro delitos por el Baguazo, sino como lo dijo Deysi Zapata lider de AIDESEP, que el regreso de Alberto Pizango es para ser Candidado Presidencial del Peru en el 2011, aun cuando luego lo negara sabemos que es asi.

The return of that instigator that didn't properly inform people what was happening, that washed his hands after the bloody events, that fought for interests beyond reality, is not a return to only face justice for the charges of four crimes in the “Baguazo,” but like Deysi Zapata, leader of AIDESEP, said, the [intention] of the return of Alberto Pinzango is to become a presidential candidate for Peru in 2011, even though he might deny it we know it is true.

Twitter users commented on Pizango's return, some showing support for the indigenous leader, and others denouncing him. David Grandez (@davidgrandez) says [es] that Pizango got what he wanted:

Te saliste con la tuya Pizango, 11 meses como prófugo de la justicia y te dan comparecencia […]!

You got away with it Pizango, 11 months like a fugitive from justice and now you get the right to an appearance […]!

John Rivas (@johnidem) tweeted [es] his observation on the whole ordeal:

Muy raro lo de Pizango, justo a casi 1 año de lo que hizo, regresa y no pasó nada. Y los caviares en silencio.

The Pizango issue is very weird, almost 1 year from what he did, he returns and nothing happens. And the caviares [leftists with moderate economic views] are silent.

Twitter user Ansuanet tweeted [es] in support of Pizango:

El colmo hubiera sido #Pizango en la cárcel y Meche en el Spa, relax, libre de culpas por el #Baguazo… y Alan está pasando piola…

It would have been pathetic that #Pizango go to jail and Meche [Meche Cabanillas, the Minister of Interior during the Baguazo] in the Spa, relaxing, free of guilt for the #Baguazo…and Alan [Peruvian president Alan García] is going unnoticed….

Ollanta Humala Tasso (@OllantaHumalaT_), founder of the Peruvian Nationalist Party, also tweeted [es] about Pizango, saying that the Government needs to take responsibility for the “Baguazo”:

El Gobierno debe responder por la matanza en Bagua, no el Sr. Pizango.

The Government needs to respond for the killings in Bagua, not Mr. Pizango.

Following his release, Pizango held a press conference [es]. In the blog Mariátegui [es] they publish some of his statements:

“He vuelto no solamente para ponerme a derecho sino también para contribuir a la necesaria reconciliación entre peruanos y peruanas”. “A los deudos de los policías e indígenas, les envio mi sinceras condolencias y exijo una exhaustiva e imparcial investigación para llegar a la verdad”.

“I returned not only to defend myself, but to help contribute towards the necessary reconciliation between Peruvians. To the relatives of the [dead] police and indigenous, I send my sincere condolences and I call for an exhaustive and impartial investigation to find out the truth.”

Peru: The Preference for Afro-Peruvians at Funeral Services

Juan Arellano — Sun, 23 May 2010 15:19:54 +0000

Peru is a country with such ethnic and cultural diversity that one might think that Peruvians are accustomed to seeing different faces and customs than one's own, and that there is an adequate level of respect and tolerance towards others. However, the reality is quite different and in Peruvian society, there are examples of underlying, as well as overt racism, many of the examples have been covered on Global Voices.

However, there are often strange situations that upon first glance appear to be racism, but upon further investigation, may not necessarily be. A recent debate has emerged as a result of a communique released by the Ministry of Women and Social Development [es] (MIMDES for its initials in Spanish), which as directed towards funeral companies so that they change “their policies of only hiring people of the black race for the jobs of casket carriers, because they are performing a clear act of discrimination [es],” as informed by the newspaper El Comercio [es].

This issue, as any Peruvian who has had to hire these types of services or attended a burial knows, is that it is the clients and not the businesses that prefer that these individuals who provide these services are of the black race. The blog Living in Perú publishes the statements by business owners of this field “Minister Vilchez is wrong. We do not practice racial discrimination. It's our clients who ask us to provide black pallbearers for their funeral ceremonials” and later states: “We cannot antagonize our clients. If they want either black or white pallbearers, we do need to meet their requirements.” In fact, funeral agencies in Peru charge higher fees for ceremonials with black pallbearers.

Why do so many Peruvians prefer Afro-Peruvians as the ones providing this service? Chuto of the blog Choledad Privada [es] may have a theory and presents the following questions:

¿cuál es mensaje que se quiere transmitir a los presentes al velorio con esa imagen racistoide acompañando el dolor de los “blancos”? ¿Será acaso que se mezcla cariño y paternalismo racial con una necesidad de que los OTROS sean los que se encarguen de mis pompas fúnebres (o en un velorio de puro negro también hay negros cargando al muerto?)? ¿Será que esta costumbre está inspirada en el luto que sigue a la pérdida de cualquier ser querido? Quizás inconscientemente pero bien intencionalmente nos sentimos aliviados si no sólo contamos con un perucho de clase/raza considerada inferior lustrándome los zapatos, sirviéndome el café en el Club Nacional, abriéndome la puerta en el Casino Atlantic City o con un gran sombrero de portero en el Hotel Sheraton, sino que además queremos que sean nuestros carontes de a pie que nos lleven hacia el otro mundo cargado en hombros?

What is message to be conveyed to those attending a wake with that racist image alongside the “white” pain? Could it be a mix of love and racial paternalism with a need that the others are the one who take care of my funeral (or in a wake where those who are purely black be the ones carrying the dead?) Is this practice inspired by the mourning that follows the loss of any loved one? Either intentionally or perhaps unconsciously, but we are relieved if we have an Peruvian of a class/race considered inferior that polishes our shoes, serves coffee in the National Club, opens the door to the Atlantic City Casino or a great bellboy at the Sheraton Hotel, but we also want to them to be the ones carrying us on their shoulders taking us into the next world?

Regardless of the real reasons, it is a commonly seen practice. So many are left wondering, where is the racism? On the part of the businesses, the clients, or both? Has the Ministry intruded in the affairs of the free market? Some bloggers are asking the same questions. Martín Soto of the blog sNm writes about this issue:

No me parece que este sea un tema de discriminación hacia afroperuanos, y si un desacierto ministerial (oficiar a privados, pidiendoles “modificar” el asunto?). … que el MIMDES, en cabeza de su ministra (nada más, nada menos) oficie a algunas agencias funerarias no resuelve ni por asomo ningún problema vinculado a la comunidad afroperuana; que se ocupe sobre el oficio de los cargadores de ferétros y le reclame modificaciones a la empresas privadas, sólo escapa a sus funciones y competencias, sino que es un claro sin sentido, una pérdida de recursos públicos en temas menores.

I don't think that this is an issue of discrimination against Afro-Peruvians and it is a ministerial miscalculation (officiate private companies asking them to ‘modify' the issue?… that MIMDES, through its Minister (nothing more, nothing less) officiate some funeral companies does not resolve the problems linked to the Afro-Peruvian community; worries about the work of the pallbearers and calls for modifications by the private companies, not only goes beyond its duties and responsibilities, but it is a clear sense of a waste or public resources on minor issues.

And finishes the post with a reflection:

qué “clase” o “tipo” de personas deberían ser empleadas en este oficio?, es el oficio indigno?, es la persona la que hace indigno al oficio?, de qué hablamos cuando hablamos de discriminación aquí?

what “class” or “type” of persons should be hired in this field? is the work undignified? does the person make the work undignified? what are we talking about when we talk about discrimination here?

Álvaro Zapatel of the blog El Gato del Hortelano [es] provides some notes about racism:

Las funerarias ofrecen un servicio en respuesta a la demanda de los consumidores. Los consumidores, arguyen los “funerarios”, prefieren por lo general que los cargadores sean afroperuanos. Se podría hablar de un acto discriminatorio de los consumidores, mas no de las funerarias quienes ofrecen un servicio en función de lo que la demanda pide.

queda claro que el afroperuano que entra a trabajar como cargador, está ejerciendo su libertad para trabajar como tal. Es obvio que en contra de aquel argumento se hablará de la falta de oportunidades que los afroperuanos tienen para acceder a un trabajo en nuestro país, y que, lamentablemente por necesidad y falta de oportunidades en otros rubros entran a trabajar de cargadores en las funerarias. Entonces, a mi parecer, el problema ya no compete al MIMDES sino más bien al Ministerio del Trabajo.

The funeral companies offer a service in response to the demand of the consumers. The consumers argue with the funeral companies, and generally prefer that the pallbearers be Afro-Peruvian. One could talk about the discriminatory act by the consumers, but not of the funeral homes that offer a service based on what demand calls for.

It is clear that the Afro-Peruvians that work as carriers are exercising their freedom to work a such. It is obvious that against that argument, the response will be the lack of opportunities for Afro-Peruvians who want to work in our country, and that, unfortunately out of necessity and a lack of opportunities in other areas, they work as pallbearers in the funeral field. In my view, it is not MIMDES responsibility, but the Ministry of Labor.

It also noteworthy that the job of pallbearer is not the only job “apparently” exclusive for Afro-Peruvians, but the job of hotel bellhop, of which black Peruvians are often found. These individuals often take these part-time jobs while they finish their university education, so speaking about “a lack of opportunities” could be incorrect in these cases. Zapatel continues to provide his opinion:

los empresarios fúnebres sostienen que el servicio funerario llevado a cabo por afroperuanos es de mayor costo que el ofrecido con peruanos de otros rasgos étnicos – léase, no afroperuanos. … En este caso, podríamos asumir que se considera un “servicio de lujo” puesto que a medida que su precio aumenta, la cantidad demandada aumenta también. Claro que, si nos remitimos al tema de que este incremento en el precio se deba únicamente a una característica física, esto es totalmente condenable. Pero ojo, ¿condenable en qué sentido?

¿No estamos frente a un caso de “discriminación inversa”? Si el tema en cuestión es el racial, ¿por qué el servicio fúnebre ofrecido por afroperuanos cuesta más que el ofrecido por no afroperuanos? Aquí más bien podríamos incluso hablar de un sector del mercado “copado” por afroperuanos y que, en realidad, está discriminando a los que no son afroperuanos. Si un asiático-peruano entra a trabajar como “cargador” y percibe que su trabajo es considerado “de menor valor” al de aquel que es ejercido por afroperuanos solo por una cuestión étnica, mas no por habilidades, creo que el tema discriminatorio iría no solo para el afroperuano sino para aquel asiático-peruano.

The funeral companies say that the funeral services carried out by Afro-Peruvian are more expensive than the services carried out by Peruvians of other ethnic features - in other words, those who are not Afro-Peruvian.. I this case, we can assume that it is considered a “luxury service” in that the price increases, the demand also increases. Of course, if we only refer to this issue that the price increases only because of the physical characteristic, then it is totally condemnable. But, condemnable in what sense?

Are we facing a case of “reverse discrimination?” If the issue in question is racial, then why are the funeral services offered by Afro-Peruvians cost more than those services offered by non-Afro-Peruvians? Even more, we could even discuss this market “cornered” by Afro-Peruvians and that in reality, are discriminated against those non-Afro-Peruvians. If an Asian-Peruvian begins to work as a “pallbearer” and perceives that his/her work is considered “less valuable” than the work done by Afro-Peruvians only because of ethnicity and not because of abilities, then the issue of discrimination would not go against the Afro-Pervuian, but against the Asian-Peruvian.

In regards to this issue, Juan Arellano of the blog Globalizado [es] writes:

Acá la suspicacia me gana y me pregunto si no estaremos simplemente frente a una movida de las empresas funerarias deseosas de reducir costos y dejar de pagarles más a sus empleados afrodescendientes. Con lo que al final la supuesta medida en contra de la discriminación terminaría perjudicando a los “discriminados” pues reduciría sus ingresos y limitaría sus opciones laborales… todo un contrasentido!

Here suspicion wins and I wonder if we are not simply facing a movement by the funeral companies to cut costs and stop paying more to their African-descent employees. Thus, in the end, the measure against discrimination will stop harming the “discriminated” because it will reduce their wages and limit their work options… it is all a contradiction!

It is obvious that there may or may not be racism in these commercial practices and it remains a sensitive topic for many Peruvians, regardless if they are of Afro-Peruvian descent. It will continue to be a debate in Peruvian society and whether or not it is the business of the government to stop something that is deeply-rooted in society.

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Peru: Ongoing Mining Strike

Juan Arellano — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 18:45:18 +0000

On Sunday, April 4th, a Peruvian Twitter user, Jhon Cornejo (@ionCornejo) wrote angrily and sarcastically about the tribute made by President Alan García to the recently deceased Peruvian singer Jesús Vásquez:

Alan canta en velorio de Jesús Vásquez (lamentable perdida para el Perú). Ojalá tambien cante en el velorio de los muertos en Chala.

Alan sings at the wake for Jesús Vásquez (unfortunate loss for Peru). Hopefully he sings at the wake for the dead in Chala.

This reference to the dead in Chala was for those who died in the clashes between the police and miners, who had been blockading [es] the South Panamerican Highway near the community of Chala in the Arequipa region. This blockade was part of the National Miner's Strike organized by the Mining Federation of Madre de Dios (FEDEMIN for its initials in Spanish) and the Artisan Miners of Peru (FENAMARPE for its initials in Spanish). The blog La Vanguardia [es] writes about the strike's demands:

La comunidad minera exige la derogatoria del Decreto de Urgencia N° 012 – 2010, del Decreto Supremo Nº 019-2009, que la hidroeléctrica de Inambari no sea construida y la destitución del Ministro del Ambiente, Antonio Brack Egg.

The mining community demands the repeal of Urgent Decree N° 012 – 2010, Supreme Decree Nº 019-2009, that the Inambari hydro-electrical project not be constructed and for the removal of the Environmental Minister, Antonio Brack Egg.

The blogger adds the context of the protest and the reasons:

es necesario que se informe a la población sobre futuros proyectos en territorio peruano … la población jamás va a estar tranquila con la idea de que un amplio tramo de la Carretera Interoceánica … sea inundado. Tampoco aceptaría el desplazamiento de las poblaciones cercanas al proyecto y la deforestación … La población sentirá los efectos negativos en sus actividades agrícolas a menos que, se vean frente a la oportunidad de una verdadera mejora en la calidad de vida.

en tanto a la derogatoria del Decreto de Urgencia 012 – 2010, … intenta formalizar la pequeña minería y la minería artesanal en el departamento de Madre de Dios; … plantea la recuperación de zonas degradadas por la minería informal. De esta manera, se crea el establecimiento de zonas de exclusión minera y zonas donde sí se puede realizar esta actividad.

El Decreto de Urgencia 012-2010, al igual que el Supremo 019-2009, buscan la protección de nuestras áreas naturales. Sin embargo, mientras tanto ¿Qué van a hacer los trabajadores mineros de este departamento?

It is necessary that the population is informed about the future projects on Peruvian territory … the population will never agree with the idea that a large stretch of the Inter-ocean Highway … end up flooded. In addition, they will not accept the displacement of the population living near the project and deforestation … The population will feel the negative effects in their agricultural activities unless they see an opportunity for a truly better quality of life.

Regarding the repeal of Urgent Decree 012 - 2010, … it attempts to formalize small-scale mining and artisan mining in the Madre de Dios department; … it proposes the recuperation of the zones degraded by informal mining. In this manner, areas of mining exclusion and areas where this type of activity will be created.

Urgent Decree 012-2010, as well as Supreme Decree 019-2009, searches for the protection of our natural areas. However, what will the miners in this department do in the meantime?

Martín Soto Florián from the blog SNm [es], writes that he was recently in the city of Puerto Maldonado where he could see some of the aspects of this strike:

1. Existe gran temor entre la población, esto alcanza a tirios y troyanos, incluídos funcionarios públicos (se recuerdan los antecedentes de 2008, quema del Gobierno Regional, y 2002, quema de la sede del Ministerio de Agricultura).

2. Se estima un Paro de grandes dimensiones, constituyendo puntos críticos los siguientes: Inambari, Puerto Maldonado y el Aeropuerto, también fue mencionada la posibilidad de toma de edificios públicos y de quema del Poder Judicial de Puerto Maldonado.

He estado allí, donde verdaderamente impera la ley del más fuerte …He visto y escuchado las historias, he observado los movimientos de alimentos, de utensilios, y también de gente. Los mineros habitan en pueblos fantasmas, que me recuerdan las pelas del lejano oeste y los sueños dorados, operan con gran maquinaria, contaminan y tienen un gran poder adquisitivo: se juegan la vida por su oro. Pretender retirarlos de la minería sin tentar otras puertas, es una sincera invitación a la violencia. Creo que no estamos preparados para lo que se viene, y creo que no nos importa porque –seamos honesto- esto va a suceder harto lejos de aquí.

1. There is a lot of fear among the population, reaching Tyres and Trojans, including public workers (remember the antecedents of 2008, the burning of the Regional Government, and 2002, the burning of the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture).

2. It is estimated that the Strike is on a large scale, including critical points in the following areas: Inambarí, Puerto Maldonado, and the Airport, there was also mention of the possibility of the taking of public buildings and the burning of the Judicial offices in Puerto Maldonado.

I was there, where survival of the strongest prevails … I have seen and heard the stories, I have observed the movement of food, utensils, and also of people. The miners live in ghost towns, that remind me of the fights in the old West and the golden dreams, where large machinery operates, contaminates, and have great purchasing power: they risk their lives for their gold. They try to take them out of mining without opening other doors, it is a sincere invitation to violence. I think we are not prepared for what is coming, and I don't think it is important to us because - let's be hones - this will take place a long way away from here.

There were some Twitter reports by those who were passing through the city of Puerto Maldonado:

Etni Flores Barriga (@etnof):

Hoy hubo inusitado transito aereo en Puerto Maldonado, al parecer esta llegando contigente policial, para cautelar el orden en esta ciudad.

Today there was unusual air traffic in Puerto Maldonado, apparently a police contingent is arriving to maintain order in this city.

Fauna Forever (@faunaforever):

Emeterio Nuñoncca (CICRA): Pasaron 17 embarcaciones llenos de personas a Puerto Maldonado (por el paro minero).

Emeterio Nuñoncca (ICRC): 17 boats passed by full of people to Puerto Maldonado (for the miner's strike).

Enso A. Pita Mejia (@ensopita):

me llamaron de puerto maldonado, los mineros se estan reuniendo en la feria agropecuaria, y al parecer son mas de 10 mil.

They called me from Puerto Maldonado, the miners are gathering in the Agricultural Fair, and it appears that there are more than 10,000 (miners).

RPP News (@RPPNoticias):

Reportan que miles de mineros informales marchan por calles de Puerto Maldonado

There are reports that thousands of informal miners are marching through the streets of Puerto Maldonado.

Then came the news via traditional media regarding the miner's march in Puerto Maldonado, as had been reported by RPP [es], that despited the feared violence, it did not take place in the city. It was also reported that the strike began in the cities of Apurímac and Arequipa [es]. Unfortunately in the town of Chala, there were reported deaths, as alluded to at the beginning of this article- 3 miners and 1 motorcycle taxi driver, possibly due to the police actions for attempting to remove the blockades on the South Panamerican Highway [es].

El Comercio newspaper reported that the miners in Puerto Maldonado had organized themselves for the protest by financing it with contributions in gold [es] that had totaled US$60,000 in value. The newspaper La República reported that even though President García did not want to talk about the deaths in Chala, he defended the measures of force that were taken [es], “We want for there to be work for the miners but it should be formalized, what is happening in Madre de Dios is an atrocity: the rivers are the color of mercury, of arsenic, it is dramatic … those truly guilty are the midsize miners who allow for dredge mining. What we are trying to do is show that the State has the backbone and seize these dredges.

Another newspaper, Perú 21 reported that in addition to the 4 deaths, there were at least 17 wounded in Chala, Arequipa [es]. They also cited Peruvian Prime Minister Javier Velásquez who stated that: “Russian and Brasilian businessmen are financing the strike (…) in order to leave the decree that orders the mining activity without effect … these people will be located, they will be impeded from entering the country and judicial proceedings will begin.

In a new report published by the newspaper La República, chronicling the events of Chala, it appears that the situation is far from resolved [es], since “the protesters said they will not lay down their protest actions until the State formalizes their work. They also said they would “charge for each of the deaths.”

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Peru: Cries of Animal Abuse in Defense of Surfing Alpaca

Juan Arellano — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:14:39 +0000

The video from the Peruvian television program Reporte Semanal that shows an alpaca named “Pisco” supposedly surfing, guided by its trainer, Domingo Pianezzi, himself a surfer, has been attracting a lot of attention. This Reuters blog post has several photographs of the surfing alpaca. The stunt is especially interesting because the alpaca is an Andean animal from the South American camelid family and has a lot of hair necessary to withstand the low temperatures in the Andean mountains. Even though there is mention that before the arrival of the Spanish that the alpaca could also be found on the coastal wetlands, it is difficult to imagine these animals interacting with the ocean and with the high summer temperatures.

Photo of Peruvian alpaca by Craft*ology and used under a Creative Commons license.

Those who have seen the video come away with the impression that the surfing alpaca is not very comfortable, and it even jumps into the water when fear takes over. This is different than other 'surfing' animals, such as dogs that appear to enjoy the experience even more. To judge for yourself, see the video [es].

For many in the beginning, the surfing alpaca was something praiseworthy or something to proud of as Peruvians, as can be seen in the comments section of the story in the El Comercio newspaper [es]. However, there were also comments against this stunt from those who accuse the surfer of animal abuse. The same newspaper published another article where animal-rights activists express their concern for the well-being of the alpaca [es] because it was taken out of its natural habitat and was in contact with salt water. The alpaca's trainer describes the safety steps that are taken, such as plugging the animal's ears and rinsing it with freshwater after being in the ocean.

However, for many those measures do not appear to be enough. In the blogs, there are many voices that are in disagreement with this “sporting practice.” For example, Roger Torres Pando writing in the blog Perú Antitaurino [es] writes:

Cabe señalar que este deportista, profesor de surf para niños, está violando la Ley Nº 27265, Ley de Protección a los Animales Domésticos y a los Animales Silvestres mantenidos en Cautiverio, así como el Artículo 450-A del Código Civil. Entonces, ¿qué tipo de formación puede dar a las futuras generaciones un señor que no respeta a los animales y con ello a la naturaleza?, ¿acaso los padres antes de enseñarles a sus hijos a pararse en una tabla no deberían enseñarles valores para ser mejores hombres?. Desde acá exigimos a la Dirección de Flora y Fauna Silvestre y también a la Policía Ecológica, rescatar a esta inocente alpaca de las garras egoístas de este “deportista”.

It should be noted that this athlete, surfing teacher for children, is violating Law No. 27265, Law to Protect Pets and Wild Animals kept in Captivity, as well as Article 450-A of the Civil Code. So what kind of training could he be giving to future generations when he does not respect animals and nature? Shouldn't have his parents, before teaching him how to stand on a surfboard, teach him values to be better men? From here we call on the Department of Flora and Fauna and the Environmental Police to rescue the innocent alpaca from the clutches of this selfish “athlete”.

The blogger RBC also was not in agreement and writes in his blog De Todo un Poco…y que Dios nos Coja Confesados [es] and asks Question: Who is more of an animal?:

A diferencia de un labrador retriever, una alpaca NO se lanza al mar a nadar, sino observen sus patas dobladas sobre la tabla por el temor al que está expuesto en el mar. Pero Pianezzi dice que su mascota “se está acostumbrando al agua”,…. si si como no. Sería interesante que este entrenador haga surfismo en la cordillera de los andes y encima calato…

Unlike a Labrador Retriever, an alpaca DOES NOT dive into the ocean to swim, just look at its bended legs on top of the surfboard because it is scared of being exposed to the ocean. However, Pianezzi says that his pet “is used to the water”…. right, of course. It would be interesting to see this trainer surf stark-naked in the Andes mountains..

In the blog Tecnología [es] the blogger writes:

nos preguntamos que sentirá la protagonista de esta nota, solo podemos decir que se le ve mas echada en la tabla (como algunos principiantes) que como todo un surf y solo atina a caerse de la tabla que a correr la ola.

we wonder what would the main character of this story feel, all we can say that it appears laying down on the surfboard (like some beginners) and only manages to fall from the surfboard to ride the wave.

The blogger from Interiorismo de Verdad [es] also reflects:

(refiriéndose al perro NdE) Creo que la amistad del ser humano con los animales es lo que debemos cultivar y enseñar a los nuestros y creo que el entrenador de San Bartolo Domingo Pianezzi, ha desarrollado una gran amistad con su mascota ala cual enseño a meterse ala playa con el y subirse a la tabla, como una muestra de lo que el compañerismo logra es impresionante, … pero ahora que en las noticias sale con la novedad de la alpaca Pisco se convertiria en su nuevo alumno de surf, creo que ya lo esta realizando solo para tener publicidad porque no me parece adecuado que este animal de un habitat diferente al de la costa tenga que habituarse al mar ser trasquilado para evitar el calor de la costa, ya se lo imaginan?

(in reference to the surfing dog) I think the friendship between human beings and animals is what we must nurture and teach and I think the trainer of San Bartolo Domingo Pianezzi has developed a friendship with his pet, which he taught to go to the beach with him and climb aboard the surfboard, which is an example of impressive companionship, … but now comes news that the novelty of the alpaca Pisco that would become his new surfing student, I think he is only doing this to gain publicity because it does not seem appropriate for this animal from a different habitat from the coastline must get used to the ocean, and must be fleeced to avoid the heat from the coast, can you imagine that?

In Facebook, there are two groups Pisco the Surfing Alpaca that appears to be in favor of the stunt and Surfing Alpaca? I would say animal abuse [es]. The second El Comercio article mentioned contains a polls with the question “Are you for or against the surfing alpaca?” At the time of publication there is 43% in favor and 57% against.

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Peru: The Pardon of José Enrique Crousillat

Juan Arellano — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:03:42 +0000

In the midst of some confusing turn of events, the Peruvian government reversed its decision to grant a pardon to former television businessman José Enrique Crousillat. This led to Crousillat to go into hiding, and some speculate that he may have fled the country. Crousillat, along with his son, were shareholders and on the board of directors of América TV television station in the 1990s.

However, during the scandal involving the videos that showed former head of Peru's intelligence service Vladmiro Montesinos giving bribes for favorable media coverage, Crousillat and his station were implicated for receiving payment for favorable coverage for the campaign of former President Alberto Fujimori. He fled the country, but was later captured and extradited back to Peru, where he was tried and sentenced to prison.

Peruvian government palace by martintoy and used under a Creative Commons license.

He was scheduled to have completed his sentence in 2014, but in November 2009, there were discussions that he would be pardoned for humanitarian reasons because he had complained of heart problems. On December 11, Crousillat was pardoned by President Alan García and was released the same day. This led to a wave of reactions, some in favor and others against the decision.

Following his release, Crousillat stated his intention to retake control of his former television station. However, what turned public opinion against him were the photographs that showed him first at an exclusive resort, and later at a café in the upscale neighborhood of Miraflores. This showed that Crousillat was not on the verge of death as had been alleged.

Due to the media pressure and citizen outrage, President García called for a review of the pardon. However, it was the role of Justice Minister Aurelio Pastor, who was fired by García, for allegedly providing unreliable evidence that led to Crousillat's pardon, which has now been revoked and which led to his going into hiding. He was the first political victim in this case was the Justice Minister Pastor, who before being fired or “resigned” as the government states, said that an economic group wanted to “crucify” him [es]. After his resignation, he left a message for his Facebook contacts.

These events bring back memories for some citizens, such as the blogger from Plan H [es], who comments sarcastically:

Esta historia me parece haberla escuchado antes. Un presidente que sale ante cámaras, proclama ante el país que el otro hombre es un peligro nacional y que ha dañado la imagen del país, además de ser un corrupto. El presidente lo declara enemigo numero 1 y posteriormente se lanza en su captura,.. esto se repite en las mismas circunstancias que hace 9 años, cuando Fujimori, aterrado por los reveladores vladivideos, salió a la “caza” de Montesinos en una patético demostración de la poca dignidad que le quedaba a ese gobierno. Ahora, reemplaza la palabra Fujimori por Alan y Montesinos por Crousillat y tenemos lo mismo.

I think I have heard this story before. A president goes in front of cameras and declares in front of the nation that the other person is a national danger and that he has damaged the country's image, in addition to being corrupt. The president declares him enemy number 1 and later goes after him to capture him,… this is repeated with the same circumstances 9 years ago, when Fujimori, shaken by the revelations from the vladivideos (videos showing Montesinos giving bribes), went on the hunt for Montesinos in a pathetic demonstration with little dignity that the government remained. Now, replace the name Fujimori with Alan (García) and Montesinos with Crousillat and we have the same story.

However, not all the bloggers take the news with the same humor, and in the month of December 2009, Silvio Rendón of the blog Gran Combo Club [es] provides his opinion on the suspected and dangerous precedent that the pardon would mean:

El monto de reparacion civil que debe al estado quedo “sin efecto”. Después el estado se queja de que no hay dinero para pagar las reparaciones de derechos humanos. … A este paso sólo falta indultar a Fujimori. La puntada es con hilo: García prepara indulto a ex dictador Fujimori.

The amount of civil reparation that he owes the state now remains “void.” After the state complained that there is no money to pay human rights reparations … At this rate, all that is left is to pardon Fujimori. The stitching is with thread: García prepares to pardon former dictator Fujimori.

Victor Liza Jaramillo of the blog Metiendo la Pata [es] expresses similar opinions:

Todo esto transcurrió en una semana que acaso, en opinión del que suscribe, es la más vergonzosa que ha vivido este régimen. Incluso más que cuando ocurrieron hechos como los “petroaudios” y el “baguazo”. Porque estas idas y venidas reflejan algo más que sentirse “burlado”, además de una tremenda descoordinación. Reflejan, sin duda alguna, que el gobierno buscaba algo más, y que esta rectificación tardía es una vergüenza para el país. Es un pésimo precedente, tanto en materia jurídica como la política.

All this happened in a week where in a week perhaps, in my opinion, is the most embarrassing that this government has experienced. It is even more embarrassing than the “petroaudio” and “baguazo” scandals. All of these comings and goings reflect something more than feeling “tricked,” as well as a tremendous dis-coordination. It reflects, without a doubt, that the government loked for something more, and that this late correction is an embarrassment for the country. It is a terrible precedent, both legal and political.

Juan Sheput, politician and blogger at Mate Pastor [es] points the blame directly at President Garciá for this debacle:

El doctor Alan García ¿habría procedido a revocar el indulto sin la presión e indignación ciudadana? No, por supuesto que no. A pesar de que sus compañeros de partido afirmen que ha sido “sorprendido” yo pienso que no es así. Si se indultó a José Enrique Crousillat fue porque había una decisión política en ese sentido, y el hasta ahora ministro Aurelio Pastor fue un eficiente operador…. los esfuerzos de dos gobiernos anteriores, el de Valentín Paniagua y de Alejandro Toledo, en materia de lucha contra la corrupción, han involucionado. Hoy se hace lo posible por deteriorar la institucionalidad y ser permisivo con la corrupción.

Would President Alan García have revoked the pardon without all of the pressure and public outrage? No, of course not. Even though his fellow party members claim that they were “surprised” I don't think that was the case. If José Enrique Crousillat was pardoned it was because it was a political decision in this regard, and until now Minister Aurelio Pastor was an efficient operator …the efforts of the two previous governments, that of (former Presidents) Valentín Paniagua and Alejandro Toledo, in the fight against corruption, have digressed. Today it is possible to damage the institutions and be tolerant of corruption.

The well-known and controversial ex-head of the National Directorate Against Terrorism (DINCOTE for its initials in Spanish), Colonel Benedicto Jimenez writes in his blog El Pacificador [es] about his perspective of the events, and its relationship with large media companies:

Cuando el Grupo Plural (El Comercio y La República) sintió que sus intereses eran amenazados, soltaron los “perros de presa” o “seudos” investigadores periodísticos para husmear, perseguir, ubicar, fotografiar, filmar o seguirle los pasos a José Enrique Crousillat , personaje que cometió el error de sentirse invencible, intocable, soberbio, tal vez, confiaba en que nunca iba a ser tocado porque el indulto es irrevocable o se sentía seguro y confiado porque cuenta con grabaciones sobre la negociación del indulto … porque existe la sospecha que el indulto no cayó por gracia del Espíritu Santo que se apiadó de un septuagenario próximo a morir y que debía pasar sus últimos días en compañía de sus seres queridos. Desde ese momento, dos grupos económicos se han declarado la guerra y los ciudadanos miran impávidos como se destrozan o atacan los dueños del país para hacerse dueño de América TV. Por un lado está el Grupo Plural, por otro lado, el grupo económico que representa José Enrique Crousillat

When the Plural Group (El Comercio and La Republica) felt that their interests were threatened, they released the “attack dogs” or “pseudo” journalistic investigators to snoop, pursue, locate, photograph, video, or follow the steps of Jose Enrique Crousillat, a person who made the mistake of feeling invincible, untouchable, arrogant, and perhaps, was confident that he would never be touched because the pardon is irrevocable or felt secure and confident because it had recordings of the negotiation of the pardon … because it is suspected that the pardon did not fall by the grace of the Holy Spirit which took pity on a septuagenarian near death and that he should spend his last days with loved ones. Since then, two economic groups have declared war and the citizens are watching impassively as they destroy or attack the owners of the country to become master of América TV. On one side is the Plural Group, on the other side, the economic group that represents José Enrique Crousillat

The case is still under development with the results being awaited of the lawsuit filed by Crousillat, even thought it was declared inadmissible [es] in an injunction filed in the northern city of Motupe, which was based on a irregular housing certificate. Crousillat's lawyer has been denounced for concealment of his client [es]. That while there is a warning that Crousillat could request via a habeas corpus to request the restitution of his pardon. There is also a Facebook group called “Wanted: Crousillat [es]” which already has more than 1,300 members.

Translated by Eduardo Ávila

Peru: New Floods in Cusco Region

Juan Arellano — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:48:24 +0000

When it was believed that the disaster situation caused by rains and flooding in Cusco, Peru and surrounding areas had gotten better, on March 1st strong rains [es] once again caused the overflow another river. The overflow of the Quesermayo River in the Taray District, Calca Province in the Cusco region produced 7 deaths, various injured and the flooding of 80% of the housing in the area [es]. It also affected the highway linking Cusco and Pisac. What made this flooding different than past occasions, is that it appeared that help arrived faster and the same day of the disaster, the Minister of Energy and Mines arrived with 3 tons of food assistance [es].

Photo by Marco Moscoso and used with permission.

However, it was also reported that other villages were affected [es], such as Cuya and Yacarpay, and a state of emergency was declared in other districts of Cusco, such as San Sebastián, San Jerónimo, Anta, Zurite, Limatambo and Lamay. As had been the case during the previous disaster, it was through Twitter that much of the news and photos of what was happening.

Marco A. Moscoso (@markopunk):

Taray en Calca se ha inundado por desborde de rio.

Taray in Calca has been flooded because of the river overflow

Rita A.B (@ritaposa):

La lluvia en Cusco amenaza con continuar, Ayer llovió toda la noche y de nuevo todos los problemas surgieron, muchos niños no irán a clase.

Rain threatens to continue in Cusco, Yesterday it rained all night and again all the problems arose, many children will not go to class.

Javier Murillo Ch. (@ jataz8):

Volviendo del camino Cusco - Pisac, es imposible pasar más del km 30, desde el mirador se observa que Taray esta completamente inundado

Returning from the road Cusco - Pisac, it is impossible to go past km 30, from the lookout one can see that Taray is completely flooded

Even though some paths were blocked, Moscoso of the blog El Caminerito [es] was able to arrive and take some photos, some which were posted on Twitpic. He also recorded video and when he returned to Cusco uploaded it to his blog:

Hoy se realizaron trabajos de limpieza y encausamiento con el apoyo del Ejército Peruano, así como se inició con la labor de empadronar a los damnificados al tiempo de brindarles alimento. De regreso al Cusco, la pista Pisac – San Salvador se vio interrumpida al derrumbarse el cerro conocido como Morro Blanco por lo que para continuar hay que cruzar por chacras y lodo.

Today clean-up work was carried out with the support of the Pervuian Army, and began with the task of registering the victims and at the same time providing food. Upon return to Cusco via the Pisac - San Salvador highway, one could see it was blocked by the landslide from the hill known as Morro Blanco, and which in order to cross one had to cross through fields and mud.

He also contributed to a video with the blog Prensa Contacto [es]:

In the above mentioned blog Prensa Contacto [es], they were able to collect statements from Ciriaco Condori, the Mayor of Calca Province:

Nos faltó cultura de prevención, esto nos pasó de improviso. Nos encontramos negociando con el alcalde de Pisaq para que se reubiquen a las familias damnificadas en un terreno de esa jurisdicción. El gobierno central debería autorizar de manera efectiva la compra de maquinaría pesada a las municipalidades.

We lacked a culture of prevention, and this suddenly happened to us. We are negotiating with the Mayor of Pisac to relocated affected families to some land in that jurisdiction. The central government should effectively authorize the purchase of heavy machinery for the municipalities.

Finally, Javier Murillo of the blog El Pensador [es] (The Thinker), who was unable to arrive to Taray, uploaded photos and videos to his blog about the state of the Cusco - Pisac highway, which also suffered the ravages of nature:

Translation by Eduardo Ávila

Peru: Cusco Bloggers Cover the Rain Disaster

Juan Arellano — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:39:56 +0000

After two weeks of heavy rain and non-stop rainfall and following floods of Cusco, Puno and Apurímac, the citizen media has thoroughly covered the disaster in South Peru, while traditional media is now focusing on other affected zones like North shore [es], the North Jungle [es] and the Central Jungle.

Photo by Alfredo Velarde. Used following a Creative Commons license. Taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/velardemariscal/4316299488/in/set-72157623188793247/

A persistent idea in the Cusco blogosphere is the lack of prevention [es] from the local and regional governments for this type of disaster that seems to happen every year. Frida Ibáñez from Crónicas desde el centro Cusco explained the geography and characteristics of the city, and questioned why there is no planning nor prevention from the authorities [es]:

Ha llovido por cuatro días consecutivos con breves descansos, el cielo parecía no contenerse y caía agua de forma estrepitosa. Los ríos en las calles crecían cada vez más. No recuerdo una lluvia así de fuerte desde mi infancia … El Cusco es una hoyada. No es por gusto que la llaman ombligo… su geografía es particular. … Es en época de secas, entre mayo a setiembre que deberían hacerse la limpieza de los ríos, tal como lo hacían los Incas. Podríamos prevenir las pérdidas ante una eventualidad climática como la última. Nos preguntamos: ¿qué hacen las autoridades con el dinero que Cusco recibe del canon minero? recordemos que hace unos años se devolvió dinero de la Región Cusco a Lima porque no hubo capacidad de gasto y gestión.

Rain has fallen for four consecutive days with only brief stops, the sky did not seemed able to retain itself and water fell very noisily. The rivers in the streets grew each time. I don't remember rain this heavy since my childhood … Cusco is a gully. It is not called ‘navel' by nothing… its geography is very unique. … It is in times of drought, between May and September that rivers should be cleaned, like the Incas used to do. We could prevent the loss to an climatic event like the last one. We ask ourselves: what are the authorities doing with the money that is given to Cusco by the mining taxes? We should remember that years ago money was returned from the Cusco Region to Lima because there was no spend capacity or management.

Frida also wrote about helping those affected by the rain [es]. CafeHenry from the blog El Placard “H” also commented on the reaction from the government [es] .

Photo by Alfredo Velarde. Used following a Creative Commons license. Taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/velardemariscal/4315585687/in/set-72157623188793247/

Alfredo Velarde was visiting the town of Aguas Calientes, on the foothill of Machu Picchu, when it all started. On his blog, he offered a first-hand testimony of the disaster [es] and impressive photos on his Flickr account:

casi 3000 personas procedentes de Camino Inca y de la ciudad de Cusco, quedamos varadas en este pueblo, con escáso alimento, una pésima organización contra desastres naturales, autoridades corruptas y el desconcierto persistente, para el martes el caos se apodero del pueblo, debido a la poca ayuda del gobierno y las terribles desigualdades entre los residentes, turistas extranjeros y peruanos que las mismas autoridades genéran. … hoy por la tarde recién pude salir del lugar evacuado en un helicóptero de la Fuerza Aérea Peruana … pero preocupadísimo por los cientos de peruanos que por discriminación están siendo dejados de lado por la autoridades policiales, militares y por los grupos de extranejeros al mando de las actividades de organización para la evacuación.

almost 3000 people from Camino Inca and the city of Cusco were stranded in this town, with almost no goods, a faulty organization against natural disasters, corrupted authorities and persistent confusion, on Tuesday the chaos reigned in town, because of the scarce support from the government and the horrible inequalities among habitants, foreign turists and peruvians, caused by the authorities themselves. … today in the afternoon I could finally leave the place by an helicopter of the Peruvian Air Force … but I was so worried about the hundreds of peruvians that are left behind because of the discrimination by the police authorities, the military and the foreign groups in charge of the organized activities for evacuation.

Citizen media has gathered important information about the impact of the disaster. One of the most comprehensive coverages is the one of Marco Moscoso from El Caminerito, who we addressed in a previous post. He reported through his blog and Twitter account about emergency brigades, donation centers and any related irregularities, and even created a map with information of the affected areas.

Another important example is Prensa Contacto, a project started by two young communicators from Cusco who inform about what happens on their grounds. In a recent post [es] they reported that, until February 4th, in the Cusco Region there were 35,818 affected families and 13,210 dwellings damaged, following the last report from the regional president.

On his personal blog, Luis Figueroa made a virtual tour on Valle Sagrado with information about food and goods [es] in case of disaster. He also narrated and illustrated a mass and a procession to stop the rain [es]:

Desde 1986 el Taytacha no salía a las calles del Cusco fuera de su día principal -Lunes santo-, hoy, sin embargo, se realizó un servicio religioso a las 10:00 horas en el atrio de La Catedral con la intención de elevarle preces para aplacar las fuertes lluvias que caen sobre la región … Sin embargo, luego de concluida la misa, el sacerdote anunció que “para cuidar la imagen” la bendición sería impartida sólo en el atrio, a lo que el pueblo replicó “¡Que haya procesión!”. Minutos después, el Taytacha de los Temblores daba una vuelta por la Plaza de Armas para satisfacción de los fieles.

Since 1986 the Taytacha did not come out the streets of Cusco besides the main festivity -sacred Monday-, today, however, a religious service was made at 10:00 hours in the atrium of La Catedral with the purpose of praying for the tame the heavy rains that fall on the region … However, after the mass concluded, the priest announced that “in order to protect the sacred figure” the blessing would be given in the atrium, which caused the people to answer “There must be a procession!”. Minutes after, the Taytacha de los Temblores [Lord of the Tremors] made rounds through the Plaza de Armas to please the believers.

On the subject of help and solidarity, the Proyect of La Casa de Mayten reported both in text and photos [es] the current actions to help those affected in the town of Huacarpay on the blog Cambiando el Mundo:

Mi meta principal del viaje hoy fue levantar/recopilar informacion sobre la situacion global actual en Huacarpay, identificar sus necesidades urgentes, ver su estado de salud, y identificar los puntos de contacto a traves de los cuales coordinar esfuerzos organizados. … pudimos rapidamente conocer a, y hablar con, los 10 representates de los 10 sectores formados en el cerro en el que se refugian desde el domingo pasado, 315 familias (aprox 1,575 personas) incluyendo al sr. alcalde y a la teniente gobernadora.

My principal achievement of today's trip was to collect/obtain information about the actual global situation in Huacarpay, identify their urgent needs, check on their health status, and identify contacts by which coordinated and organized efforts can be made. … quickly we got to know and talk with 10 representatives of 10 organized sectors in the hill where, since last Sunday, are refugeed 315 families (aprox 1,575 people) including the mayor and the lieutenant governor.

Photo by Alfredo Velarde. Used following a Creative Commons license. Taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/velardemariscal/4316294672/in/set-72157623188793247/

More coverage on this situation can be found on the blogs El Caminerito, Urquillos [es], Radio Voz Populi Urubamba [es], Apurímac, Christian David Peña [es], El Trotamundo Tartamudo [es] and Chikuchape [es].