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Sentimientos encontrados esta tarde al asistir a este ensayo de danza de un grupo de niñas margariteñas. La belleza de sus caras, la luz de esta tarde y algo que bailaba en el ambiente chocaban con el contexto adoctrinante…

Much has been discussed about political and ideological propaganda during the government of President Hugo Chavez. For many, these years represent the entry of Venezuela into a new phase in which its history must be rethought and disseminated. For others, these changes are ideological impositions touching sensitive areas such as education and public administration.

The following pictures were taken during a free dance class in the “Alí Primera” library and illustrate part of the context of this debate:

Folk dance rehearsal. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Facade of library "Alí Primera". Writing on wall: "With the revolution, Bolivar lives!" Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

A collection of cuatros (a typical Venezuelan instrument) with images of some of the most important icons of the Bolivarian Revolution: Alí Primera, Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Karl Marx, among others. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Folk dance rehearsal. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Folk dance rehearsal. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Posters of recent election campaigns and political messages supporting the Bolivarian Revolution. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Folk dance rehearsal. Photo by Carmen Helena Gonzalez, used with permission.

Written by Laura Vidal · Translated by Laura Vidal · View original post [es] · comments (0)
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The Twitter accounts affected include those of artists [es], politicians, journalists, writers, and scholars [es] who openly criticize and oppose the government.

Two months ago, the group N33 published a press release (available here through Taringa [es]) and took responsibility for the expropriations made during that time. They confirm that they are followers of Chávez followers and that they share his ideals, but that neither he nor his government are not to be linked with their activities.

According to the group, the opinions expressed by the people whose accounts were hacked could be seen as abuses of freedom of speech and defamatory speech against the President and the State's institutions. They also claim that they are not linked to Anonymous, a group they consider “pro-imperialist.” Daniela López, comments in La Gente Dice [es]:

"I was hacked for saying what I think! @Leonardo_Padron" via Twitpic

¿Tendrá que preocuparse Anonymous por este nuevo grupo de hackers? Aparentemente no, porque N33 los considera un grupo “Pro- imperialista” y lo que ellos buscan es hacer justicia por los atropellos cometidos contra el presidente Chávez y su gobierno en Twitter

The author of the blog Ay Caracha [es] scolds the group:

Al autor del ataque a la cuenta de Berenice, realmente lamento que gaste su inteligencia para destruir un medio que muchos de nosotros utilizábamos para entrar en contacto con los personajes de un programa de radio que tenemos derecho a escuchar.

Carlos Bolívar [es], in his post “Unreliable citizen media” says:

Cada [día] sale una nueva mentira, un nuevo hackeo, entonces el día que salga un tubazo por Twitter vía @globovision o @chavezcandanga ¿QUIÉN LO VA A CREER?.

On Twitter, Jose Manuel da Silva (@chacazulu451) [es] suggests the possibility that the national company in charge of telecommunications, CANTV, could be linked to the attacks:

Adivina, adivinador!! RT”@NoticiasVenezue: Yo pregunto: el hackeo de las cuentas twitter no viene de dentro de la CANTV? #Venezuela

Also @CelesteAcosta [es] points at a very ironic happy ending:

Solo en mi Bello Pais! #venezuela bien por Luis!!@laureanomar: Para informar que@luisvicenteleon hackeo al hacker y recuperó su cuenta…

Finally, Luis Carlos Díaz, in his post “The hacker's check” [es], comments and reflects:

En estos meses se realizaron denuncias ante los organismos competentes que se mantienen aún en proceso. El resultado es que los delitos aumentan y el silencio oficial continúa. No ha habido pronunciamientos para deslindarse de estos actos viles contra la libertad de expresión. Quizás porque es similar al retiro de concesiones de radio, la prohibición de circulación temporal de diarios, o aquella insólita resolución que censuraba las noticias y fotografías de sucesos en la prensa nacional. ¿Se recuerda eso?

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Photographer Camilo Delgado Castilla wrote in Demotix:

From 17 to November 20 the Sixth Meeting of Body Art [was held] in the city of Caracas, with the participation of 18 countries: Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, USA, Spain, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, New Zealand and Venezuela.

Body painting, tattoos, body modifications, lectures, movies, piercing, Indian painting, dance, ritual suspension, origami dresses were at the meeting with the human body as its centerpiece.

"A woman from a Venezuelan indigenous community paints the arm of a spectator." by Camilo Delgado Castilla, copyright Demotix

"A woman from a Venezuelan indigenous community has her face painted", by Camilo Delgado Castilla, copyright Demotix

"A woman from a Venezuelan indigenous community paints the face of a spectator" by Camilo Delgado Castilla, coypright Demotix

Also, Manuel Enrique's Flickr photostream shows interesting views on the festival and the artists' works:

Archangel Blue, by Manuel Enrique. Used with permission

Through citizen videos like this one by Luar Aleman, we can take a look at some of the different art forms presented in the festival:

Also, thanks to Caracas Musical we can see some of the exhibitions:

You can see images of previous body art meetings held in Caracas through Demotix image galleries by Camilo Delgado Castilla (September 2008; October 15, 16 and 17, 2010) and Nelson González Leal (October 2010).

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In their YouTube channel [es], a video in Spanish explains what the project is all about.

"Aliadas" (Allies) used with permission from Aliadas en Tecnología (Allies in Technology)

In the blog ¡No le tenemos miedo a los ratones! (We are not afraid of mice! [the computer mouse]) [es] they discuss and inform about the changes women have experienced in the workplace. In one of their posts [es] they question the common perceptions about the value women bring to the workplace, and they criticize the forms of male dommination that are hidden in very simple acts:

… Desde que somos pequeñas nos enseñan a estar sujetas al control masculino, tanto en lo familiar como en lo social, donde nuestro éxito está basado en el cumplimiento del papel de madre-esposa (…)

Basta con escuchar los chistes sexistas en una oficina sobre cómo la presidenta de la compañía llegó a ese cargo o las críticas sobre el traje que utilizó una senadora para dar unas declaraciones en un canal de noticias, para darnos cuenta de las formas (por no mencionar otras tantas) en las que se descalifica y desprestigia a una mujer que tiene poder.

In Venezuela, the role of women as mothers and housewives has prevailed in culture. The basic education women had a right to at the beginning of the Venezuelan republic framed women as administrators in the home and underestimated their efforts in the workplace. Elementary and secondary education in Venezuela is now a right that is offered equally to men and women. However, the traditions and customs perpetuate a limited vision of the female universe, particularly within disadvantaged groups. But the participation of women in community organizations and activities in different training programs –like in Allies in Technology– show how the strength of women inside and outside the home has contributed to the development of the country.

Allies in Technology also follows the struggles and protests against violence against women [es] and promotes knowledge of the laws that protect women in Venzuela that, unfortunately, women know little about:

Entre los principales logros alcanzados durante esta jornada destacan: la visibilidad pública del tema de violencia contra las mujeres a través de los medios de comunicación masivos; el apoyo y trabajo conjunto de organizaciones e individualidades ante este hecho; y acuerdos con [representantes del Tribunal Supremo de Justicia]

"Protesta" (Protest) used with permission from Aliadas en Tecnología (Allies in Technology). Sign reads: "Sexism kills, and so does silence. No more violence against women!"

One of the remaining obstacles is the ambivalence in the emancipation of women and in what women want for themselves. The doubts and anxieties in the persuit of self-fulfillment that is divided between the family and professional life is still present, like it is in many other parts of the world. Also, the difficult economic situation in Venezuela demands that work in the home and in the workplace be as strong and as productive as possible. Additionally, many of these women are the head of one-parent households which depend on them in an economic, emotional and domestic level.

As part of the self-fulfillment workshops that the women from Allies in Chains call “Skills for life,” several participants gave their opinion about the value of work [es] and talked about their motivation for joining these training workshops:

Yo he trabajado desde los 15 años, ya que SIEMPRE me ha gustado el dinero, no me gusta depender de los demás, es muy distinto a que yo tenga mi propio dinero a que tenga que esperar que mi pareja cobre para que me dé. Estoy en el curso para aprender y también para conseguir un trabajo que sea de lunes a viernes.

Trabajar para mí es una decisión importante ya que un día cualquiera me puse a pensar y me dí cuenta que se me estaba pasando el tiempo y estaba dejando atrás todas aquellas metas que me tracé alguna vez, las cuales dejé a un lado con el nacimiento de mi hija.

Yo no me siento bien estando todos los días en la casa haciendo oficios, yo sé que es mi deber pero quiero servir para algo más y así sentirme satisfecha conmigo misma.

Para mí es importante trabajar porque:
- Me hace sentir que no hay límites para hacerlo, sólo el que uno se pone.
- Mejora mi condición económica.
- Te puedes preparar para el futuro al poder alcanzar tus metas para comprar una vivienda, enseres, obtener beneficios laborales como la pensión, etc.

Fue una decisión importante:
1.- Porque quería ser independiente.
2.- Necesito demostrarme a mí misma que sí puedo, que puedo crecer sola sin que otros estén manteniéndome.
3.- que tengo que tener un buen empleo para costearme mis estudios y lograr tener una carrera.
4.- Que debo superarme para brindarle estabilidad a mi hijo.
5.- Porque quiero demostrarle a mis padres que cuando Yo me propongo algo lo termino y lo logro.
6.- Porque necesito darle una lección a mi esposo, o enseñarle que como mujer soy importante, que tengo metas, sueños, que soy capaz de mantener a mi hijo sola. Que aunque el me dé todo; yo debo ser independiente.

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However, the brokerage firm Econoinvest, a founding investor in the Foundation for Urban Culture, was raided by the government in May. This was enough excuse for the National Exchange Commission to shut down [es] the Foundation permanently.

Bloggers who follow cultural activities in Caracas have expressed a strong opposition to the close down, which they accuse of being illegal and unrelated to the intervention of the brokerage firm.

In the blog Círculo de Escritores de Venezuela [es] (Writers Circle of Venezuela), Magaly Salazar, says:

La creación de una Fundación para la Cultura Urbana tiene como objetivo contribuir a la humanización y armonía de la ciudad. Al frente de ella han estado distinguidas personalidades, entre ellas el escritor Rafael Arráiz Lucca. Esta Institución se ha constituido en un espacio de discusión, expresión del pensamiento contemporáneo, creadora de la Cátedra Permanente de Imágenes Urbanas, de Concursos literarios, de numerosas publicaciones.

Gabriel Payares, in his blog Kariba [es] reflects on the closing of the brokerage firm and on the empty spaces that will be left behind with the closing of the Foundation:

Cuando anunciaron la intervención de Econoinvest Casa de Bolsa, C. A., no pegué el grito en el cielo, como muchos compañeros y amigos, sino que esperé a ver. (…) Tal vez el problema esté en nuestra desconfianza por las instituciones de todo tipo, y que con el chavismo ha alcanzado sus niveles más elevados en la historia (…) pero ahora se le allana e interviene directamente (…) y se detiene la marcha de una institución que desde el inicio de sus labores en 2001 se supo integrar al panorama cultural y literario del país, convirtiéndose rápidamente en una alternativa para canalizar muchísimas propuestas que no hallaban espacio.

He goes on to say:

Ahora que cierra sus puertas y no sabemos si para siempre, la incertidumbre y el pesimismo a los que cada vez nos acostumbramos más nos hacen preguntarnos qué carajos se gana cerrando uno de los pocos, poquísimos espacios para la edición y la producción cultural de los que dispone nuestro país (…) Agotar nuestros pocos espacios de generación de objetos culturales al mismo tiempo que se planifica una Gran Explosión Cultural Bicentenaria es no solo una cruel ironía, sino una estupidez mayúscula, que apunta hacia una nauseabunda monopolización del rótulo “cultura” por parte del Estado.

In the post La cultura y Econoinvest [es] (Culture and Econoinvest) Petrusco points out:

No conozco a los directivos de Econoinvest. Es más, no conozco a nadie de los que trabajan allí. De ninguno de ellos puedo decir si es buena o mala persona, si es honesto o no (…) Pero sí conozco a mis amigos músicos, artistas y productores, particularmente de la Movida Acústica Urbana, quienes se han visto apoyados en forma firme y desinteresada por Econoinvest y por la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana

Fedosy Santaella, in his blog Caja Virtual [es], presents the reasons for the ideological rage which he thinks is the engine behind the closing of the Foundation, and reflects on what the government’s ideological base is looking for and avoiding. This is his final thought:

…una cosa sí es cierta, la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana, seguirá existiendo. Fundó en el espacio valores intangibles que por más zarpazos que les den, permanecerán como evidencias de lo verdaderamente bueno,y revolucionario incluso.

Kira Kariakin in her blog Anotiaciones al Borde [es] writes:

La cultura venezolana repudia lo que se le hace a esta Fundación pero en general creo que repudia todo abuso, todo vilipendio producto del investíguese, exprópiese, encarcélese o un simple no me gusta del presidente. Su dedo que apunta a capricho comandado por alguna epifanía momentánea causa desgracia y temor, porque ha significado la ruina de empresas y familias, pérdida del sustento de mucha gente. Las razones siempre caen en lo mismo: eran unos capitalistas o unos burgueses, o era un jueza/funcionario desobediente, una finca de un oligarca, un canal de un oligarca, una radio de un oligarca, una casa de bolsa especuladora de un oligarca.

Quizás desaparezca la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana, pero quedará la leyenda (…) Bajo esa aura de mito posible surgirán otras iniciativas. Dependerá de nosotros.

In social networks, the initiative to support the Foundation has been intense. Many Facebook [es] and Twitter [es] users show this support through the Foundation’s profiles and discussions. A blog called Solidaridad Ciudadana con la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana [es] (Citizen Solidarity with the Foundation for Urban Culture) was created to collect signatures against the closing of the Foundation. In the blog, numerous national artists and writers have participated with their signature and with letters showing their support. In its main text, the blog points out that the closing of the Foundation is illegal, because it is independent from Econoinvest; this is what it says:

Convocamos a reflexionar detenidamente sobre el significado y las implicaciones de esta acción contra la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana, porque más que afectar a una institución, constituye un agravio a esa Venezuela pensante y democrática que ha hallado en la Fundación para la Cultura Urbana un espacio de encuentro, discusión crítica y expresión de las más diversas ideas.

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Nuevo Circo Artístico

Part of their work material can be heard on podcasts [es], and some interviews explain (like the one seen below, transmitted on the radio and broadcasted on YouTube) what their goals are and with which tools they use.

In the video, the group explains that the project was created out of the needs of Caracas. According to the project leaders, culture is a fatherless child, so artists, musicians, actors, and other people in the arts are not taking into account, or even supported by the public. As they have seen so many artists, having to support their own projects with an “actual” job, most of the community projects based on arts are never completely achieved.

The place [es] in which the project started to be developed is very particular, since it is a bullfighting ring built in 1916, and it used to be one of the biggest entertainment places of the city. Nevertheless, it was abandoned little by little, and this also meant that the building itself became very deteriorated. One of the main goals is also to “recover” places of the city that have been dominated by the urban violence of Caracas. With this, the expectations grow with the efforts of communities and the possibilities that come with collaboration and “reconstruction” of the city, making the slums an important part of the city.

As theater is one of the bases of their activities, a lot of texts are devoted to explore the importance of art and culture. They promote the study and new approaches to Venezuela’s own authors and images, and they back up these ideas with texts and discussions around the country’s quest for an identity of it’s own. The following post is a good example of these ideas:

Independientemente de que nuestro teatro en su mayoría tenga marcadas raíces europeas en su sentido formal, es vital de cara al futuro que nuestro mestizaje, y que las culturas aplastadas por los conquistadores, como la negra y la indígena encuentren expresión en el teatro venezolano y sobretodo en el teatro realizado por los cultores populares. ¡Qué importa que la forma sea europea! Lo que interesa es que en principio el contenido, el fondo, tenga nuestra voz, que se cuele algo de nuestros barrios Niño Jesús, las Lomas de Urdaneta, 23 de Enero, aunque estemos montando La Farsa de Maese Pathelin, nuestras raíces pobres estarán presentes, lo ideal es que sea algo consciente y que se reconozca con orgullo.

Nevertheless, the efforts of making a place safer have been very hard, given the high state of insecurity of the city. The group continues to perform theater pieces, concerts, and also provides children activities and workshops, but the urban violence has not stopped, which was demonstrated this year with the death of a student, during a presentation. In their Facebook profile [es], the group discusses and wonders if all the activities they have been developing for the sake of this zone are as well supported by the public, or whether they were at the begging for support.

Segunda muerte que ocurre en el lugar, el primero fue un policia que resguardaba el sitio, que pasa con los impostores que usurparon el proyecto original, se han propuesto a mal poner al gobierno revolucionario?

Communities and crime fight unequally to expand their domains in the city, knowing that only the stronger will be the one to stay. The real and unsettling question remains, who would be stronger one? Who will the one to last? One side points the other. Even here the arena becomes political. Since Caracas became one of the most dangerous dangerous city on Latin America a lot of communities in the city struggle with this same issue and its ramifications, inequality, governance, education, and division of society.

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After almost a year of discussion regarding the decree that questioned the Internet as a priority, these concerns are appearing once again online. Much of the government's concerns were demonstrated when a bit of news was falsely declared in the forums of the site Noticiero Digital, an online Venezuelan newspaper that Diosdado Cabello, the Minister of Public Works and Housing had died. The false information remained published for two days, and was picked up and republished on other blogs. It was two days until the site's administrators took the information down and made the correction.

This was one more example for the Chávez government to say that there should be some controls on what can be published online. He declared on television that the Internet should not be an open place where everyone can publish whatever they can, with no control whatsoever. He argued that every country should put its own norms and rules to avoid spreading false information and create uneasiness.

As usual, online movements are trying to figure out the future consequences and to clearly understand the intentions of the government, as well as the reactions of the people. As it has become a tradition in Venezuela's political dynamics, a great number of voices try to identify the problem and either clarify the real objectives or fight against them. For some, this is a misunderstanding caused by manipulation in media. For others, it is the approach of a dreaded shadow of repression already seen in Cuba and Iran, two of Venezuela's government's closest allies.

According to Reporters Without Borders [es], applying restrictions will not be a solution for false news over the web. They also argue that this is an excuse to control a space that the government has not been able to control before.

To respond to the legal maneuvers that have been taking place, the group Tod@s en Red [es](Everybody Online) created a document in which several points of discussion are suggested in order to underline the basic importance of the access to Internet. Their main goal is to circulate the document on the web and discuss it. They also suggest to spread the ideas through Twitter, Facebook, and also sign and comment on the site. Some of the points they underline are:

* Reivindicar la info-alfabetización como un derecho social, dado que el desarrollo de destrezas informáticas que le dan al ciudadano mayores posibilidades tanto para aprender autónomamente, como para colaborar en proyectos colaborativos o colectivos.

* Demandar los aportes del Estado y la contribución del sector privado para el desarrollo de infraestructura de red y ampliación del acceso a la conectividad para superar la brecha digital que aún persiste en Venezuela.

* Reconocer que Internet no es un lujo sino un recurso clave para el combate de la pobreza y el logro de los objetivos nacionales de desarrollo.

On the blog Webarticulista [es], Juan Páez Avila discusses:

(…no se puede) responsabilizar a la red de redes que se utiliza en el mundo civilizado no sólo para informar de lo que pueda interesarle a un forista bien o mal intencionado, sino para impulsar el desarrollo integral de las naciones. (…)

Y aunque el caso podría limitarse a la investigación del forista, porque la Constitución Nacional prohíbe el anonimato, lo grave del mismo es que el Comandante en Jefe adelantó opinión y solicitó que además de investigar al noticiero se piense en regular el funcionamiento de Internet en nuestro país, lo cual, según la experiencia conocida constituye una orden para que se proceda a censurar al medio o a provocar la autocensura.

From the other side, Pascual Serrano discusses the real implications [es] of the President's speech.

En realidad el presidente venezolano denunciaba informaciones falsas (…). Chávez afirmó que los medios “no pueden ser libres para decir lo que te de la gana, hay que cumplir las leyes y la Constitución”, y pidió que la fiscalía actúe contra los medios que difundan falsedades en internet, tal y como sucede en países como Estados Unidos, España o Colombia.

La corresponsal de El País en Caracas, Mayte Rico, tituló “Chávez dice que Internet ‘no puede ser libre’”, en un claro ejemplo de manipulación. Hagamos el siguiente ejercicio. ¿Pensamos que los ciudadanos pueden ser libres para asesinar a sus vecinos que no les caigan bien? Evidentemente, responderíamos que no. ¿Eso quiere decir que pensamos que “los ciudadanos no pueden ser libres”?

To prove his point, Pascual shares the link in which Chávez explains his reason in the video [es] with the source.

Mercedes Chacín also argues that there is a lot of manipulation and says [es]:

Hasta ahora, ningún país del mundo se había llevado una sola línea en la prensa internacional por implantar este tipo de soluciones. Sin embargo, Venezuela ha conseguido incluso portadas y primeras páginas (…) solamente por tomar las mismas decisiones que otros países, absolutamente justificadas y encaminadas a aumentar la eficiencia y la seguridad en sus comunicaciones.

(Según la prensa, Chávez) No solicita, no declara, no pide, no opina, el Presidente “ataca”.

From another point of view, César Carrillo underlines how important the Internet and free connection is vital for Chavez's project in his post “Revolution and Internet: Doubling the Score”,

(En internet) no existe la primera figura del actor, allí todos somos protagonistas, pero eso no quita que aquellos que hacemos vida de internauta en las redes interlazadas de alcance global, estemos exentos de una buena cuota de responsabilidad de orden jurídico (…)

Se especula sobre un supuesto sensor (sic), mordaza o filtro a Internet dentro de la jurisdicción soberana de parte de nuestro gobierno revolucionario, de materializarse sería un craso error. Esta medida para nada favorece a nuestro proceso y eso antes de sumar, resta.

In addition, Tomás Horacio Hernández reacts to the opinion of one of the government's spokespersons:

Que la defensora del Pueblo, Gabriela Ramírez afirme que: “Los portales web que se generen para la libre opinión deben estar plenamente apegados a la Constitución y la ley, a fin garantizar que no atenten contra la paz y el estado de derecho” es tan absurdo y tan contradictorio como decir que uno como ser humano es libre ser, siempre y cuando el estado te lo permita. ¿Por que alguien me tiene que obligar a leer algo, imponerme lo que debo pensar al respecto y responsabilizar al medio si uno dice lo contrario al libreto?

The sources of most part of the debate are located in the documents in which the projects and decrees have been written. The group Todos en red has a space called “Papeles para el debate” (papers for debate) in which the main documents can be found.

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UNESCO invites the world to celebrate the International Mother Language Day annually on February 21 to encourage all communities to “promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.” According to Koïchiro Matsuura, former UNESCO Director-General:

…Languages constitute an irreducible expression of human creativity in all its diversity. Tools of communication, perception and reflection, they also shape the way we view the world and provide a link between past, present and future. They bear within them the traces of their encounters, the diverse sources from which they have borrowed, each according to its own particular history.”

Celebration in front of the International Mother Language Day Monument in Ashfield, Sidney (Australia). Photo by Anisur Rahman and used under Wikimedia Commons

In recent times when many of the world languages are in risk of extinction, this day reminds many of the importance of mother tongues through the discussion about the need to maintain global cultural diversity as long as possible. Part of these efforts, according to Matsuura, include a primary school in Kosovo that has launched a series of exchanges with students from “different schools and nations”; celebrations with poems, indigenous songs, stories, plays, and a ceremony organized in the Philippines titled, “In the Galaxy of Languages, Every Word is a Star.” This celebration has also been important in Bangladesh, where they have been celebrating the diversity of languages since 1952.

David Galeano Oliveira, in his blog Café Historia [es] supports this idea:

Cada lengua refleja una visión única del mundo y una cultura compleja que refleja la forma en la que una comunidad ha resuelto sus problemas en su relación con el mundo, y en la que ha formulado su pensamiento, su sistema filosófico y el entendimiento del mundo que le rodea. Por eso, con la muerte y desaparición de una lengua, se pierde para siempre una parte insustituible de nuestro conocimiento del pensamiento y de la visión del mundo.

The Ongoing Discussion About What is “Good” Spanish

“We ended up losing…we ended up winning…they took the gold and left us the gold…they took everything and left us everything…they left us the words”

Pablo Neruda

Most Spanish speakers are located in Latin America; of all countries with a majority of Spanish speakers, only Spain and Equatorial Guinea are outside the Americas. For many in the region, Spanish is considered to be their mother tongue based on the long history with Spain. However, the Spanish language differs from country to country, which brings up discussions and debates about origins, forms and “styles”. In the blog Sacando la Lengua [es], I tried to underline the fact that these difference are today a futile matter of discussion:

Hace mucho que nos hemos dado cuenta de que el idioma más que algo abstracto pareciera más bien tomar la forma de un animal salvaje; y como tal, cambia, evoluciona y crece. ¿Se podrá dominar a este animal? Muy buena suerte a los que lo intenten. Una vez preso, cambiará de forma. Observar su belleza traerá seguramente muchos menos cotilleos bizantinos que determinar cuál es la exacta, o cuál es la “correcta” forma de hablar la lengua de Lorca, de las versiones y diversiones de Paz, de la hilarante modestia de Borges y de tantos otros que lo hablan y lo transforman hoy. El español que habla esta inmensa cantidad de gente no es, en efecto, el mismo.

This same idea is backed up by Viviana Mejenes-Knorr, who wrote as guest editor on the blog Lexiophiles [es]:

Como cualquier otra lengua ampliamente hablada, el español no es uniforme; en cada país hispanohablante y en cada una de sus regiones, se le añaden sazones gramaticales que crean una colorida gama sociolingüística con rasgos léxicos únicos, además de agregarle diversidad a la pronunciación.

Other phenomena explored in the blogosphere is the Spanish used in United States. From Argentina, Pedro Ylarri writes in his Blog del Medio [es] a review of a new encyclopedia of Spanish in USA, which he considers a turning point in the study of this language inside the country. Pedro underlines the study of the influence of youth and its role in this evolution through technology and also gives his thoughts around the expansion of the language through culture, literature and media:

Junto a los medios de comunicación, la producción cultural plasma el empuje del español en todos sus ámbitos: revistas literarias, cuentos, poesía, teatro, música…, toda manifestación artística es rastreada históricamente hasta nuestros días, según distintas nacionalidades y corrientes.

Ante el mundo de la novela, por ejemplo, Mercedes Cortazar y Eduardo Lago nos presentan una perspectiva complementaria, colocándonos respectivamente ante la pista de las posibilidades de la narrativa escrita en español en Estados Unidos, así como ante la existencia de multitud de escritores hispanos que se expresan en inglés.

Posting now from the Philippines, Manolo Pérez, a blogger from Spain, observes with fascination the presence of his language in what he considered a far away land:

Realmente el español nunca se ha ido de Filipinas, se habla poco pero permanece en las lenguas locales y, sobre todo, en la Historia y en los archivos de este país, en su literatura, etc. Más que de la vuelta del español hay que hablar de la vuelta de la enseñanza del español.

Este sigue siendo un país de sorpresas y para un español más.

The Conquest of the Spanish Language and its “Adoption” in the New World

For others in Latin America, one's mother tongue is relative. A brief historical review is summarized in Salon Hogar [es] about this spread of the Spanish language in a region where many languages had already been present. The diversity of languages in America was -and still is- immense. Some authors point out that this continent is the most fragmented, from the linguistic point of view, with more than a hundred families of languages, inside which there are also tens or even hundreds of dialects and languages. Nonetheless, some of the most important languages coming from indigenous communities are still alive, given the number of speakers or its influence in the Spanish. Languages like Nahuatl, Taino, Maya, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani and Mapuche are some of the most important examples.

When Christopher Columbus arrived to America in 1492, the Spanish language was already consolidated in Iberian Peninsula and it started a new process in the New World with the crossbreeding and the influence of the Catholic Church. The mixture was very complex, given the diversity, not only of the indigenous communities, but also that of the Spanish that settled in the land.

Many groups are promoting the preservation of their native languages, for example the blog Information Mapuche Chile [es]; in which it is underlined the importance of maintaining of indigenous languages:

La oportunidad de utilizar y transmitir el pensamiento y tradiciones en sus lenguas originarias representa no sólo un derecho cultural, sino que una herramienta esencial para asegurar el conocimiento de los derechos humanos. Según datos de la UNESCO, el 90% de todas las lenguas del mundo desaparecerían en los próximos 100 años.

In the blog Espacio Verde [es], a Mexican community working for environmental development, a video is shared in which is seen the linguistic richness of the country.

Also, communities like Jaqi-Aru, a group of multilingual bloggers in El Alto, Bolivia , are engaged to the promotion of Aymara language in Internet. This group is devoted, thus, to protect the evolution of their own language. Through translation projects and blogging in their native tongue, Jaqi-Aru looks to contribute with the enrichment of the Aymara language in cyberspace.

In the end, UNESCO's celebration aims to promote the value of each language resulting in the intercultural exchanges. As language represents a cultural door to a new way of thinking and an interpretation of the world. Its main objective is to respect and promote the conservation of such expressions and give them a space in a world that, now more than ever, needs to exchange views, thoughts and grow in its intercultural relations.

This post is part of our special coverage Languages and the Internet.

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The International City of Paris

There is a blog in which many students write about these experiences in this community. This space is called Cité Babel, and is a place in the blogosphere in which thoughts, impressions, and experiences are shared, both in French and also in other variety of different languages.

Three printed publications also are related this blog, and they are all available online. The publications are the work of a team that addresses issues related to identity, interactions, cultural exchanges, languages, translation, ideas, and views of France and the world. Thus Cité Babel is the essence of a journey lived by students and professionals who are experiencing become an international citizen of the world.

To have a little view of how this blog works, here are some pieces of work written by members of the community around different subjects.

In his article “Why Paris sucks (and why I don’t want to leave)” Jake Heller, a Canadian student explores the basic ideas that his peers from the States have of a life in Paris and the shock of the reality of a vibrant and complicated city:

The steep price of my exchange hasn’t in fact been due to the outlandish cost of living here; turns out that rectifying my actual experience with others’ expectations of what it should be has taken the much greater toll (…) When people ask me about Paris…well they usually don’t actually ask me anything. They rather frame statements like “You must be having a great time!” or “Tell me about your French girlfriend!” as questions, or pose their questions with the answer already in mind, as in “How amazing is it there?” Unhappy with their own regular lives, they expect me to be living their dream, so – at the risk of being castrated for being a whiny, unappreciative asshole upon my return – my answers to such “questions” must always include the words “amazing,” “unbelievable,” or “incredibly hot.” The problem is that, like most comparisons between idealised fantasy and reality, the Paris of the North American imagination really doesn’t stack up to the Paris of the real world. (Note: I understand that many North Americans conceptualise “the real world” as a TV show instead of as actual reality, but I think that that only reinforces my point.)

Abdelkader, a French student writes about the views of the French media in the complex conflict happening in Gaza [Fr]. While he discusses the attention that the conflict has been given by the mainstream media (in this case the primetime of French TV news), Aoufil puts serious questions and statements on the table. As the Gaza bombings arrive to their first anniversary, this student points out how the public opinion chooses to ignore a chapter of the circumstances that for so long have tormented the life of both Palestinians and Israelis:

Apparemment, les tribulations de Berlusconi, et de Johnny Halliday, sont plus importantes que le sort de 1,8 million de palestiniens enfermés dans la ville-ghetto de Gaza (…) même chez les progressistes ou les soutiens du début 2009 à la Palestine, l’apartheid et la ghettoïsation d’un peuple, est moins important qu’une bonne bouffe en famille (…)

Ah  Palestine! Ce soir, la majorité silencieuse te pleure encore, et ses larmes sont gonflées par l’outrecuidance de ces escrocs et de ces hypocrites de médias et de collaborateurs qui veulent nous faire avaler des couleuvres que leurs gorges rejettent pour éviter leur propre étouffement. Ah, j’oubliais… Bonne année 2010 !

At the same time Chen Miao, from China, discusses the common image of the Chinese people in her post “Are the Chinese shy?” [Fr/Ch]

Un jour, un de mes amis qui habite la Cité Universitaire m’a dit « je pense que les chinois sont timides, réservés et renfermés. » (…) Mon ami n’est pas le seul à penser cela… Bien que cela ne soit pas une critique, il existe quelques malentendus.

D’abord – et nous ne sommes pas les seuls à ressentir cela, beaucoup d’étrangers en France, ont la même impression – on se sent solitaires quand on s’éloigne de son pays natal (…) Les chinois peuvent faire preuve de grandeur d’âme et de largesse d’esprit. Si cela venait d’un pays où habitent des « timides », alors cette timidité serait associée à un charme certain et à une sacrée séduction, basés sur une culture profonde, vigoureuse, saine et puissante ! Les chinois ne sont plus fermés au monde. Nous sommes sortis et nous regardons dans tous les coins de planète, nous possédons des idées innovantes et des ambitions nobles.

The subjects and the ideas are wide and very vibrant. This is, indeed, an international community of people aware of the wideness of the world and how, with every day passing, peoples find themselves closer than ever before. With every blog post on Cité Babel, the discussions and observations get to be seen and discussed. No matter the language, the origins or the academic education, the students find in Cité Babel’s blog a space in which they use their voice and show their own vision of an international arena that has been considered as one of the most multicultural, diverse and cosmopolitan of the world: the Paris of the 21st century.

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The writings have generated a lot of discussion by readers who have high expectations about the quality of films in Venezuela. For example, one topic that continues to attract a lot of attention involves the themes of many Venezuelan traditional films, which, according to some readers, have focused too much on urban violence [es]. Instead, the bloggers and commenters contend that there are many other simple, yet stunning stories that have yet to be told onscreen.

Screenshot of BlogaCine

In his post on the 5 years of the blog Caridad-Montero writes about how he started with this project:

Todo comenzó a gestarse a mediados de 2004, cuando tropecé en Internet con las palabras “escándalo sexual” y “weblog” en una misma frase. En mayo de ese año, se supo que una pasante llamada Jessica Cutler, empleada en la oficina de un senador estadounidense, había estado publicando el diario de sus correrías sexuales en Capitol Hill, en algo llamado weblog. Al buscar el significado de la enigmática palabra, fui a parar a Blogger, un servicio que permitía la publicación online de una página web cuyos artículos podían ser organizados cronológicamente. Sí, a la manera de diario o bitácora.

En un principio monté una bitácora personal llamada Cuaderno de Notas (de un cineasta latinoamericano). Pero enseguida me di cuenta de que aquella era la oportunidad de hacer algo que siempre quise y nunca pude por escasos conocimientos técnicos: montar un site dedicado al cine y a los temas cinematográficos que a mí me atraían. Al mismo tiempo, una página que sirviera para hacer circular la información en el, entonces claustrofóbico, mundo cinematográfico venezolano.

Blogacine uses social media on its site, such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, among others, which makes the movement of information fast and accessible. Readers note that the blog is written with great care and passion about the subject matter, which only motivates the public to join the discussion. To illustrate this, Caridad-Montero comments:

He publicado alrededor de 2 mil artículos y he tratado en todo momento de mantener la idea inicial. BlogaCine no es una revista, sino un blog y, como tal, tiene un acento en lo personal. No sólo en la persona de su autor, sino en la de los cineastas y aficionados al cine que la visitan.

Me da la impresión de que la fórmula ha dado resultado. Las visitas a la página no han dejado de crecer y los usuarios tampoco.

And the results, according to Caridad-Montero:

Con el advenimiento del fenómenos de las redes sociales y los usuarios activos (Facebook, Twitter y YouTube), la información ya no puede ser contenida o censurada. (…) Las redes han borrado la línea divisoria entre emisores y receptores, (…) entre lo personal y lo objetivo. Para cualquier blog, el nuevo panorama presenta retos insospechados.

(En cuanto a la dinámica de BlogaCine): No sólo se ha elevado el nivel de nuestras discusiones, sin que vaya en detrimento de la pasión. Está visto que para discutir, no hace falta andar en plan troglodita, insultándonos los unos a los otros con los epítetos usuales: ¡escuálido! ¡Chavista! ¡Oligarca! ¡Comunista! ¡Etc.!

Tal parece que alcanzamos un punto en el que BlogaCine podrá ser el fruto no sólo del trabajo de su autor, sino también del de sus comentaristas.

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Photo of Venezuelan flag in smoke by ··· Mango Verde con Sal ··· and used under a Creative Commons license.

The international and Venezuelan public opinion still wonders if Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's intentions of war are serious, while they explore the real possibilities of Venezuela getting into an armed conflict for which the nation does not seem prepared. Meanwhile, violent incidents along the border raise tensions and puts a veil on a situation, making it difficult for a reconciliation between the two countries anytime soon. However, the most expanded opinion in the blogosphere makes it clear that a war in ths region would be a conflict among people with a very close historical background and a very deep cultural attachment.

Daniel, through his blog Venezuela News and Views quotes a very controversial Venezuelan ex-president and gives his point of view:

… Translating this communique and publishing me puts me on record as someone that will not go to war against Colombia. If Colombia were to attack is a different matter but I would need proof of it since, courtesy to the FARC and even the ELN, Chavez could create a pretext to make it look like Colombia attacked.(…)

In other words, unless proven that indeed the US and Colombia are preparing an invasion to Venezuela, which odds for me are about <0.01% , I am in open refusal and thus a traitor by chavista canon. Not to mention that I am a pacifist, a conscience objector, and cannot justify any war unless overt aggression is clearly proved. And even then I would be unable to hold a gun and shoot, and would be of any use only at some hospital or such service(…)

Gandica, from the blog Enigma Press [es] gives an original idea:

Ahora bien esta es mi posición: Si estalla la guerra entre Venezuela-Colombia invito a la comunidad virtual de blogs de Venezuela a salir con la bandera colombiana. Y a toda la tribu electrónica colombiana a salir con la bandera de Venezuela. Y combatiremos -en esta guerra entre Venezuela y Colombia- a punta de balas de aguardiente y balas de ron en una zona temporal autónoma bajo los explosivos tonos del vallenato y nuestros joropos llaneros. Y después del combate, ebrios de felicidad, nos abrazaremos y reiremos como nunca antes. Que los políticos de Venezuela y Colombia y sus poderosos intereses y los perros de la guerra-Venezuela-Colombia se despedacen entre ellos.

Facebook has also been a tool to express the disapproval on this growing conflict. The group “Paz entre Colombia y Venezuela (Peace between Colombia and Venezuela)” looks for people online to join and discuss.

This is their main objective:

Este grupo no es para discutir si Chavez es bueno o malo o si Uribe hace las cosas bien o no, es solo para que, independientemente de la ideología política de cada uno de los miembros de este grupo nos unamos para RECHAZAR ROTUNDAMENTE UNA POSIBLE GUERRA ENTRE LOS PUEBLOS HERMANOS!.

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Photo of a child in a Soto exhibit by Alé and used under a Creative Commons license.

According to the art experts, Soto's art is inseparable from the viewer, who is an active participant of the artist’s piece. The illusion and the senses are completed by the perceptions of the mind as a result of observing, touching, and becoming part of the piece. Venezuelan bloggers and the online community in general, celebrate his art through articles, reviews, and videos taken in museums and inside the works themselves, while explaining the meaning of Soto’s works in their culture, landscape and daily life.

In his blog Literanova [es], Eduardo Casanova goes a bit deeper on Soto’s life and gives an insight of the history of the city he was born:

Jesús Rafael Soto nació en Venezuela, en 1923, en una población cargada de historia: Ciudad Bolívar, donde se instituyó la prensa escrita y se fraguó la creación de la llamada Gran Colombia (…) Era una población aislada, sin museos ni actividades del arte. El mismo ha dicho que aprendió solo el arte de la pintura. Deja su ciudad natal y viaja a Maracaibo, en el occidente del país, para encargarse de la dirección de una escuela de artes plásticas. En 1950 se va a París y allí comienza su carrera de artista creador de nuevas formas.

Photo of Soto Sphere in Caracas by Guillermo Ramos Flamerich under a GNU Free Documentation License

The YouTube channel of VenezuelaTuya gives an example of an experience walking through a piece exhibited in the Jesús Soto Museum, in Ciudad Bolívar:

The blog Talento Venezolano [es] also dedicates a space to talk about the artists and his most famous creations:

En 1967 creó la primera obra de la serie Penetrables, la cual consiste en instalaciones de tubos de plástico a través de los cuales el espectador se siente en un espacio mágico. Ambas obras que pudieron admirarse en el Museo de Arte Moderno, en el Grand Palais y el Centro Pompidou de París.

You Tube has also been a way for people to show their contact and emotions while interacting with Soto’s works. Children in particular, have had a special approach to the artistic experience inside the artist’s work, which has been shown and shared through these videos:

YouTube user elizaul1:

and YouTube user skaracas:

At the artist's webpage there are more galleries and information.

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Oliver Stone and Hugo Chávez at Venice Film Festival. Photo by nicogenin and used under a Creative Commons license.

Carlos Caridad-Montero of Blogacine [es] notes that the documentary is a “portrait of the Venezuelan President” and includes the thoughts from other Latin American leaders, who make an appearance, such as Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, and Bolivian President Evo Morales, among others. According to Caridad-Montero, many of these leaders share his ideology.

The choice of leaders invited to participate in the documentary is not lost on Julia of the blog Anti-Patriotic Venezuela, who writes:

Maybe is a very objective documentary that tries to show the true face of Chavez and other South American leaders beyond what's been told about them in the -so called - “mainstream media”. But in such face of the South American change, people like Uribe from Colombia or Alan from Peru were not interviewed - as far as I know, if I'm mistaken I hope some reader corrects me in the comment section - by Oliver. Maybe it can be a lot of things. But for me is yet another piece of political propaganda disguised as a “documentary”, for me it has strong chances of being something like the infamous “The Revolution will not be televised”.

The film was released at the Venice Film Festival in early September, and was recently screened in New York City at an event attended by Chávez, who was in town for the United Nations General Assembly.

Harold of the blog Panfleto Negro [es] provides a hard critique of the filmmaker and writes about Stone's “desperate cry for attention.” He adds that Stone's other profile pieces have not portrayed the entire story, and believes that this one will not be any different:

Lo de Stone el día de ayer en la alfombra roja con Chávez es, a todas luces, un desgarrador grito por atención. Y es que Stone lleva años tratando de crear “polémica” para hacer prensa a como de lugar. Desde su apología a la figura de Fidel Castro en Comandante, hasta las críticas a los presidentes republicanos como en la nombrada W, o en la mucho más antigua Nixon. Ni las excelentes actuaciones de Josh Brolin o Anthony Hopkins pudieron rescatar la mediocridad de ambas cintas…

The blog Waiting for Godot [es] guesses that the documentary was made with the money from the Venezuelan State. The blogger adds that Stone should have made an action film in Venezuela, so that people can see what really happens in the country.

NO, Oliver Stone, no podemos ver tu película como un documental informativo, porque a nosotros un Chávez como el que presentas igualado a una promesa de futuro es tan ficción como el que tú seas un hombre revolucionario y socialista.

However, the blog Aporrea [es] writes about the contrast in reception received by Chávez at the film festivals and what is happening in some social networking sites:

La calurosa acogida al líder venezolano contrastó con la fría y escasa respuesta que días atrás tuvo en Europa y el resto del mundo la convocatoria a marchas bajo la consigna “No más Chávez”, promovida por la derecha internacional a través de la página de internet Facebook.

Some blogs from abroad are also providing their thoughts on how the film will help balance the message about Chávez. Canadian Sabina Becker of News of the Restless writes:

All weekend long we've been hearing nothing in the news but how everybody and their dog is out marching against that “evil dictator Chávez” (o rly?) Well, finally the media have woken up to the fact that there's another side to the story.

(…)

Er. Actually, it's not evil at all. It's good, isn't it? Yes, absolutely. So why's it taken so long for the media to catch on? Well, they didn't have Ollie Stone to interview. And they couldn't very well break the news on his latest doc without talking to the man. And oh, bad luck for them–every word out of his mouth has been nothing but good about Chavecito, and slams for his detractors.

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Nevertheless, within all the pride of the incredible hard work that every girl participating in this kind of contest has to pass through, some Venezuelan bloggers question the real pride behind an industry that has had such an impact on Venezuelan culture. Leaving aside the large number of online notes and posts about the excitement of having a new Miss Universe crown in Venezuela, there has been another parallel online discussion that has questioned cultural interests, concepts of beauty and hard work, and actual pride.

Grets, in her blog I'm F***ing Fantastic [es] has a more categorical point of view:

..no es que yo les esté mostrando una realidad alternativa, sólo que ustedes se empeñan en vivir en un logro ficticio, por una corona que no importa más que 9.000 niños muriendo de hambre en una noche tan linda como esta; un certamen que no sólo se hunde en el mal gusto sino que da pena que un país en sus tristes condiciones esté celebrando ante los ojos del mundo su desgracia.

Also, Luis Manuel of the blog Voyage [es] tells the story of how, in Paris, he changed his mind on what he used to consider one of the prides of his country:

Antes, andaba yo orgullosisimo de vivir en el pais de las Miss Universos y de las Miss Mundos, el pais con las mujeres mas lindas del mundo.

Y fue un simpre crepero,(…) quien se encargó de estropear mi orgullo ridículo. “Ahhh tu eres de Venezuela?” me preguntaba mientras reía, “es verdad que ustedes tienen una escuela para formar misses? que gracioso!” “es verdad que desde pequeños tienen concursos en las escuelas para elegir a la niña mas bonita?. Que cultura!”.” Es verdad que es uno de los paises en donde se hacen mas cirugias plasticas? y gastan dinero en eso?, que superficiales!”. “Es verdad que es el pais del mundo que gasta mas cosméticos per cápita?, y teniendo gente que muere de hambre?. Qué contraste!”

Eso me hizo reflexionar, en verdad de lo estupidos que somos en esta sociedad!: tenemos el mismo sistema organizado de captar, formar y desarrollar talentos del mundo desarrollado, pero en vez de cientificos o deportistas, formamos misses!. Es verdad que las mujeres aqui son especialmente bellas, pero de que nos sirve tener tantas Miss Universo?,

In addition, a lot of people on their YouTube channels have made videos and collection of clips of the exciting moments in which Venezuelan beauty queens have achieved world titles like Miss Universe and Miss World. However, it was ABC Australia who made a documentary (the video can be found here) of the beauty obssession in Venezuela, and how this concept is led by the most important organizer of this famous contest: Osmel Sousa.

This was not the first time that beauty contests were discussed to be superficial or part of entertainment. Nevertheless, taking into account the influence of the Miss Venezuela concept both in media and in people, it is a way to look into the culture's contemporary questions around their ways to see themselves and how they show their image to the world. More of this discussion can be seen in these tweets.

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