Global Voices » Laura Vidal

The Authors Behind the Venezuelan Literary Boom

Laura Vidal — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:29:51 +0000

This post is the last of a two part series on our conversation with Venepoetics’ author Guillermo Parra about Venezuelan literature (online and offline) and his translations of Jose Antonio Ramos Sucre. You can read the first post here.

In the first part of this interview, Guillermo Parra told us about his experiences with Venezuelan poetry, his contact with new movements thanks to social media, and his take on what could be considered a new boom in the literature of the country. In this part of the interview we will share Guillermo's take on the new authors who are painting the landscape of new Venezuelan narratives.

En cuanto a escritores, me parece fascinante que hay varias generaciones que están publicando cosas muy interesantes. Las ocasiones cuando he estado en Caracas entre 2007 y 2010, me ha sorprendido la cantidad de presentaciones, lecturas y otros eventos literarios. Poder encontrarme con el poeta Rafael Cadenas revisando libros en las librerías [...] fue impactante para mí, hasta que me acostumbré a su presencia en los eventos literarios caraqueños. Pero las primeras veces que lo vi en público fue un poco intimidante, ya que su obra ha sido tan importante para mí.

Regarding the writers, I think it's fascinating to see different generations publishing a lot of very interesting things. The times I've been in Caracas, between 2007 and 2010, I've been surprised by the amount of presentations, readings and other literary events. Being able to meet poet Rafael Cadenas while checking books in bookshops impacted me until I grew used to his presence in Caracas’ literary events. The first times I saw him in public was intimidating, since his work has been so important to me.

We also asked Guillermo to give us some hints about some of the main characters of this “boom”. He told us:

Image via Shutterstock, copyright Falconia.

Hay un montón de escritores venezolanos contemporáneos que me parecen increíbles. En la narrativa, en particular, se está publicando tanto que no me ha dado tiempo para mantenerme al día. Algunos favoritos de las generaciones recientes son Carlos Ávila, Mujeres recién bañadas (Mondadori, 2009), Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, Una larga fila de hombres (Monte Ávila Editores, 2005), Dayana Fraile, Granizo (El perro y la rana, 2011), Ana García Julio, Cancelado por lluvia (Monte Ávila Editores, 2005), Liliana Lara, Los jardines de Salomon (Universidad de Oriente, 2008), Mario Morenza, Pasillos de mi memoria ajena (Monte Ávila Editores, 2008) y Gabriel Payares, Cuando bajaron las aguas (Monte Ávila Editores, 2008). [Pero hay] gran un problema: los libros venezolanos no se consiguen fuera de Venezuela, no circulan ni en Latinoamérica ni aquí en los Estados Unidos)

There are a lot of Venezuelan contemporary writers that I find amazing. In fiction, particularly, there is so much being published that I haven't been able to stay up to date. Some favorites from recent generations are Carlos Ávila, Mujeres recién bañadas (Mondadori, 2009), Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, Una larga fila de hombres (Monte Ávila Editores, 2005), Dayana Fraile, Granizo (El perro y la rana, 2011), Ana García Julio, Cancelado por lluvia (Monte Ávila Editores, 2005), Liliana Lara, Los jardines de Salomon (Universidad de Oriente, 2008), Mario Morenza, Pasillos de mi memoria ajena (Monte Ávila Editores, 2008) y Gabriel Payares, Cuando bajaron las aguas (Monte Ávila Editores, 2008). [Nevertheless,] there's a big problem: Venezuelan books can't be found outside Venezuela. They don't circulate neither in Latin America, nor here in the US.

And about influences and literary connections, Guillermo says:

No veo mucha diferencia entre las historias de estos escritores y las que me han influido a mí en los Estados Unidos. Sus propuestas literarias reflejan una amplia red de influencias, desde el español Enrique Vila-Matas hasta la venezolana Teresa de la Parra y el estadounidense David Foster Wallace…

I don't see much difference between these writers’ stories and the ones that have influenced me in the US. Their literary proposals reflect a wide set of influences, from the Spanish Enrique Vila-Matas to the Venezuelan Teresa de la Parra, as well as the North-American David Foster Wallace…

Finally, he adds:

Pienso que los lectores, dentro y fuera de Venezuela, deberían conocer a estos narradores porque nos dan una muestra de los diversos rumbos que podría tomar la literatura venezolana en los años que vienen. Son apasionados de la literatura, pero ante todo, escriben historias que revelan la poesía o la magia que a veces surge en nuestras vidas cotidianas.

I think readers inside and outside the country should know these fiction writers. They give us a taste of the different ways that Venezuelan literature could go in the years ahead. They're passionate about literature, but above all, they write stories that reveal the magic and the poetry that sometimes come up in our daily lives.

You can find more about Venezuelan literature, and also some of Guillermo's translation of Ramos Sucre, in his blog Venepoetics.

Bringing the Venezuelan Literature Boom to English Speakers

Laura Vidal — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:03:10 +0000

This post is the first part of a two-part series of our conversation with Venepoetics author Guillermo Parra on Venezuelan literature (online and offline) and his translation of the poet Jose Antonio Ramos Sucre.

Venezuelan literature, and especially the works of Jose Antonio Ramos Sucre, have a new place online and in the English language thanks to Guillermo Parra and his blog Venepoetics.

Guillermo is a Venezuelan-American blogger living in the United States (US) who has been writing about Venezuelan literature online for over ten years. He discovered Venezuelan poetry through Juan Sánchez Peláez in 1997, while he was working as a librarian in Providence, Rhode Island. Since then, Guillermo has become a devoted follower of the literary movement in Venezuela and its outreach outside the country – or lack thereof.

Guillermo Parra. Image used with permission.

This issue is reflected in one of his posts about Alberto Barrera Tiszka's ‘The Sickness.‘ Here Guillermo comments about the absence of Venezuelan literature in other languages:

Why has Venezuelan literature remained so completely untranslated and unknown in the United States and England? When compared to other Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, or Chile, the number of Venezuelan writers translated into English has always been minimal. This hasn’t been for a lack of innovative, important writers. But Venezuela’s invisibility in the global literary landscape is an issue we don’t have time to address here. Regardless of that dilemma, Venezuelan literature has been experiencing a boom for the past decade, with an avalanche of publications, awards, workshops, presentations and a growing readership in Venezuela, Latin America and Spain. The Venezuelan boom is particularly evident in the field of fiction, where several generations of writers are currently producing work that is worthy of attention well beyond the country’s (or Latin America’s) borders. This spring gave us the publication in English of a short novel that’s emblematic of the Venezuelan literary boom at the beginning of the 21st century.

We had an enriching conversation with Guillermo via email in which he told us about his experience with Venepoetics and how it lead to the publication of his book. He also told us about how social media has connected him with other people devoted to Venezuelan literature and its expansion outside the country.

Furthermore, Guillermo shared other places on the Internet where netizens talk about Venezuelan literature, and also his impressions about a literature, which he believes, is experiencing a new flourishing.

[…] En cuanto a la literatura venezolana hoy en día, soy de los que piensan que estamos en un momento muy bueno para la literatura. Sí creo que hay una especie de boom de literatura venezolana en estos días, con una gran cantidad de escritores buenísimos, de varias generaciones publicando cosas muy buenas. Por medio de los blogs, Twitter, Facebook y los periódicos venezolanos en línea, he podido tener aceso a todo tipo de información sobre lo que se está publicando y haciendo hoy. Una de las mejores fuentes de información sobre la literatura venezolana hoy es el Twitter de Ficción Breve Venezolana que llevan Héctor Torres y Lennis Rojas. Otra fuente imprescindible para mí es el Twitter de Roger Michelena.

[...] Regarding Venezuelan literature of today, I share the opinion of those who think we're in a very good moment for literature. I do believe there's a sort of boom in Venezuelan literature these days, with a big variety of great writers, coming from a lot of different generations, publishing very good pieces. Through blogs, Twitter and Facebook, as well as online Venezuelan newspapers and journals, I've been able to have access to all kinds of information about what is now being done and published. One of the best sources of information about Venezuelan literature today is Héctor Torres and Lennis Rojas’ Twitter account Ficción Breve Venezolana [es]. Another essential source for me is Roger Michelena's [es] Twitter feed.

Guillermo also told us about his book, a translation of selected poems by Jose Antonio Ramos Sucre, and how it was born out of his work on the blog Venepoetics:

El libro es el producto de mi trabajo con mi blog Venepoetics. Por medio del blog fue que se me acercaron lectores venezolanos, entre los años 2003 y ahora, y ellos me animaron en mi labor de traducir poesía venezolana. Muchos de los textos de Ramos Sucre que traduje para este libro aparecieron primero en mi blog, en versiones un poco distintas.Yo usé mi blog como un taller público para este proyecto de traducir a Ramos Sucre, siempre pensando que el material debería salir en un libro en el futuro [...] Por medio del blog, he tenido la suerte de conocer a varios escritores venezolanos, y de alguna manera sentirme conectado con lo que está ocurriendo hoy en día en la literatura venezolana […]

The book is the product of my work with Venepoetics. Since 2003, Venezuelan readers approached me through the blog, and encouraged me in my work of translating Venezuelan poetry. A lot of the texts I translated for this book were published first on the blog, in versions that were a bit different. I used my blog as a public workshop for this translation project, thinking that the material should be published as a book in the future […] I have been lucky to meet a lot of Venezuelan writers through my blog, which has made me feel somehow connected with what's been happening in Venezuelan literature.

He continues:

Mi contacto con blogueros (y luego tuiteros) venezolanos comenzó con dos personas, la profesora Iria Puyosa y el narrador Héctor Torres. Los conocí por correo primero, siguiendo sus blogs y luego en persona durante una visita que hice a Caracas en el 2007. Creo que ellos son un ejemplo del espíritu de generosidad y compromiso con los blogs [...] Desafortunadamente, la literatura venezolana es muy invisible en los Estados Unidos, no se conoce y a veces siento que mi blog es leído por muy pocas personas, aunque llevo casi una década escribiéndolo…

My contact with bloggers (and then Twitter users) started with two people: Iria Puyosa [es] and Héctor Torres [es]. I met them by email first, following their blogs and then in person while I was visiting Caracas in 2007. I think they represent the spirit of generosity and engagement with blogs […] Unfortunately, Venezuelan literature is quite invisible in the US. Few people know about it, and that makes me feel sometimes that my blog is not read by too many people, even if I've been writing on it for over ten years…

Join us in the next part of this interview where we will share some of Guillermo's translations. We will also discuss more thoughts on the works and the authors behind Venezuela's narratives of today and their role in the country's literature boom.

Venezuela: Filmmakers Explore Urban Realities

Laura Vidal — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:53:07 +0000

Caracas, in all its fascinating chaos, is an inspiration for several filmmakers. Through their work, these filmmakers underline the aesthetics of urban life in elements that for most people often mean confusion and disorder. Thus, three artists share their work using web 2.0 tools and give netizens inside and outside Venezuela a different perspective of Caracas.

Inspired by Jorgen Leth's short film “The Perfect Human”, “La ciudad perfecta” (The Perfect City) shows different parts and angles of Caracas. The film, created by Sven Methling, Ricardo Bombín, Claudio Cenedese, Ángel Antúnez, Alfredo Castillo and José Ignacio Benitez, was awarded in this year's Biennial of Cadiz.

Another short film, “Transgresiones” (Transgressions), shows how people's paths in the city make an ever-changing landscape. The film includes brief scenes from the daily life of families occupying abandoned private buildings, and underlines how these images become a part of the city's aesthetics.

Focusing on this same social phenomenon, Cylixe shares her work about David's tower, an abandoned building where an important number of people have constructed their homes. The story of this building has long been debated and reported. Cylixe describes the Tower as a “City Within a City”:

[…] When over 20 years ago the construction was interrupted for a skyscraper ion [Sic] Caracas, Venezuela, no one could have guessed, that this building would once become the tallest squat on earth.

An empiric, fractal view in to [Sic] the everyday life, the structure and the thoughts of the habitants [Sic] keeps in dialogue with the architecture of the tower, which once had been conceived as a financial center and now gives shelter to a parallel society.

Thumbnail image by Flick user Nicholas Laughlin, under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Venezuela, Japan: Two Japanese Performers Master the Venezuelan Harp

Laura Vidal — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:27:51 +0000

This post, written in collaboration with Tomomi Sasaki, is part of a series on music as a bridge between Venezuela and Japan. Read the first post here.

The harp is one of the key instruments in Venezuelan music from the plains. Created in the west of the country and then taken to Colombia in the mid-20th century, the Venezuelan harp has 32 or 33 strings of different bores and it has no pedals. According to Gelimar Sanchez de Guerrero in Llanorecords [es], the origins of the harp are not clear due to a lack of historical documents.

Nevertheless, the harp has been one of the bases of Venezuelan folklore music since the beginning of the country's history; years later, the interest for this instrument and its music has expanded beyond the continent, arriving to Japan.

Among the Japanese musicians interested in traditional Venezuelan music, Yoko Yoshizawa and Mika Agematsu stand out in the interpretation of the Venezuelan harp.

Yoko Yoshizawa, one the first Japanese harpists specialized in Venezuelan music, is said to be the “musical godmother” of the Estudiantina Komaba. Members of the Komaba's Facebook group and other fans in Japan and Venezuela have shared and commented on many YouTube videos of Yoshizawa's performances.

In this video, Yoshizawa plays a Quirpa, a traditional rhythm from the Venezuelan plains:

The blog Diary Note [jp] reports on Yoko Yoshizawa's concert.

日本で唯一のベネズエラ音楽を演奏するアルパ（ハープ）奏者である吉澤陽子を、ベネズエラ愛好家たちが囲む出し物。南青山・プラッサオンゼ、出演者／グループの数も多かったが、お店はフル・ハウス。クアトロやマラカスなんかが活躍し、伸びやかな歌が入ったりも。同国の一番知られる曲は「コーヒー・ルンバ」のようだが、前のめりに進んで行って、リズムが余りそうなところイン・タイムで終わるみたいな感覚を持つ曲が多いなあ、なんても、見てて思う。

This was an event for Venezuela buffs to enjoy the music of Yoko Yoshizawa, the only Venezuelan harp player in Japan [Sic]. Held in Minami Aoyama in Tokyo, the event had a big lineup of performers and a full house! The quatro and maracas played a big role, and some songs had liberating melodies. It seems that the most famous Venezuelan song in Japan is “Coffee Rumba”… I felt that there were many other songs with similar rhythms; just when you think the cadence would fall too quickly, the beat comes just in time.

José Francisco Romero [es] calls Mika Agematsu “La japonesa llanera” or the “Japanese girl from the plains”, as she excels in playing the rhythms from that part of the country. In this video, Agematsu plays the song “Moliendo Café” (Grounding coffee) a melancholic love song traditionally played in Venezuela, which was, according to Wikipedia, a hit in Japan during the 60′s

Venezuela, Japan: ‘Estudiantina Komaba’ Music Bridges ‘Distant’ Countries

Laura Vidal — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:21:55 +0000

This post, written in collaboration with Tomomi Sasaki, is part of a series on music as a bridge between Venezuela and Japan.

Have you ever wondered what interests Venezuelans and Japanese could have in common? If manga and sushi were your first guess, we invite you to explore how Japanese musicians have taken Venezuelan traditional music as the center of their interest, and how Venezuelan fans support and connect with these musicians using citizen media.

We kick off a short series of posts around this subject with some impressions coming from Japanese blogs about Venezuelan music. We will point out some conversations around the Estudiantina Komaba [jp], and continue with what bloggers in both Venezuela and Tokyo are saying about them. We will also explore conversations about other music artists using their blogs to share music and a lot more. At the end, we will see how music connects two countries that, until now, were believed to be far away from each other.

Image from Facebook group ‘Estudiantina Komaba Fans in Venezuela', used with permission.

A video of the Estudiantina playing the very traditional Venezuelan song “Alma Llanera” became the center of conversation in blogs and tweets. Francisco Toro, in his blog “Caracas Chronicles”, got curious enough to contact the group and interview them online. Here's a piece of the interview [es] in which professor Jun Ishibashi, leader of the group, shares the story of the initiative :

[La] Estudiantina Komaba nace el 1 de agosto de 2009, al culminar el primer concierto de fin del Curso “Introdcción a la interpretación de la música latinoamericana” […]
Estudiantina Komaba la forman los egresados de la clase y los que tienen ganas de seguir tocando la música venezolana durante todo el año. […] La idea de dar clases de la prática de la música venezolana en una universidad japonesa nace tras más de 25 años de actividades del profesor Ishibashi para la difusión de la música venezolana fuera de su territorio original.

A partir del 2006 la Universidad de Tokio ha sido visitada músicos altamente prestigiosos de Venezuela así como El Cuarteto con Huguette Contramaestre, Ensamble Gurrufío, Ricardo Sandoval y Mattias Collet, Leonard Jácome, Rafael “Pollo” Brito, Marco Granados y VNote Ensamble, Caracas Sincrónica, etre otros, en el marco de la Semana Cultural de Venezuela, organizada por la embajada venezolana en Tokio

The Estudiantina Komaba was born on August 1, 2009, after the year-ed concert of the course “Introduction to Venezuelan and Latin American Music” […] The Estudiantina is made up by musicians coming out of that course and also by those that wanted to keep playing Venezuelan music all year long […] The idea of teaching Venezuelan music in a Japanese university came after 25 years of professor Ishibashi's work in expanding Venezuelan music out of its original territory.

Since 2006 the University of Tokyo has been visited frequently by Venezuelan musicians of high prestige like El Cuarteto con Huguette Contramaestre, Ensamble Gurrufío, Ricardo Sandoval y Mattias Collet, Leonard Jácome, Rafael “Pollo” Brito, Marco Granados y VNote Ensamble, and Caracas Sincrónica, among others. It all happened inside the Venezuelan Cultural Week organized by the Venezuelan Embassy in Tokyo.

Furthermore, in Venezuela, fans of the Estudiantina created a Facebook group [es] where they share comments, videos, articles and pictures of the Estudiantina Komaba. In the bio, they explain the story of the group and some of its dynamics:

Los estudiantes aprenden unas 6 piezas cada semestre – joropos, valses, calipsos y orquidea, etc. Las piezas que aprenden en la clase son un punto de partida para la afición a la música venezolana para ellos.

The students learn around six pieces each semester -joropos, valses, calipsos y orquidea, etc. What they learn during the classes are starting points for an interest in Venezuelan music.

The Estudiantina is not the only one interested in Venezuelan music. In his blog Café y Cuatros [jp], professor Yasuji Deguchi shares music sheets, tips and lyrics for those interested in playing Venezuelan traditional music.

Estudiantina Komaba with Venezuelan artist Cheo Hurtado. Image from Facebook group ‘Estudiantina Komaba Fans in Venezuela', used with permission.

The exchanges taking place are growing and being shared on social media. Thanks to these conversations, we discover more and more Japanese artists taking Venezuelan music as their main repertoire and a Japanese public opening to Venezuelan sounds.

In our next post we'll explore what the Japanese blogosphere has said about Yoko Yoshizawa, a Japanese harpist specialized in Venezuelan “arpa”. For now, let's resume this exchange with Takuya Suzuki's post [jp], written during the Venezuelan cultural week. In the post, we can see how a local politician discovered sounds that ended up coming from an unexpected place :

素朴な音楽？なんて想像していたのですが、とんでもない。民族音楽とジャズが混ざり合い高い洗練度。リード楽器のマンドリンは広がりある旋律を紡ぎます。私は、ロック音楽をいつも聞いているので、米英に目が向きがちですが、世界は広い、豊かだな、と自らの視野の狭さを反省しました。

I think I expected to hear simple sounds but was proven wrong! It was a sophisticated blend of folk and jazz music, with the mandarin, the lead instrument, creating expansive melodies. I tend to be focused on the U.S. and British scenes since I usually listen to rock music, but the world is such a big abundant place.

Venezuela: Hugo Chávez's Daughter Stirs up Social Networks

Laura Vidal — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:11:12 +0000

With the hashtag #Rosinesing [es] you can follow the reactions to a controversial photograph that President Hugo Chavez's daughter published on Twitter where she is using a wad of US dollars as a fan. Many comments reflect the outrage of those who must go through lengthy and cumbersome procedures to get dollars since the 2003 exchange controls that prevent Venezuelans from accessing foreign currencies. Lechuga Verde [es] posts the original photo and numerous, creative versions made by various netizens.

Venezuela: Childhood, Dance, Folklore… and Propaganda

Laura Vidal — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:41:41 +0000

Through her public Facebook photo album titled “Venezuela dances to the tune of…”, Carmen Helena González shared pictures of a dance rehearsal in Margarita Island. All the pictures are available here [es] and are accompanied by reflections questioning the presence of political propaganda in an educational setting. As an introduction to the album we find the following comment:

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…

Mixed feelings this afternoon when I went to the rehearsal of a little girl's dance group from Margarita. The beauty of their faces, the light of the afternoon and something that danced around the atmosphere clashed with the indoctrinating context…

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.

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.

Venezuela: Government Opponents’ Twitter Accounts Hacked

Laura Vidal — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:39:10 +0000

For months now, social and mainstream media in Venezuela have reported a wave of expropriations of Twitter accounts belonging to users who openly criticize President Hugo Chávez. Netizens haven noticed how certain Twitter users, well known for their critiques of the government, have all of a sudden started posting messages of wholehearted support for the “Bolivarian Revolution“, or confessed to be followers and admirers of President Chávez.

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

Will Anonymous have to worry about this new group of hackers? Apparently not, since the group N33 considers them “pro imperialists” and [N33] seeks to make justice for the abuses made against President Chavez and his government on 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.

To the author of the attack against Berenice's account, I regret that he/she wastes his/her intelligence to destroy a media outlet that a lot of us used to communicate with a radio show that we have the right to listen to.

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?.

Every day a new lie, a new hacking… The day a scoop appears in @globovision or @chavezcandanga, WHO WILL BELIEVE IT?

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

You'll never guess!! RT”@NoticiasVenezue: I ask: the hacking of Twitter accounts doesn't come from inside 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…

Only in my beautiful country! #Venezuela Good for Luis!!@laureanomar: Just to inform that @luisvicenteleon hacked the hacker and got back his account…

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?

In these last months complaints were made to competent institutions and they're still in progress. The result is that these crimes are in the rise and the official silence continues. There haven't been any announcements [from the government] distancing themselves from these vile acts against freedom of expression. Maybe because this is similar to the withdrawal of concessions for radio stations, or the temporary banning of newspapers, or even that outrageous resolution that censored news and pictures of crimes in the national press. Do you remember that?

Venezuela: World Meeting of Body Art Takes Over Caracas

Laura Vidal — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:49:07 +0000

The Sixth World Meeting of Body Art took place this year in Caracas, and some of its most striking expressions were shared online through citizen media. Among these creations, body art by indigenous people of Venezuela played an important role.

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).

Venezuela: Allies in Technology, Women Who are Not Afraid of Mice

Laura Vidal — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:14:59 +0000

Venezuelan NGO Aliadas en Cadena [es] (Allies in Chains) has created the program Aliadas en Tecnología [es] (Allies in Technology), which sees in technology a window of opportunity for empowering women affected by poverty in Venezuela. Through classes and workshops, many women who saw computers as strange and intimidating objects now find in them a tool for work, learning and self-fulfillment. The program recognizes the training of women as one of the main strategies for overcoming poverty. These “Allies” organize workshops that spread the use of new technologies, together with other self-improvement workshops to help fight violence against women and teach them about the importance of challenging and questioning the identity that tradition in Venezuela has given women.

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.

… Since we are little we are taught to be subject to male control, both in family and social spheres, where our success is based on the performance of the role of mother and wife (…)

You just have to listen to sexist jokes in the office about how the [female] president of the company reached that position or about the suit a [female] senator wore to give declarations at a news channel, to notice the ways (not to mention all the many other forms) in which powerful women are disqualified and discredited.

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]

The main achivements of this event include: public visibility on the issue of violence against women through mass media; the support and joint efforts from organizations and individuals in this matter; and the agreements with [representatives from the Supreme Court of Justice]

"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.

I have worked since I was 15, because I have ALWAYS liked money, I don’t like depending on other people, it is very different to have my own money than to have to wait for my partner to get paid so that he can give me some. I’m in this course to learn and also to find a Monday-Friday job.

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.

[In my opinion,] working is an important decision because one day I started thinking and I realized that I was running out of time and I was leaving behind all those goals that I had some day made, which I put on the side when my daughter was born.

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.

I don’t feel good doing chores in the house every day, I know that it is my duty but I want to be useful for something else and feel satisfied with myself.

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.

[In my opinion] it is important to work because:
-It makes me feel like there are no limits to do it, only those one puts on oneself.
-It improves my economic situation.
-It can help you prepare for the future to reach your goals to buy a house, gear, obtain work benefits like a pension, 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.

It was an important decision:
1.-Because I wanted to be independent
2.-[Because] I need to show myself that I can, that I can grow alone without others providing for me.
3.-I need to have a good job to pay for my education and obtain a career.
4.-I need to succeed to give my son stability.
5.-Because I want to show my parents that when I plan on doing something I finish it and I accomplish it.
6.-Because I need to teach my husband a lesson, or teach him that as a woman I am important, that I have goals, dreams, that I am capable of providing for my son by myself. That even though he gives me everything; I have to be independent.

Post translated by Silvia Viñas

Venezuela: Foundation for Urban Culture Shut Down

Laura Vidal — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:21:57 +0000

The space dedicated to culture and identity is going through another crisis in the central part of Venezuela, with the closing of Fundación para la Cultura Urbana [es] (Foundation for Urban Culture). This foundation gathered collective works, visions and pieces that told the story of daily life in Caracas. The contests, publications, exhibitions and other activities meant the reconciliation and exaltation of beauty in a dynamic and chaotic city with very creative people.

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.

The creation of a Foundation for Urban Culture has the objective of contributing to the humanization and harmony of the city. There have been distinguished personalities in its ranks, among them writer Rafael Arráiz Lucca. This institution has been built as a space for discussion [and] the expression of contemporary thinking, creating the permanent installation of Urban Images, literary contests, and numerous publications.

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.

When they announced the intervention of Brokerage House Econoinvest, I was not alarmed, like other friends and colleagues were, but instead I waited to see what happened (…) Maybe the problem is our mistrust for all types of institutions, and with “chavismo” that has reached its greatest level in history. (…) but now [the brokerage] is broken into and intervened directly (…) and now progress is stopped in an institution that since its opening in 2001 knew how to integrate the cultural and literary scene of the country, quickly turning into an alternative to channel many proposals that couldn’t find a space [to develop].

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.

Now that it is closing its doors, and we don’t know if it will be forever, the uncertainty and the pessimism that we are getting used to makes us wonder what is gained from closing down one of the few, very few spaces for editing and cultural production that our country possesses (…) To exhaust the few spaces that generate cultural objects at the same time that the Great Cultural Exposition for the Bicentennial is being planned, is not only a cruel irony, but stupidity with capital letter, that points to a nauseating monopolization of “culture” by the State.

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

I don’t know the managers of Econoinvest [es]. What’s more, I don’t know anyone that works there. I can’t say whether any of them are good or bad people, or if they are honest or not (…) But I do know my friends that are musicians, artists and producers, particularly from the Movida Acústica Urbana [es], who have been supported in a strong and selfless way by Econoinvest and by the Foundation for Urban Culture [es]

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.

…one thing is true, the Foundation for Urban Culture, will continue to exist. It established intangible values that no matter how many blows they get, will remain as evidences of what was truly good, and even revolutionary.

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.

Venezuelan culture repudiates what is being done to the Foundation but in general I think it repudiates all abuse, all vilification that is a product of investigation, expropriations, incarcerations or a simple “I don’t like it” from president [Chávez]. His finger that points to a commanded whim from a momentary epiphany causes misfortune and fear, because it has caused the ruin of businesses and families, the loss of livelihood for many people. The reasons are always the same: they were capitalists or from the bourgeoisie, or it was a disobedient judge/official, an oligarch’s farm, an oligarch’s channel, an oligarch’s radio, or an oligarch’s speculative brokerage house. (…)

The Foundation for Urban Culture might disappear [es], but the legend will remain (…) Under its myth other initiatives will emerge. That depends on us.

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.

We call for careful reflection on the meaning and implications of these actions against the Foundation for Urban Culture, because more than affecting an institution, it constitutes an affront to a thinking and democratic Venezuela that found in the Foundation for Urban Culture a gathering space for critical discussion and the expression of the most diverse ideas.

Post translated by Silvia Viñas. Thumbnail image by Flirck user NeoGaboX used under a Creative Commons license.

Venezuela: Community Theater Addresses Urban Realities

Laura Vidal — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:06:12 +0000

Nuevo Circo Artístico [es] is a Venezuelan project that uses a blog to document the activities of their group devoted to the exploration of art, creation, and identity through theater. According to their own description, this is a place for ideological debate, the exchange of thoughts and the definition of concepts such as culture, art, politics, and communication. Through theater activities with kids and communities around a part of Caracas that is full of history, changes, and and a violent urban flame, the group looks for new ways to reunite and communicate the ever-growing dimensions of the Venezuelan diversity.

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.

Apart from the fact that our theater has deep European roots in its formal expression, it is vital that, in the future, our mixing process and the cultures that were smashed by the Conquest of Spain, such as the African and the indigenous cultures, can find a way for expression in the Venezuelan theater, mostly, through our own popular authors. It doesn’t matter if in its form is still European! What is important is that the content has our real voice, that some of our slums (Niño Jesús, Lomas de Urdaneta, 23 de Enero) can be heard; even if we are playing The Farce of Master Pierre Pathelin, our roots will be there. The ideal thing is that this could be a conscious activity and that could be recognized with pride.

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?

This is the second murder to happen here. The first was a policeman that used to take care of the facilities. What's going on with the impostors that usurped the original project? Are they trying to give a bad image to the revolutionary government?

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.

Venezuela: Concerns About Controls on the Internet

Laura Vidal — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:00:33 +0000

Debate is heating up in Venezuela after a series of decrees and statements from President Hugo Chávez, who questioned how the Internet is being used in the country. Many are interpreting these statements and policy proposals by the Assembly that there is the desire by the government to control the Internet in Venezuela.

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.

* To promote information literacy as a social right, since the development of skills in computers gives the citizen new possibilities to learn by him or herself and also to collaborate in group projects.

* To ask the State and the private sector to contribute to the development of infrastructure in order to amplify the access to technology and overcome the gap that is still existing in Venezuela.

* To recognize that Internet is not luxury, but a key tool to fight against poverty and to reach national objectives in development.

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.

It's impossible to hold the web responsible for this. It is a tool used not only to inform a good or bad intentioned forum participant, but also to favor the development of nations.

Even when the case could be limited to investigation around the forum participant that made the comment (since the Constitution forbids anonymity) what is alarming is that the President made a point and suggested not only an investigation, but also to think about regulating how the Internet works in our country. This, according to already known experiences is an order to censure an specific media or cause self-censorship.

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”?

What the Venezuelan president was actually condemning was the publishing of false information. He argued that media “can't be free to say whatever you feel like. It is necessary to follow the rules of the Constitution”. He also asked the Public Prosecutor's Office to act against media that publishes false information online, as it happens in the United States, Spain, or Colombia.

(Nevertheless), the correspondent of El País in Caracas, Mayte Rico titled the story “Chavez says Internet ‘Cannot be Free'”. This is a clear example of manipulation. Let's think about it. Here's an example: Do we think that citizens can be free to kill their neighbors if the don't like them? Of course not, “no”, will be the answer. Does that mean that we think that “citizens cannot be free”?

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”.

Until now, no country in the world had been able to get a line in the international press for putting in practice this kind of solutions. Nevertheless, Venezuela receives headlines and front pages (…) just because they did what other nations, completely justified and in order to improve communication efficiency, chose to do.

(According to the press, Chavez…) doesn't ask for, doesn't think, doesn't declare; the President “attacks”.

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.

(On the Internet) there's not only one main actor. We are all the main character. But it does not mean that all of those that participate actively as web-surfers online connected to one another in a global reach and perspective can't be responsible according to the Law.

There are people speculating about a possible censor, a gag law, or a filter within the sovereign law from our revolutionary government. If that happens, it will be a terrible mistake. That measure won't favor our process. That doesn't add up, it subtracts.

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 Public Ombudsperson, Gabriela Ramírez, says that “Websites made for the expression of free opinions should be closely attached to the Law in order to avoid disturbance of the peace” and the rule of law is as absurd and contradictory as to say that human beings are free, as long as the State permits it. Why should anyone has to force me to read something, impose me what I have to think about it and make that media responsible if I don't act according to the script?

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.

Americas: International Mother Language Day

Laura Vidal — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:29:33 +0000

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

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.

Each language reflects a unique vision of the globe and a complex culture that shows the way in which a community solves its problems around their own relationship of the world. It also shows how these peoples have made up their thoughts, their philosophical system and the understanding of their surroundings. This is why, with the death of a language, also comes the loss of an irreplaceable part of our own knowledge and our vision of the world.

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.

It’s been long since we realized that the language, more than something completely abstract, actually seems to take the shape of a savage animal, and as such, it changes, grows and evolves. Is it possible to tame this beast? Good luck to those who dare to try! Once in the cage, it’ll change its features. Just observing its beauty will be surely the best way to avoid wasting time splitting hairs by pointing out which is the best and most accurate way to speak the language of (Federico García) Lorca, the same one that (Octavio) Paz used in his versions and diversions and in which (Jorge Luis) Borges showed his clever modesty. It is the same language so many people use and change today. The Spanish that this large amount of people speak is not the same.

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.

Like any widely-spoken language, Spanish is not uniform. In every Spanish speaking country and its regions, new grammatical flavours are added, and this creates a colourful socio linguistic range with unique lexical features and new diversities in pronunciation.

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.

With the mainstream media, the cultural production captures the force of the Spanish in all its spheres: literary magazines, short stories, poetry, theatre, and music… All artistic expressions are tracked historically to our days, according to the different nationalities and movements.

In the literary world, for example, Mercedes Cortazar y Eduardo Lago (among other Hispanic writers expressing themselves in English) present a complementary perspective and they give us the clue on the possibilities of Spanish narrative in the States.

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 Spanish language never left the Philippines. It’s not widely spoken, but it still seen in local languages and, most of all, in the history of the country and its literature. More than the return of the Spanish, we should discuss more the return of this language in education.

This is a country full of surprises, even more for a Spaniard.

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.

The opportunity to use and transmit thoughts and traditions in its original languages represents not only a cultural right, but also an essential tool to ensure the access and acquaintance of Human Rights. According to UNESCO, 90% of all languages in the world would disappear in the next 100 years.

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.

France: International Students in Paris Blog on Cité Babel

Laura Vidal — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:14:10 +0000

The International City of Paris [Fr] is a complex that houses a community of international students living and learning at French universities. The Cité was created at a time in between the two World Wars in a pacific spirit that grew during that time in France. Their founders, based on an humanist ideal, envisioned a place that could bring together students from all over the world who would be studying in Paris and give them a home in which they could interact and learn from each other. As it is stated on their website, La Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris is a “school of human relations for peace”.

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 !

Apparently, Berlusconi’s and Johnny Halliday’s tribulations are more important than the 1.8 million of Palestinians trapped in the ghetto-city of Gaza (…) even for the progressive groups that supported Palestine in the early days of 2009, the apartheid, and the “ghettoisation” of one people is less important than a family meal. (…)

Ah Palestine! This evening, the silent majority cries for you again, and their tears are swollen by the presumptuousness of these crooks and this hypocrites from the media, along with their collaborators, that want to makes us believe naively what they themselves are incapable to accept in order to avoid their own asphyxiation. Ah, I forgot… Happy 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.

One day, one of my friends, living like me in the Cité Universitaire told me: “I think the Chinese are shy, reserved, and withdrawn.” (…) My friend is not the only one with that impression. Even if he didn’t mean to criticize, I think there are some misunderstandings here.

To begin with –and we are not the only ones that feel this way, a lot of foreigners in France feel the same- we feel lonely when were far from our birthplace (…Nevertheless), the Chinese can prove that they have a big spirit and a great soul. If that comes from a country inhabited by “shy” people, then this shyness would be associated to a real and seductive charm based on a deep strong culture, that is at the same time sane and powerful! The Chinese are not closed towards the world anymore. We are out there and we observe all the places of the planet

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.