Rodrigo Peñalba
RSS feed for Rodrigo Peñalba 
Rodrigo Peñalba; writer, webber, visualizer. Editor for MarcaAcme.com. Collaborator at Barricada.com.ni.
Latest posts by Rodrigo Peñalba
30 October 2009
Nicaragua: Protests in Managua Show Divisions Within Student Movements
In Nicaragua, divisions within student groups have been evident during recent protests in Managua about the university budget and recent comments by the US Ambassador about a Supreme Court decision.
3 April 2009
Nicaragua: Refusal of Entry to Club and Allegations of Racism
An Afro-Nicaraguan woman was denied entry at a nightclub in the capital city of Managua. The club states that she was not allowed to enter because of their right to refuse admission, but she alleges racism. Bloggers reflect on the case and about the presence of racism and discrimination in the country, but others think that it was an isolated incident and just part of the nightclub scene where bouncers decide who enters based on how one is dressed and other arbitrary reasons.
18 July 2008
Nicaragua: Open Source Software in Public Institutions
A local Nicaraguan blogger has been working with public institutions in the city of Jalapa to take full advantage of open source software. Some of the projects involve the digitalization of public records and cashier counters that use Linux-based computers.
15 July 2008
Nicaragua: Real and Hypothetical Twitter Updates About Politicians
Users of Twitter in Nicaragua recently learned about the schedule of their United Nations ambassador through the account of the Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon. Some wondered what other politicians' Twitter updates might look like.
10 July 2008
Nicaragua: A New Telecom Monopoly
Carlos Slim, the wealthiest man alive, bought the biggest suscription TV provider in Nicaragua. That company, ESTESA, was already a de facto monopoly in its market, and now is part of the telecom empire Slim has built in Nicaragua and includes wireless, conventional phone lines, and broadband internet service. However, service is also being seen to suffer as noted by local bloggers.
8 July 2008
Nicaragua: Protesters Pay Visit to Former President
Protestors in Nicaragua often gather to pay personal "visits" to well-known politicians, including a recent surprise encounter with former president Arnoldo Alemán, who had been convicted of corruption charges and had been dining with his family at a local restaurant. One local blogger documented these encounters on his blog and Flickr page.
6 June 2008
Nicaragua: Twittnic and the Expanding Blogosphere
New additions to the Nicaraguan blogosphere have recently emerged and have added to the conversation within the country. Others from the Nicaraguan Twitter community have come together to create a site dedicated to this phenomenon. The result is called Twittnic, a new project created and maintained by four local users of Twitter.
29 May 2008
Nicaragua: A Closer Look at a Government Program for Microloans
The governmental program called Usura Cero provides low interest rate loans to Nicaraguan women for their micro-businesses. It was recently featured on an investigative news program and a local blogger provides in-depth thoughts on the success of the program.
18 November 2007
Nicaragua: Software Freedom Day Group Wins Award
Organizers of the Software Freedom Day in Managua, Nicaragua received some good news. Their event is similar to other events held around the world designed to introduce and discuss the use of Free and Open Source software. They were one of the top three places worldwide to receive a recognition for their collaborative work from the Software Freedom Day organization and the activists hope to continue the activities in Nicaragua.
14 June 2007
Nicaragua: Back to Plaza de la Revolución, Again.
During recent changes in power, the ruling party often sought to cover or erase signs of the previous regimes. This included the removal of murals or renaming of famous plazas. In this case, the current Sandanista government continues the trend by renaming the main plaza back to Revolution Plaza, which is what it was called during the FSLN's first administration.
Freedom from Fear...Now.