Silvia Viñas · December, 2010

Latest posts by Silvia Viñas from December, 2010

Uruguay: Discovering Uruguay Through Writer Yaravi Roig

  31 December 2010

Florence Faure writes: “Reading fiction can be an interesting way to get introduced to or know better a country. Yaravi Roig is an Uruguayan writer who lives in Piriapolis. In her books, she gives to the reader the opportunity to discover Uruguayan culture, more specifically Piriapolis and the people who...

Mexico: 60 Students Died in Ciudad Juárez in 2010

  31 December 2010

Patrick Corcoran reports: “Authorities say that some 60 students died in 2010 in Ciudad Juárez as a result of gang violence, most famously in the massacres in January and October.” He says he expected the number to be higher, considering there were more than 3,100 murders in Ciudad Juárez this...

New Year's Resolution: Learn About Latin American Culture

  31 December 2010

Colombian/Argentinean Travelojos contributor Jennifer Lubrani writes about her New Year's resolution: “I’ve made it a goal to try to learn as much as I can about all of the other Latin American cultures.” She suggests five ways to “get cultured” on Latin America.

Guatemala: Harsh Winter Affecting Farmers

  31 December 2010

Locavore del Mundo writes about how this year's particularly cold winter has affected farmers in Guatemala: “Farmers have lost almost all of their crops due to this frost. The lost harvest includes cabbage, cauliflower, chinese peas, carrots, lettuce, radishes, among other vegetables.”

Latin America: 2010 in Review

  29 December 2010

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile, a police strike in Ecuador and the Nobel Prize in Literature for Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa were some of the news bloggers and citizen media users reported and analyzed this year. Let's take a look at these and other stories the Latin American team covered in 2010.

Bolivia: The “Gasolizano”: Government Increases Taxes on Fuel

  27 December 2010

Greg Weeks from Two Weeks Notice writes: “The Bolivian government drastically increased taxes on fuel, by over 70%.  It did so for rational capitalist reasons, namely that higher prices in neighboring countries had fostered a thriving black market.  However, the official reasoning leaves something to be desired”

Honduras: Media Ignores Recent Reports on 2009 Coup

  27 December 2010

Honduras Culture and Politics states: “[…] we find it extraordinary that the US media completely ignore even high profile international organizations that continue to call attention to the serious failures of Honduras to redress any of the circumstances that the coup d'etat of June 2009 set in motion.”

Peru: Lima's Municipal Art Gallery

  25 December 2010

In Globalizado [es], Juan Arellano writes about his visit to Lima's municipal art gallery Pancho Fierro. He wonders about the future of the gallery as a new municipal administration is about to take office.

Venezuela: Police Repression During Protest Over University Law

  24 December 2010

Miguel Octavio in The Devil's Excrement says that students faced severe police repression during a protest against a new law that gives the government more control over universities. Furthermore, in Venezuela News and Views Daniel Duquenal reports that an AFP journalist was hurt while taking pictures of the protest.

El Salvador: Spread of Drug Cartel Violence Feared

  23 December 2010

Commenting on a recent news report about the fear of Mexican drug cartel violence spreading to El Salvador, Tim writes: “If drug cartels were to establish greater operations in El Salvador, beyond the mere transportation of drugs, it would pose another serious threat to El Salvador's already overwhelmed police and...

Uruguay: Gay Rights in Uruguay

  22 December 2010

In the blog for Ola Uruguay, Jane McDevitt writes about Gay rights in Uruguay: “The current president’s much publicised liberal political ideology is being put to the test, as pressure increases from gay rights activists and human rights groups to legalize gay marriage, in a country where church influence on...

Venezuela: Hugo Chavez Granted Special Powers for 18 Months

  22 December 2010

On December 17, Caracas Gringo wrote that President Hugo Chavez “was granted special powers to rule by presidential decree until June 2012.” An Enabling Law that Venezuelan Analysis reports was passed “in order to bring rapid relief to 130,000 flood victims and to further engrain 21st Century Socialism in the...

Honduras: Human Rights Watch Releases Report on Abuses After 2009 Coup

  21 December 2010

Bloggings by Boz reports: “Human Rights Watch released an important new report yesterday on abuses in the post-coup environment, including excessive use of force, arbitrary detentions and violence against journalists and civil society. Particularly troubling is the level of impunity for abuses and the lack of resources and judicial independence...