Stories about Spanish from June, 2010
Chile: Organizations and Citizens Against Mining Project in Magallanes
Manuel Luis Rodriguez writes in the blog Coyuntura Política [es] about a mining project in Isla Riesco (Riesco Island) in the Magallanes region. He says that about 50 NGOs and 12 international entities signed a statement against the project because it endangers the flora and fauna of the island and...
Chile: From California to Chile on Biodiesel
Maria Jose Calderon and Carlos Herrera embarked on a 6-month road trip from California, USA to Chile in a biodiesel truck. The couple traveled Latin America in search of grassroots initiatives to help the environment, and they documented their findings and their journey through videos, photos and blogging.
Peru: Experiment for Social Networks
Ernesto Cárdenas from the blog Consultor Internet proposes [es] an interesting experiment in social networks: “How feasible is it to have/simulate ‘the experience of living’ (virtually) the things that happen in a country you do not know and have not visited?” After explaining the experiment he asks, is there an...
Bolivia: Facts About Internet and Social Media
Pablo Andrés Rivero analyzes [es] data about the use of social media and the internet in Bolivia.
Argentina: Social Media Day in Buenos Aires
Listao [es] shares that on June 30, the official Social Media day, social media users are invited to get together to celebrate the day in Buenos Aires. Users can sign up on a special site for the event on Mashable Meetups [es].
Peru: A Bill on Obscene Content
A few days ago the news broke of a bill that had been approved by the Justice Comission in Congress, proposing an amendment to section 183-B of the Penal Code, which sanctions the media publication of obscene and pornographic displays. As a result, opponents of the bill raised the banners of "Freedom of the Press" and "Freedom of Speech." Bloggers and internet media users are debating whether this bill really gets rid of these freedoms, or if it serves as a protection for minors and others who don't want to see that content.
Chile: Flash Mob Remembering Michael Jackson
María Pastora writes [es] about her first time participating in a flash mob. She also includes a video of the flash mob, which was choreographed as a tribute to Michael Jackson. The flash mob was organized by flashmob.cl [es]
Uruguay: Celebrating Advancement to Quarter Finals
Agarrate Montevideo [es] posted pictures and videos of Uruguayans celebrating their team's advancement to quarter finals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after beating South Korea 2-1; it is the first time in 40 years that the Uruguayan team reaches quarter finals in a World Cup.
Peru: Scientist is Charged for Criticizing Investigation
In the blog Blawyer.org [es] Miguel Morachimo says [es] that a judge in Lima has declared biologist Ernesto Bustamante guilty of defamation for questioning a colleagues conclusions of a study on two media outlets.
Chile: Students Arrested After Protesting Against University Reform
A week ago the government of Sebastian Piñera announced a major reform to the higher education system. At the inauguration ceremony of the president of Universidad de Chile (University of Chile) Víctor Pérez, students were arrested while protesting against a reform which they fear will get rid of public higher education.
Worldwide: The oil spills that don't make the news
The tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has the world's attention on the devastation that badly managed oil extraction can bring. However, in some places around the world, people live with toxic spills such as these and through videos people try to bring the world's attention to their plight.
Nicaragua: Riot Police and Citizens Clash in Small Town
Rodrigo Peñalba republishes a message and video sent to him by Lázaro Díaz from Boaco, a small and peaceful town in Nicaragua currently going through violence after the mayor was deposed. In the video you can see the clash between the riot police and the protesting citizens.
Peru: Chess World Champions Visit Lima
For two days, Lima hosted the two chess champions, Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. They both came for an exhibition game, where they played against 25 children. Although football is the king of all sports in Peru, and in spite of Peruvian chess being banned from international competitions, the news didn't go unnoticed for some bloggers.
El Salvador: Transparency Begins with Citizens
Carlos Abraham Rodriguez [es] says he would like to see more transparency from the government of El Salvador; but he also adds that it is the citizen's responsibility to ask for it and to support initiatives that will make the government more transparent.
Paraguay: Match Against New Zealand Paralyzes Country
Paraguay is playing New Zealand in the World Cup for their opportunity to make it to the second round. The blog Rescatar [es] reports that buses that are normally packed in the morning were empty today; and, although productivity is down, everyone is hopeful about the result.
Costa Rica: Week-long March Against Mining
Habla Costa Rica [es] reports on a march against mining which will start July 12 and end July 18. The march was organized by a group of citizens under the name “Coordinadora Ni una sola mina” (Coordination Not One Single Mine). The blog post includes a schedule of the march...
Uruguay: Watching the World Cup from Afar
Nostalgia de Emigrante [es] describes how it feels to watch Uruguay play in the World Cup from the perspective of someone who has emigrated. Considering how well the team is doing, the blogger wonders why the country doesn't work like that: with the president as the coach and the citizens...
Mexico: 300,000 Tons of Electronic Waste
Mexico produces about 300,000 tons of electronic waste each year. According to Pepe Flores [es], Mexico is behind in legislating on this issue and warns that the electronic residue presents a sanitary risk.
Colombia: Rethinking the War on Drugs
Albeiro Rodas writes for Colombia Passport about recent reports from The United Nations Office on Drugs (UNODC) and says that “for an international community opinion […] this War on Drugs is divided and it has several points to recognize and rethink.”
Mexico: A Politicians Guide to Campaigning using Social Media
Pepe Flores [es] from Vivir México [es] has come up with a two-part guide for politicians who want to use social media when campaigning. Part 1 [es] includes: personalizing your message, establishing an agenda and promoting debate. Part 2 [es] includes: showing your “human” aspects and getting informed.
Peru: Oil Spill in Rio Marañon
Globalizado [es] reports on an oil spill in Rio Marañon in the Loreto region of Peru; the river is the only source of water for 28 native communities. The post also includes a video [es] showing the river after the spill. .
