Stories about Spanish from February, 2011
Peru: Ex-Minister Asked US Embassy to Help Contain Opponent's Presidential Campaign
On February 19th, Spanish newspaper El Pais released a cable stating that "Fernando Rospigliosi, former Minister of the Interior in the government of Alejandro Toledo, asked the assistance of the United States Embassy to carry a campaign against Ollanta Humala." Peruvian bloggers and Twitter users quickly reacted to the cable that rocked the local political environment during an election year.
Argentina: Hackathons and Budget Transparency in Bahía Blanca
As we have witnessed in the last month, there are moments in civic life that drive citizens to change and challenge institutions, to create solutions and to express their concerns about things that matter. In a short interview with Renata Avila for the Technology for Transparency Network, Manuel Aristarian, an...
Mexico: Kidnapping Case Affects Diplomatic Relations with France
Relations between Mexico and France have been strained due to the kidnapping conviction of French national Florence Cassez in Mexico City. Cassez was arrested in 2006, accused of kidnapping charges and sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Chile: Remembering 8.8-magnitude earthquake with tweets from Feb. 27, 2010
Gonzalo A. Luengo O. compiled a long list of tweets [es] from February 27, 2010, when an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Chile at 3:34 a.m. local time.
Latin America: On teleSUR's Coverage of Libya Uprising
Latin American news channel teleSUR managed earlier this week to send several journalists into Tripoli to cover the ongoing uprising in Libya. Nonetheless, its coverage, which seems quite different to the one provided by other international news media, has caught the attention of many Latin American netizens.
Peru: Controversy Over Removal of Anonymity in Electoral Polls
A new policy preventing opinion polls from being conducted anonymously caused a storm in the press and on social networking sites. Finally, faced with a barrage of questions from the public and the press over its conduct, the National Jury of Elections was forced to retract the regulation.
Chile: Electronic Textbooks for Schoolchildren?
The school year is starting in Chile, and Enzo Abbagliati in Cadaunadas wonders, “why aren't textbooks in Chile digital?” after he spent almost $300 USD in textbooks for his son. He presents possible advantages to giving schoolchildren electronic textbooks they could read on a tablet or e-reader.
Cuba: What do the Cables from Havana Say? (Part III)
In the last part of a series on WikiLeaks and Cuba, author Elaine Díaz analyzes the content of cables regarding the Cuban opposition and the role of bloggers.
“We Are Not Ants”: New Book Promotes Educated Optimism
No Somos Hormigas (We Are Not Ants) is a book and online platform; a Spanish-language project devoted to "educated optimism." Global Voices is mentioned in the book and online as an example of a project of social innovation.
Puerto Rico: Best Blogs 2010
The team of Esoez.com gave out the Esoez Awards to the best blogs [es] of Puerto Rico in 2010. The podcast En Profundo [es], the music blog Puerto Rico Indie [es], and the satire blog El ñame [es] are among the winners.
Puerto Rico: Conflictive One Day Walk-Out
In a general student assembly yesterday, a majority of students of the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico voted in favor of ending the strike for one month [es], but they declared a one day walk out today as part of their protest initiatives against the imposition of...
Puerto Rico: A Student's Life Broadcast Through Youtube
Christian Ortega published the first episode of his regular web series "La Cabeza de Christian" back in the summer of 2009. Through LCC, as it is known for short, Christian generally speaks his mind about Puerto Rican politics, headline news, and his life on the island for seven to nine minutes at a time each week. Alfredo Richner interviews Christian about his online success, Puerto Rico's blogosphere, and the student strike at the University of Puerto Rico, among other topics.
Puerto Rico: “I Do Not Belong to That Class”
A group of Law professors of the University of Puerto Rico have opened a section of their blog, Derecho al Derecho [es], to provide information on how lawyers can opt-out of a federal class suit against the Bar Association of Puerto Rico, an institution that has been practically dismantled by...
Peru: Wikileaks Cable Stirs Electoral Campaign
Juan Arellano in Globalizado [es] reports on reactions to a 2005 cable released by Wikileaks, which reveals that “Fernando Rospigliosi, former Minister of Interior in the administration of Alejandro Toledo, asked for the collaboration of the United States Embassy to carry out a campaign against Ollanta Humala.”
Costa Rican Movie “El Regreso” Reaches Funding Goal Through Crowdfunding
Cristian Cambronero from Fusil de Chispas [es] updates readers on the crowdfunding initiative for Costa Rican movie “The Return” on Kickstarter: the goal of $40,000 was reached in a little over 5 days, 41 days before the deadline on April 2.
Uruguayan Politicians on Twitter
Federico Lorenzo [es] provides a list of Uruguayan politicians on Twitter, grouped by their political party.
Chile: Social Media Reactions Against Coal Mining Project
The approval of a coal mining mega-project in Isla Riesco, nature and protected species sanctuary in southern Chile, reveals a serious environmental conflict of interests that is being analyzed and denounced on the active Chilean social networks.
Venezuela: Brazilian Music in Venezuela's Web 2.0
The cultural relationship between Brazil and Venezuela is commonly seen in the way carnival is celebrated and in the high ratings Brazilian soap operas have enjoyed in Venezuela for many years. But today, through blogs, MySpace and YouTube, Venezuelan groups are sharing their arrangements and interpretations of Brazilian music.
Cuba: Generación Y and Voces Cubanas Unblocked in Cuba
For nearly three years, Yoani Sánchez has called herself a “blind blogger.” Her blog, Generación Y, has been blocked in Cuba since March of 2008. But on February 8, the site was unblocked in Cuba.
Mexico: Video Game “Call of Juarez: The Cartel” Draws Mixed Reactions
A new video game, "Call of Juarez: The Cartel" by game developer Ubisoft, has drawn criticism from Mexican officials due to its allusions to the ongoing drug and gang violence in the country. But netizens are at odds about the game and the local politician's efforts to ban it.
Mexico: Activist's House Set on Fire in Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez, en la sombra del narcotráfico [es] (“Ciudad Juárez, in the shadow of drug trafficking”) reports that on February 16, Malú García Andrade's house was set on fire. Malú is an activist against femicides and human trafficking. Her mother, Norma Andrade, is a co-founder of the non-profit “May our...
