· August, 2012

Stories about Latin America from August, 2012

Portuguese, a Global Language?

  31 August 2012

A community page on Facebook, Língua Portuguesa: Uma Língua Global? (Portuguese Language: A Global Language?) [pt], provides a diversity of materials to promote the debate about the expansion of Portuguese language and its consequences. Several critical issues on the policies of this language of around 200 million speakers are addressed,...

Venezuela: Preserving the Oral Traditions of the Plains

  31 August 2012

The oral traditions of the plains are brilliant protagonists of the culture that has spread to other regions of Venezuela. Many natives of the Venezuelan plains use social networks and other Web 2.0 tools to spread, highlight, and preserve these traditions.

Colombia: Miners Flee from Killings and Attacks

  30 August 2012

In his blog “El que piensa gana”, [es] Juan Jose Hoyos talks about the precautions that miners, union leaders and others who oppose illegal mining or mining by multinational companies (like Gran Colombia Gold) are taking after murders and attacks against fellow miners in Antioquia. He adds that union leaders from...

Combatting Cocaine Production in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru

  30 August 2012

Drug production and trafficking is a major issue in Latin America that governments are constantly trying to deal with. However, as the continent leaders gathered last April in Colombia for the Summit of the Americas fully agreed, the so far US-led war on drugs has failed in the Region. Peru, Colombia and Bolivia are the three largest illegal cocaine producing countries in the world. What are these Andean Countries doing to combat illegal drugs?

Brazil: 13 Year-Old Exposes School Problems on Facebook

  30 August 2012

Diário de Classe [pt], a Facebook page created by Isadora Faber, a 13 year-old from Santa Catarina, Brazil, has already gathered more than 176,000 “likes”. Aiming to “show the truth about public schools”, Isadora shares photos that show the repairs needed in her own school and reports on other general problems.

Bolivia: Radioactive Uranium Seized in La Paz?

  29 August 2012

'If the mineral found yesterday is #uranio (uranium), the first thing they should have done was verify if it was radioactive instead of calling the press!' Two tons of solid material, presumably uranium or radioactive minerals, were seized by authorities on August 28 in La Paz. The potential radioactivity of the material remains unclear.

Mexico: Egg Price Hike Causes Speculation

  29 August 2012

The increasing price of eggs, a staple in Mexico, has caused speculation and malpractices, as well as discontent and suspicion among consumers. The price of a kilo of eggs has almost reached the Mexican daily minimum wage ($ 4.6 USD or € 3.66).

Colombian Government Plans Peace Talks with FARC

  28 August 2012

In the blog Crónicas, Santos García Zapata explains the context [es] around the Presidential decision to start peace talks with guerrilla groups. The Congress’ Peace Commission has declared that President Santos “is not alone” in his determination to reach peace.

Venezuela: Fires Still Burning at Amuay Oil Refinery

  27 August 2012

I don’t think PDVSA [Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company] will learn anything from this explosion — just as the company failed to learn anything from its past errors. Blogger and journalist Steven Bodzin from Setty's Notebook writes about the Amuay oil refinery explosion.

Caribbean: No Escape; Isaac Strikes

  26 August 2012

Despite Caribbean bloggers' hopes that Tropical Storm Isaac would go easy on them, some islands are today coping with the disarray the storm has left in its path. Haiti experienced some of the worst effects from the weather system; flooding and landslides reportedly caused a few deaths and some people had to be evacuated.

Venezuela: Chaos in Amuay After Oil Refinery Explosion

  25 August 2012

'The action radius for the propane spheres explosion is devastating. The entrance to Judibana and everything surrounding it is destroyed.' A gas tank explosion in Judibana, Falcón state, has left at least 24 dead and 86 injured. The reasons behind this accident are still unclear.

Venezuela: 19 Killed in Blast at Amuay Oil Refinery

  25 August 2012

An explosion in the Amuay oil refinery, one of the largest in the world, has left at least 19 dead and 53 injured, according to the latest reports [es] from the Governor of the state of Falcón. Follow reactions and reports through the hashtag #Amuay on Twitter.

Caribbean: Escape from Tropical Storm Isaac

  24 August 2012

Caribbean netizens have their eye on Tropical Storm Isaac, the ninth such weather system for the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. Isaac has been steadily moving up the Leeward Islands, and storm warnings and watches have been issued for Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Bloggers share their experiences, post videos and voice their concerns.

Ecuador on Alert Over Spewing Tungurahua Volcano

  24 August 2012

The Tungurahua volcano has been spewing pyroclastic material and ash throughout this month, affecting thousands of families, crops, and animals. Scientists and citizens use Twitter and Facebook to inform about the Tungurahua's activity.

Cuba: Foul Play in Death of Oswaldo Payá?

  24 August 2012

At The Cuban Triangle, Phil Peters comments on the allegations of foul play surrounding the accidental death of Cuban activist Oswaldo Payá. [The] many efforts to accuse Havana of assassinating Payá, or in most cases to insinuate that it did so, seem hasty and very political, even as those who...

About our Latin America coverage

Gabriela Mesones Rojo
Gabriela Mesones Rojo is the Latin America Spanish-language editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.

Fernanda Canofre
Fernanda Canofre is the Brazil editor. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.