Stories about Colombia from September, 2011
Colombia: Incarceration of Bogota’s Former Mayor Stirs Debate
Aside from the uproar that Congressman Juan Manuel Corzo sparked over his “fuel subsidy,” now Samuel Moreno Rojas, the former mayor of Bogotá, has been sent to prison while facing accusations of embellishment, fraud and extortion.
Colombia: Bogota's Mayoral Campaign
Mike Ceaser comments on Bogota Mayoral candidate Enrique Peñalosa's decision to “campaign with ex-President Alvaro Uribe.” Mike argues that “by campaigning with the conservative Uribe […] Peñalosa is giving up any chance for the vote of young progressives, altho [sic] few supported him as it is.”
New Partnership Between Global Voices and El Colombiano
Global Voices in Spanish has a new agreement with El Colombiano, the leading newspaper of the vigorous city of Medellin, which will allow their readers to access Global Voices content in Spanish through a blog created for this purpose inside the EC-Blogger section of the El Colombiano online version.
Colombia: Outrage at President of Congress Over Oil Subsidy
Last week, Juan Manuel Corzo, Senator and president of Colombia's Congress, caused outrage on social networks when he tried to justify a fuel subsidy for congresspeople. The issue became "personal" when Senator Corzo declared that Twitter users criticizing him were being "rude," adding: "I'd rather not steal from the State and that [others] pay for my gasoline."
Colombia: President Santos’ Tour of Asia
Last week, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos toured Japan and South Korea for seven days with the goal of strengthening commercial ties. In Japan, he signed an agreement to protect reciprocal investments, while the Koreans promised to accelerate the process for a free trade treaty. Bloggers and Twitter users commented on the trip.
Colombia: Controversy Over New Methodology to Calculate Poverty
Nazih Richani in Cuadernos Colombianos –a NACLA blog– has written two posts (1, 2) on Colombia's new methodology to calculate poverty: “The newly adopted Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) factors in health, housing, living standards, and government subsidies, alongside income. The problem is, regardless of the ‘methodological rigor,’ there are many doubts...
Videos: Homeless But Not Voiceless
We explore different initiatives that aim to bring to the foreground the plight of those who are forgotten: children, indigenous people, immigrants and the transgender community.
All-Day Virtual Event in Spanish for Bloggers
Día del Blog will hold a virtual event on Saturday September 17 [es] with several discussions broadcast through live streaming [es] with speakers from Spain, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. Spanish Translation Manager Juan Arellano will participate in a panel discussion [es] about “Revolution on social networks: cyber-activism, citizen mobilization and political participation”.
Colombia: Politics in Street Art
LatAm Communiqué posts pictures of political posters, graffiti, and murals in Bogotá, Zipaquirá, Popayán, and Medellín.
Colombia: “New York Hurts More”
@RedMujeresC, the Twitter account of Red Mujeres Ciudadanas – Colombia, quotes Mare Nubium on the massacres perpetrated by illegally armed groups in Colombia [es]. The author manifests her indignation because, in her opinion, some Colombians seem to care more about the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States than...
Colombia: Strengthening Ties Between ‘Chiva’ Bus Owners Through Social Media
Carlos Múnera quotes [es] a reader's comment calling owners and drivers of ‘chiva’ buses to use the Internet to communicate, share ideas and inform each other about policies that could affect their work. The reader indicates that he is currently creating a Facebook group for fans of these buses.
