Stories about Colombia from April, 2012
Colombia: 12-Year-Old Boy Bullied at School Dies
A 12 year old who had been bullied for defending a classmate passed away last week. Although forensics ruled the cause of death was bone infection, his mother and some physicians rejected the ruling and claim bullying was the ultimate cause of the boy's death. Colombian netizens react to the boy's death.
Colombia: “San Andrés belongs to Colombia”
Nicaragua has presented a claim [es] in the International Court of Justice over the sovereignty of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, which is currently part of Colombia's political map after a treaty signed by both countries in 1928. Many in Colombia have expressed their desire for San...
Video: Mothers Around the World Share Their Different Experiences
In the International Museum of Women, the current online exhibit is all about mothers. MAMA: Motherhood around the globe explores the different aspects of motherhood through video interviews to women in Nigeria, Kenya, Afghanistan, USA, Colombia, Hungary, China and Norway.
Colombia: Video of Art Installation and Performance in Bogotá
The art collective Invisible Society in Bogotá brought together 53 artists who set up art installations or performance arts, and the process and result can be seen in their video.
Ecuador: Refugee Women and Girls Turning to Sex Work
A video documentary examines the situation with Colombian women who had to migrate across the border into Ecuador due to violence. In many cases, without being able to gain legal employment, the women and their underage daughters find themselves turning to sex-work to make a living.
Colombia: “Lleras Law2.0 ” Taken Before Constitutional Court
The “Lleras Law 2.0”, which was hastily approved to fit requirements for a Free Trade Agreement with the United States, was taken before the Constitutional Court on April 18 by Senator Camilo Romero [es], who argued it contains parts that threaten rights enshrined in the Constitution. Netizens [es] are invited [es]...
Colombia: What Did the VI Summit of the Americas Leave Behind?
Netizens commented on various events, some serious and some lighter ones, related to the Sixth Summit of the Americas. They also shared their opinion on the agreements that were reached (like the free trade agreement between Colombia and the U.S.) and on those that did not meet consensus.
Cuba: Absent at the Summit of the Americas
At The Cuban Triangle, Phil Peters blogs about Cuba's absence at the Summit of the Americas, which was held this week in Cartagena, Colombia. Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's president, addressed the issue of the US trade embargo on Cuba, calling it an “anachronism.” “We cannot be indifferent to a process...
Colombia: Closing of Community Radio Station Sparks Debate
Community radio station Café Líbano, from Líbano [es] in the Tolima department, denounces its closing by the government, pointing out that it was carried out arbitrarily. According to Cesáreo Gálvez, one of its founders, the closing is “an affront to the right to information and communication embodied in community radio.”...
Colombia: Free Trade Agreement with U.S. to Take Effect on May 15
After the close of the Sixth Summit of the Americas, President Barack Obama and President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the free trade agreement between Colombia and the United States will take effect starting next May 15. While citizen media [es] users show skepticism [es], mass media outlets [es] present it as a...
Colombia: Painter and Sculptor Fernando Botero Celebrates 80
On April 19, 2012 the Colombian sculptor and painter Fernando Botero will turn 80 years old. The celebrations for his birthday have already started in Colombia and other parts of the world. On the internet citizens share their opinions and analysis of Botero and his works.
Colombia: Explosions near the US embassy in Bogotá
On the night of April 13, against the backdrop of the Summit of the Americas [es] (a meeting of the continent's heads of State), explosions were heard [es] near the location of the United States Embasy in Bogotá. No one was injured as a result of the incident [es], and...
Colombia: Approval of “Lleras Law 2.0″ Ignites Netizens’ Indignation
The approval by the Colombian Congress of a law popularly known as 'Lleras Law 2.0,' which reforms the framework to legislate and regulate copyright and intellectual property, sparked indignation among Colombian netizens.
Internet Campaigns Invite Tourists to Visit Latin America
There are many web pages and blogs used to promote tourism in Latin America. We provide links to some of these pages here, and share a conversation with Global Voices author Jorge Gobbi, who is a specialist blogger on the subject of tourism.
Colombia: Photo Exhibit Creator Denounces Attack on Freedom of Expression
In the blog El Salmón [es], Carlos Alberto Castaño denounces [es] the confiscation by Bogotá police of his photo exhibition, “Realities, because the eye and the lens do not lie.” Castaño writes about violation of freedom of expression and political persecution due to the content of the gallery, where he denounces “the...
Colombia: Congress Approves “Lleras Law 2″
The Colombian Congress approved yesterday, April 10, the proposed Law 201 (2012) on author rights and intellectual property. This has generated many reactions, becoming a local Trending Topic on Twitter under the hashtags #LeyLleras2 [es], #SoyDelincuente [es] (“I'm a criminal”) and TLC [es] (Free Trade Agreement). Anonymous blocked [es] Government websites, and a march has been...
Colombia: Award Winning Journalism Video Making Rounds on the Web
The award winning video [es] of 2011 that tries to explain why Colombians are poor despite the natural wealth of the nation has strongly made its rounds on the web, getting close to a million views.
Colombia: “Lend Your Leg” Campaign Raises Awareness about Antipersonnel Mines
On April 4 the "International Day for Mine Awareness" took place as part of Lend Your Leg. During the day netizens shared opinions on Twitter on what this harsh truth means for the world, and especially Colombia, using the hashtags #Remángate and #Lendyourleg.
Colombia: Nostalgia for 1990s Peruvian TV
In the 1990s, cable television was too expensive for most Colombians, who resorted to cheap satellite dish services colloquially known as perubólicas [es] (a portmanteau of Peru and [antenas] parabólicas), because they carried virtually all Peruvian networks. On the night of April 4, 2012, hundreds of Colombian Twitter users recalled...
Colombia: 10 ‘Last’ Armed Forces Hostages Released by FARC
On Monday April 2, four soldiers and six policemen kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were released. In February the group had announced that they would abandon kidnappings and release the remaining hostages.
Colombia: Lawmakers Rush Bill on Author Rights and Intellectual Property
On March 20, a bill was hurriedly presented to reform the legislative and regulatory framework of authors' rights and intellectual property as part of the government's implementation of the requirements for a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Activists and citizens on social networks have rejected the lack of debate on what many are calling a new version of the "Lleras law."
