Latest posts by Silvia Viñas from April, 2011
Argentina: Writer Ernesto Sabato Dies at Age 99
Argentine writer Ernesto Sabato passed away on April 30 at age 99. Buenos Aires Herald describes him as “one of the most influential writers in Argentine literature and author of the trilogy of novels, ‘The Tunnel’ (1948), ‘Of Heroes and Graves’ (1961) and ‘Abadon, the Exterminator’ (1974).” His readers are...
Honduras to Implement ‘One Laptop Per Child’ Program
RNS in Honduras Politics and Culture says that the plan to give one XO laptop to every child in Honduras “would be ideal for deployment in Honduras.” However, the blogger shows some skepticism: “At the actual cost [$199], the original $3 million investment would buy 15075 XO laptops, not the...
Mexico: Senate Approves Political Reform
The Mexican Senate approved “La reforma política,” a political reform that Aguachile describes as “immensely significant.” Aguachile lists the sections included in the reform and adds: “Of course, this does not mean the reform has passed; it will now move on to the Chamber of Deputies, and then for ratification...
Ecuador: Poll Results Show President Correa Leading in Referendum
Bloggings by Boz reports: “Polls from Santiago Perez and Cedatos-Gallup suggest Correa will win on all ten questions of the referendum taking place on May 7,” adding that, “For Correa, the specifics about the reforms are secondary to the larger issue of winning.”
Colombia's Harsh Winter
Global Voices author Lully Posada writes in equinoXio [es] about winter in Colombia and the strong rains that have left more than 3 million victims.
Panama: Challanges for the LGBT Community
Blogger Erasmo Prado R. [es] writes about the challenges the Panamanian LGBT community is currently facing.
Mexico: 51 Kidnapped Migrants Rescued in Tamaulipas
Gancho reports that “Federal Police rescued 51 kidnapped migrants in Tamaulipas today [April 26], days after they saved another 68 in the same state. Such rescues were not common before the discovery of scores and scores of dead bodies last week in San Fernando, and now we've had two in...
Guatemala: Remembering the Death of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera
In Central American Politics, Mike writes: “On this date [April 26] in 1998, Roman Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera was found bludgeoned to death in his residence in Guatemala City. […] The Catholic Church and the people of Guatemala are still waiting for justice in the bishop's death.”
Mexico: Northern States Hit by Wildfires
Alejandro Ortiz Sotomayor in Vivir México [es] shares a photo by Jorge Alberto Mendoza Mariscal which shows the work of Mexican firefighters as they try to control a “Spring” wildfire in northern Mexico.
Peru: Analyzing Alternative Energy Sources
In Grupo Futuro Perú [es], Araceli Pinto Corrales looks at Peru's “energy future” and discusses wind energy and biofuels as options to meet Peru's growing energy needs.
Chile: Poet Gonzalo Rojas Dies at Age 93
Julio Suarez Anturi blogs [es] about the passing of Chilean poet Gonzalo Rojas and shares 4 of his poems.
Nicaragua: Holy Week in the Countryside
While most Nicaraguans and foreign tourists like to spend their holidays in the beach, Ronald Hill Alvarez in Sueños del Caribe [es] recommends spending the ‘Semana Santa’ (Holy Week) holidays in the countryside. He also describes how people from this region celebrate the religious holiday.
Bolivia: Sharing a Meal with Aymara Women
Pablo Andrés Rivero [es] blogs about a “collective, ritual meal of the Andean region” he shared with Aymara women in the Palca municipality, close to La Paz. When he was almost done eating, one of the women asked him “What do they eat in your country?” prompting Andrés to reflect...
Chile: Bill Seeks to Move Bicyclists off Roads and onto Sidewalks
Blogger Setty criticizes a bill that, “tries to ban cycling on the street, putting the city’s booming cyclist population onto the sidewalk.”
Venezuela: Could the opposition benefit from a long primary?
Blogging by boz lists 5 ways the opposition (MUD) in Venezuela could benefit from a “long, tough primary”: “It's impossible to say for certain whether the late primary will benefit or harm the MUD until after it happens. But if the MUD ends up winning in 2012, I can guarantee...
Argentina: Cine York, one of ‘Argentina's Hidden Gems’
The Argentine Post writes about one of “Argentina's hidden gems,” Cine York in Buenos Aires: “The classy, inviting nature of this little theater couldn’t contrast more with the loud, plastic, cookie-cutter nature of modern shopping centers that have come to dominate the urban landscape of huge swaths of the U.S.”
El Salvador: Economic Well-Being Tied to Support for Democracy
Voices from El Salvador's Weblog summarizes a recent AmericasBarometer survey, concluding that “The results of the survey show, for the most part, that economic well-being, whether that of individual families or that of the nation’s government, is one of the strongest factors that affect the public’s support of democracy.”
Guatemala: The Women Running for President
Mike in Central American Politics writes about the women running for president in Guatemala, and argues that “Guatemala is almost guaranteed to have a woman occupy the presidency or vice presidency after September's election.”
El Salvador: Leader in Anti-Mining Movement Wins Goldman Environmental Prize
“Francisco Pineda, a leader in the anti-mining movement in Cabañas, was named yesterday one of the 2011 recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize,” Tim reports in his blog on El Salvador. “Francisco Pineda is a farmer with a degree in sustainable agriculture and is the founder and president of the...
El Salvador: Blogging About Ordinary Life in El Salvador
Tim recommends the blog El Salvador from the Inside: “Written by a ‘gringa in El Salvador,’ the blog captures great scenes of ordinary life in El Salvador. Recent posts have included tales of wandering street vendors, washing in a pila, and an old gentleman and his birds.”
Mexico: Bloggers Reflect on Elections in Peru
Tim Johnson in Mexico Unmasked and Richard Grabman in The Mex Files look at Peru's elections on Sunday, April 10 and compare them to the political climate in Mexico as the country prepares for the 2012 presidential and legislative elections.
