Stories about Latin America from March, 2014
Massive Online Campaign to Free Political Prisoner Oscar López Rivera
The international campaign to free Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera is asking people from all over the world to contribute in making the hashtag #freeOscarLopez a trending topic...
Artists Re-imagine the ‘Woman Who Was Dragged’ and Killed by Brazil's Military Police
Blog Think Olga invited artists to send portraits of Claudia Silva Ferreira, a woman who was killed at the hands of Brazil's military police.
The ‘Woman Who Was Dragged’ and Killed by Brazil's Military Police
Claudia Silva Ferreira was shot during a military police operation in a Rio de Janeiro slum, then dragged along the road behind their car as they drove to the hospital.
Displaced and Duty-Free in El Tamarindo, Colombia
El Tamarindo was formed by internally displaced families on empty, untitled land in Colombia. With the expansion of the Barranquilla Free Trade Zone, the community is being forcefully displaced again.
15 Free (or Very Cheap) Things to Do in Bogotá, Colombia
Bogotá and its price points tend to get a bad rap. This is a very valid point when you consider that the average monthly salary in the city as of...
How Police Have Turned Rio de Janeiro's Maré Favela Into a Battlefield
Thirteen residents of Maré, the largest favela complex in Rio de Janeiro, died during a police operation there in June 2013.
Brazilian Congress Approves Pioneering Bill of Rights for Internet Users
Marco Civil has finally been approved in the lower house of Brazil's Congress and next should be voted in Senate. The bill of rights for Internet users became a worldwide trending topic...
Paraguayan President Faces First Major Test as Citizens Prepare for a General Strike
Paraguay will live its first general strike after two decades. Workers, peasants, teacher unions and students will give Horacio Cartes his first major test as president.
Brazil's Internet Bill of Rights Ignites Storm of Posts
Activists who support Brazil's bill of rights for Internet users, known as the #MarcoCivil, and who have Facebook or Twitter accounts are invited to participate in a large-scale campaign on social networks...
The ‘Protest of all Protests’ Calls for Constitutional Reform in Chile
More than 40 civil organisations (with the exception of students) gathered more than a hundred thousand people in Santiago to demand a new constitution by way of a constituent assembly.
President Santos Confirms the Dismissal of Bogotá Mayor Gustavo Petro
The Colombian president did not adopt precautionary measures by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for Gustavo Petro to continue as mayor of Bogotá, the country's capital.
‘The Subject': A New Crowdfunding Tool for Brazil's Independent Media
Aimed at providing an alternative to the traditional business model of media production, a new crowdfunding platform for independent journalism has been launched in Brazil. O Sujeito (The Subject) [pt] is hosted by the...
5 Small Businesses Run By Rural Uruguayan Women
Rural Uruguayan women have created successful self-managed small businesses with which they support their families and bring novel and high-quality products to the local market.
“Happy” Video Exposes the Other Side of Rio de Janeiro
Inspired by the “worldwide contagious happiness” that was sparked by Pharrell Williams’ viral music video “Happy“, as can be seen in hundreds of dancing videos from around the world, Brazilian group of video-makers Jeitinho...
GV Face: How to Win the Rising Voices Microgrant
Are you brimming with ideas to help your community tell their story through citizen media? On GV Face the Rising Voices team discusses best practices for winning their microgrant competition.
Unlocking Time: A Collective Virtual Album of Old Photos from Latin America
All links lead to Spanish-language pages #plenoverano en ABRIR EL TIEMPO: los animales inflables en el mar. Fotos playeras de Uruguay, 1940! pic.twitter.com/IM3Tg801 — Abrir el tiempo (@abrireltiempo) January 16,...
Zapatista Textbook Now Available in English
Put on your thinking caps because the first of four Zapatista textbooks from last year’s widely popular escuelita (little school) have been translated to English. For those who are not...
In Peru, Racism Strikes Again
Racism is alive and well in Peru's multiethnic society. With the spread of social networks, racist practices have become a topic of debate among activists and the general public.
Leftist Candidate Wins Presidential Elections in El Salvador by a Margin of 6000 Votes
In El Salvador, candidate Salvador Sánchez Cerén won the presidential election by 6,364 votes. The losing party and their candidate, Norman Quijano, are demanding a recount and calling for protests.
Inside #SOSVenezuela: “People of the World, Help Us!”
Blogger Kira Kariakin writes about the ongoing protests in Venezuela for Future Challenges. She reviews the protesters' demands, the role of mainstream and social media, and analyzes what's to come.
Accused of Murder and Desperate for Justice, Peasants on Hunger Strike in Paraguay
Issues of land distribution and judiciary corruption come to the forefront as peasants accused of the Curuguaty massacre on hunger strike await a fair trial to prove their innocence.
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