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March 01 2012
Chile: Netizens Speak Out Against Mall in Chiloé
With the hashtag #malldecastro [es] Chilean netizens are reacting to a project to build a mall in Castro, Chiloe, in an archipelago in Southern Chile. Gerárdo Espíndola of Mi Voz wrote a post [es] on the project, showing pictures of the mall's current state. El Repuertero, a citizen newspaper of Mi Voz, also posts pictures [es] of the mall altered by Twitter users to show their discontent with the project.
February 29 2012
Chile: The Role of Public Libraries in Post-Earthquake Reconstruction
Several Chilean bloggers are sharing their thoughts on the second anniversary of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Chile on February 27, 2010. Enzo Abbagliati [es] looks at how public libraries can help people “rebuild their lives.” He argues that restoring or building people's deep bond with reading is “probably the main contribution that [public libraries] can make to each of its users so that they can be the protagonists of their personal reconstructions.”
February 24 2012
Chile: Aysén Region and the Call for Decentralization
Protests, road blocks, and clashes between protesters and police continue as citizens of the Aysén region of Chile demand change. Global Voices contributor Elizabeth Rivera reported on the social movement behind the mobilization earlier this month and summarized their demands:
Their demands have been compiled in a petition list with 10 points [es] which basically ask for subsidies to balance food, water, electricity and fuel costs; quality health and education; employment equity and retirement pensions based on regional needs; greater citizen participation in the decisions that affect the region including natural resources exploitation; better access and infrastructure.
For many, the conflict in Aysén boils down to one problem affecting the whole country: centralization. “Santiago is not Chile,” is a phrase commonly used among Chileans who often feel ignored for living outside of the capital. Many of these Chileans have to move to Santiago to access better employment and basic services like healthcare due to a shortage of doctors in the regions.
As a result of a heavy focus on the capital, Santiago has been developing at a much faster pace than the rest of the country. Even the media's attention focuses on the capital, giving little air time to issues happening in the rest of Chile.
The protests in Aysén have brought centralization to the forefront of the national conversation, prompting several Chilean bloggers to weigh in on the issue.
"Aysén is Chile." Protest in support of Aysén mobilizations, February 20, 2012, Santiago, Chile. Photo by Luis Fernando Arellano, Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Blogger Danae Mlynarz Puig [es] looks ahead to what might happen this year in Chile. She begins her post mentioning the social movement in Aysén:
Seguimos movidos en cuanto a demandas sociales, en estos días, Aysén se moviliza, en el extremo sur de nuestro país exigiendo descentralización, a un país tremendamente centralista, donde parece que todo pasa en Santiago. El estallido de Aysén nos recuerda lo que vivimos anteriormente en Magallanes, Isla de Pascua, Calama y otras ciudades, donde los habitantes de estos territorios se movilizaron exigiendo mayor compromiso del gobierno central por sus problemáticas, develando la enorme desigualdad territorial que vivimos en Chile y la falta casi absoluta de descentralización.
In El Quito Poder [es], Salvador Muñoz says that the problem of centralization is not new:
Los ayseninos afirman que ningún gobierno se ha hecho cargo de sus demandas. Los problemas de Aysén, Coyhaique, Magallanes, Tocopilla, Dichato, Calama y de todos los pueblos y ciudades de Chile son los mismos. Como señala la Asamblea Ciudadana de Magallanes en una declaración de solidaridad con el movimiento de Aysén, “Aysén y Magallanes reclamamos terminar con el centralismo oficial y corporativo, que ahoga a las regiones para beneficio de la capital, que no nos da participación en las decisiones de política pública y nos impide lograr una efectiva regionalización y descentralización”.
On a similar note, blogger and journalist Gabriel Sanhueza Suarez [es] says that the conflict in Aysén reveals a systemic problem:
El problema de Aysén es mucho más profundo que tratar de atender demandas sectoriales… o de acallar las movilizaciones enviando fuerzas especiales.
Es un problema sistémico, que implica repensar radicalmente la forma de entender el país, sacarse para siempre el chip del centralismo. Y sobre todo pensar e implementar políticas audaces que transforme la regionalización de una consigna demagógica a una realidad que nos permita tener un Chile justo en todas las esquinas de su territorio.
The problem of Aysén is much deeper than trying to address sectoral demands … or silencing the protests by sending special forces.
It is a systemic problem, which involves radically rethinking the way we understand the country, removing the centralism chip forever. And above all to think and implement bold policies to transform regionalization from a demagogic slogan to a reality that will allow us to have a fair Chile in all the corners of its territory.
Finally, Kaos en la Red [es] published a post by Patricio Segura from Aquí Aysén [es], a blog written from Aysén that has been covering the movement. Patricio ensures that this social movement wants to influence all Chile, not just Aysén.
[…] el Movimiento Social por la Región de Aysén no debe ser visto sólo como una revuelta por y para los ayseninos. Tiene mucho del país que queremos construir, donde se consideren las particularidades de cada ciudadano, de cada territorio. Nuestro tema es la verdadera descentralización, la verdadera equidad, el verdadero respeto, todo lo cual en el mercado no se puede transar.
Los habitantes de Aysén no queremos cercar con alambres de púas la región para que no llegue nadie más. Queremos ser un aporte para Chile y para el mundo, con lo que somos, con los bienes comunes presentes en este vasto y hermoso territorio, pero no queremos morir en el intento.
[…] the Social Movement for the Aysén Region should not be viewed merely as a revolt by and for the people of Aysén. It involves a lot of the country which we want to build, where the particularities of each citizen, of each territory, are considered. Our issue is real decentralization, true equity, true respect, all of which cannot be compromise in the market.
The people of Aysén don't want a barbed wire fence around the region to keep every one else away. We want to be a contribution to Chile and the world, with what we are, with the common good present in this vast and beautiful land, but we don't want to die trying.
February 23 2012
Chile: Twitter Users Share Images of the Protests in Aysén
[The original version of this post was first published in La Opiñón [es], an online citizen newspaper by the Mi Voz (My Voice) network]
A social movement that demands better quality of life and lower costs has gained strength in the Aysén Region in the Chilean Patagonia, as previously reported by Elizabeth Rivera for Global Voices.
Images of fierce clashes that occurred during the early hours of February 22, the blocking of the road between Puerto Aysén and Puerto Chacabuco, the police repression and an unabated protest were captured by the citizens of Aysén and uploaded to social networking sites.
Twitter is the platform that shows the striking images of these protests, which have paralyzed the region.
Taking of the Chacabuco bridge, Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar):
Clashes on the Chacabuco bridge in Aysén, February 22. Photo by Twitpic user Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar)
"Remains of a violent night in Aysén." February 22. Photo by Twitpic user Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar)
Nighttime barricades, Movement for Aysén (@despiertaAYSEN):
Nighttime barricades in Puerto Aysén, early hours of February 22. Photo by Twitpic user Movement for Aysén (@despiertaAYSEN)
Coyhaique expressing itself in the street, Kallfulikan (@Kallfulikan):
Image of the protest in Coyhaique, February 22. Photo by Twitpic user @Kallfulikan
Road between Puerto Aysén and Puerto Chacabuco, Patricio Segura (@patsegura):
Road between Puerto Aysén and Puerto Chacabuco, February 21. Photo by Twitpic user Patricio Segura (@patsegura)
Blocked roads, Alonso Nuñez (@alonso_nunez):
Blocked roads, February 21. Photo by Twitpic user Alonso Nuñez (@alonso_nunez)
Road to Coyhaique, Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar):
Blocked route between Aysén and Coyhaique, Sunday February 19. Photo by Twitpic user Jorge Espinoza C. (@espinozacuellar)
February 16 2012
Video: Showcasing the Beautiful Landscapes of Chile and Patagonia
A moving short film by Gnarly Bay Productions follows a couple travelling through Chile and Patagonia, showing the beautiful landscapes found in this corner of South America.
January 21 2012
A Guide to Crowdsourcing in Latin America
Crowdsourcing, also known as “mass collaboration,” allows anyone with an Internet connection to generate useful content for the masses. In Latin America, numerous crowdsourcing projects have arisen that respond to the various needs and emergencies that the continent is facing, such as Heroreports [en], which geotags acts of kindness in Mexico, or LluviasVe [en], which maps events caused by strong rains in Venezuela. Crowdsourcing has become a fundamental tool in Latin America to foment and utilize citizen participation in an effort to inform.
On January 14, 2012, Jacinto Lajas published “A guide to crowdsourcing in Latin America [es] on Periodismo Ciudadano, an online blog that hosts discussion and debate about citizen journalism. Below we have republished the article under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Spain license (CC BY-NC 3.0).
Americas Society (AS) is the leading forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas. Its mission is to foment understanding of current political, social, and economic issues that Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada are facing, as well as to augment public awareness of and appreciation for the diversity of the New World's cultural heritage and the importance of interrelationships between the diverse peoples of the Americas.
Within this mission falls the logical observation of changes effected by technological advances in the Americas, and in that same spirit comes the publication of a guide to crowdsourcing in Latin America, highlighting projects that have developed in different countries throughout the region.
The preface to the list of projects explains how crowdsourcing has become a popular method of citizen participation in compliance with the law, public health, consumer rights, and social issues in Latin America, one of the regions with the largest growth of Internet penetration in the world:
El número de usuarios de Internet creció a 112 millones en enero de 2011 –un aumento del 15 por ciento respecto al año anterior. En Brasil, Colombia, México y Venezuela, las tasas de crecimiento del uso de Internet aumentaron en un 20 por ciento o más durante el mismo período. También va en aumento es el uso del teléfono de última generación: en 2011, uno de cada cinco teléfonos celulares vendidos en América Latina fue un smartphone y, en 2010, las ventas de estos teléfonos en la región aumentaron en un 117 por ciento. Con un mayor acceso a Internet, más latinoamericanos están utilizando las redes sociales: 114.500.000 personas utilizaban sitios como Facebook y Twitter en junio de 2011.
A promising prospect. Just as the proliferation of participatory projects –some mentioned here [es]– is in Latin America. Below you will find the list of projects included in the guide. You can find more information about each project in the original publication in Americas Society [en].
- Argentina
- Brasil
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Honduras
- México
- Panamá
- Perú
- Venezuela
January 20 2012
Chile: Discrimination, Media Ethics, and the Case of #InesPerez
Inés Pérez interviewed on Chilevision television
“Can you imagine here, in this gated community, domestic workers [nanas] walking outside? All the workers walking on the street, and your children there, on their bikes?”
With this phrase, aired in an interview on national television in Chile on Sunday, January 15, neighborhood resident Inés Pérez became the subject of online scorn. Pérez was commenting on the policy of a gated community, El Algarrobal II, in Chicureo that prohibits the entry of maids and other workers by foot.
The tension around discrimination against domestic workers in the area had been mounting since December 2011 when an instruction letter [es] distributed to the members of the Breezes of Chicureo Golf Club [es] went viral. The letter said maids must wear their uniforms in the club and never use the swimming pool. With this controversy fresh in their minds, social media users immediately reacted to the statement by Pérez.
Sentidos Comunies published a Storify post [es] collecting Twitter reactions. On Facebook, on the page “Ines Perez Concha” [es] people left numerous comments condemning her words and even insulting her. Some Chileans also took to blogging to express their outrage.
Marcela Arellano [es] defended domestic workers and spoke against discrimination in a post that was published in several online citizen newspapers of the Mi Voz network.
Yo no sabía que en este pequeño país existían imperios (a menos que sean descendientes de reyes Incas) en donde los infantes herederos deben ser protegidos de presenciar a las seis de la tarde una horda de gente de clase trabajadora, osando pisar las mismas veredas donde juegan inocentes los principitos que no conocen un mundo distinto.
Meanwhile, in El Quinto Poder [es], Ximena Jara wrote about the word “nana” as a discriminatory term, and added:
Nos llenamos la boca de furia sagrada […] nos hemos dedicado a buscar, una por una, las normativas discriminatorias que atentan contra la dignidad del quehacer de estas trabajadoras. Esto está muy bien, pero no pasa de ser un berrinche. No, mientras no comprendamos que el compromiso parte, literalmente, por casa. Que si somos medios responsables, ciudadanos responsables, vamos a asumir que los abusos a las trabajadoras de casa particular son mucho más extensos que estos casos extremos que hoy nos sulfuran.
On January 17, however, rumors of a transcript [es] of the full interview began to spread on social networks. Chilevisión finally published the whole interview [es], which shows that Inés Pérez's statement had been taken out of context.
In the full interview, among other things, she says her maid freely goes outside with her daughter, with or without her uniform. Pérez explains that she asks her maid to arrive and leave the neighborhood in a minibus, and that she lives half an hour from the neighborhood entrance. She asks: “Can you imagine during the winter with rain and thunder, all the maids walking in the neighborhood?”
On the same Facebook page [es] where she had been heavily criticized, some [es] users are now apologizing, although several [es] still believe that no matter the context, her declarations are still insulting, especially the phrase about maids and workers walking on the street while children are “on their bikes”.
Journalism Ethics and Social Media
The discussion about discrimination quickly turned into a debate on journalism ethics and social media.
Journalist Gianitsa Corral touched on the subject of ethics in a post for Sentidos Comunes [es]. She lists some of her thoughts on the full interview and the way Chilevisión handled the editing. Later, she discusses the responsibility of media consumers, concluding that:
Los medios se equivocan, manipulan, juegan, transforman, indagan, verifican y nos estructuran la información que todos tenemos derecho a saber. Pero somos nosotros los que decidimos qué hacer con ella. No podemos justificar nuestra pereza con un 100% de credulidad a todo lo que vemos y oímos. También somos responsables de capturar esa realidad.
Mauricio Tolosa, in Sitiocero [es], blogs about online behavior in reactions to the video, and says the whole incident shows that Chile suffers from a “coexistence disease”:
El problema de fondo, la enfermedad de convivencia de Chile, que genera segregación y linchamientos, no se resuelva con explosiones en las redes sociales. El problema de fondo requiere aprender a conversar, a preguntar, a escuchar, a respetar hasta reconstruir la comunidad dañada. Son conductas que no surgen espontáneamente en este sistema comunicativo, es un esfuerzo de consciencia, una atención y un aprendizaje cotidianos.
Clases de Periodismo [es], a blog that focuses on journalism and media, declared their stance on Chilevisón’s editing:
Desde este espacio, rechazamos la falta de criterio de Chilevisión para editar las declaraciones de sus entrevistados. Además, nos sumamos al pedido de una rectificación (que no basta con la publicación del video para que los usuarios saquen sus propias conclusiones).
The public statement [es] on the Chilevisión website counters:
el segmento seleccionado es una idea completa expresada por la entrevistada, unidad de contenido que no ha sido manipulada en modo alguno y que no altera el sentido final de sus declaraciones.
According to the latest reports on the incident, Chilevisión fired [es] Fernando Leal Quinteros, the production assistant that filtered the text of the full interview.
January 18 2012
Latin American Sites and Bloggers Protest PIPA and SOPA
Several Latin American blogs like SitioCero [es], alt1040 [es], and Sentidos Comunes [es] have joined the online protests against U.S. anti-piracy bills SOPA and PIPA. Some are speaking out against similar local laws, like the bloggers behind the Mexican blog network Indie Weblogs [es]. Popular series and film site Cuevana.tv is also participating [es].
January 15 2012
Video Highlights: Activism, Freedom of Speech, Identity and Culture
This section aims to showcase interesting and recent posts in Global Voices that show the many ways in which videos are helping people tell stories all around the world. You can follow the activity by regions in our YouTube channel or by clicking on the regional header links.
Middle East North Africa:
Yemen: The Amazing Life March Arrives in Sanaa
From Yemen we have the amazing story of the historic 264km Life March, which is the longest since Mahatma Gandhi's 390km long Salt March in 1930. During the Life March, villages and towns came together to give food and drink to the thousands of people who marched for four days straight through winding mountain passes protesting the immunity that outgoing President Saleh asked for himself and his aides and family for the killing of protesters in the Yemen uprisings.
However, the march didn't seem to sway the newly formed cabinet members who approved the bill: it will now go on to parliament for it to become a law.
Yemen: Saleh Gets Away With Murder…He Gets Immunity
It is those martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the rest of Yemen to live a life of freedom and democracy, whom Yemenis feel they must never be forgotten nor should their blood go in vain.
This next video is a silent remembrance for those who died during the peaceful uprising:
Some online activists are also promoting an online campaign against a stimulating herb chewed by many Yemeni men and women for hours on end, sometimes daily. The campaign is for a day without using the leafy green plant, Qat:
Yemen: January 12, a Day Without Qat
As blogger @Afrahnasser, proposed on Twitter:
An average citizen in Yemen wastes 8 hrs in searching money for qat, another 8 hrs in chewing qat & the rest 8 hrs in sleeping @NoonArabia
The idea of the campaign is to turn those hours spent on qat into active endeavors which build up Yemen.
Sub-Saharan Africa:
Ethiopia: Swedish Journalists Found Guilty of Terrorism Charges
Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson crossed from Somalia to Ethiopia illegally which caused the Ethiopian authorities to detain and put them on trial for supporting terrorist activities and crossing illegally into the territory, although the defense claims that they were performing their duty as journalists to report both sides of the conflict. This next video was used as evidence during the trial, where the journalists are seen planning their journey as journalists
Western Europe:
Spain: Fighting for the Right to a Home
Families who got into debt to buy a home and ended without jobs or income to pay for them are being helped by an organization aiming to stop families from being evicted and to give them temporary homes in foreclosed and empty houses when they aren't able to stop the banks. The video on this post shows their success in avoiding an eviction and keeping a man and his 13 year old son off the streets.
Eastern and Central Europe:
Hungary: Memories of Barvalipe Roma Pride Summer Camp
Growing up Roma in Europe can make children feel stigmatized and rejected by their peers, causing them to hide their origins and feel ashamed of their heritage. The Barvalipe Roma Pride Summer Camp aimed to give Roma youth a chance to discover their roots by learning the language, history and cuisine of the Roma people.
East Asia:
Hong Kong: Protest Against Luxury Brand to Defend Local Identity
A luxury brand which doesn't allow for photographs to be taken of its store is not news, but when they stated that the rule only applied for local residents of Hong Kong and not tourists from Mainland China, the people of Hong Kong made their anger known through a flashmob outside the store.
Latin America:
Chile: Wildfire in Torres del Paine Shocks Netizens
The wildfire in one of Chile's top touristic spots, National Park Torres del Paine had netizens blogging and tweeting about the fire, both as experienced by those inside the park at the time of the evacuation and recorded it on video as well as from concerned people following the news and updates.
Central America: LibreBus Project Presents its Documentary
The documentary follows the activists who climbed on board a bus driving through 5 different Central American countries to spread the message of free software, the defense of freedom of speech and content sharing.
Colombia: Salsa Song Criticizes Bus Rapid Transport System
Public transportation makes it easier for people to get from one location to another without having to use their own vehicle, however, when that public transportation system is overcrowded, it can become a torture instead of a relief. The salsa song (with translated captions) shows what it is like for people to use the popular Transmilenio System in the capital city of Bogota.
January 10 2012
Latin America: Politicians' #TwitterFail
Erwin, in The Latin Americanist, highlights four recent social media interactions which have hurt the image of politicians in Chile, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico.
January 04 2012
Chile: Controversy Over Change from ‘Dictatorship' to ‘Military Government' in School Textbooks
Greg Weeks explains the controversy over a decision to use ‘military government' instead of ‘dictatorship' in school textbooks: “Even if children don't bother reading them, their teachers will be using them to frame their own discussions in the classroom. They are a critical part of the construction of national identity, so revisions–subtle or otherwise–are a high-stake endeavor.”
Chile: Would Cheaper Books Promote More Reading?
Enzo Abbagliati blogs [es] about a recurring discussion in Chile: removing or decreasing the IVA (value added tax) on books to promote more reading.
January 03 2012
Chile: Wildfire in Torres del Paine Shocks Netizens
Since December 29, 2011, Twitter has flooded with messages referring to a massive fire in national park Torres del Naipe, one of the most important touristic spots in Chile and a declared Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO. One of the first users to talk about the fire was journalist Gonzalo Ramírez (@tvn_gonzalo) [es]:
Malas noticias desde Torres del Paine. Ya van 1500 hectáreas afectadas por incendio descontrolado.
Bad news from Torres del Paine. There are already 1500 hectares affected by an uncontrolled fire.
This disaster has shocked Chilean netizens who have expressed their feelings of worry, anger, sadness and hope that the fire gets controlled soon on various social networks. The tending topic “Torres del Paine” and the hashtag #salvemostorresdelpaine (let's save Torres del Paine) have been used to inform and comment on the fire.
At the time of writing the post, the fire had been burning for 4 days and 11.000 hectares had been consumed, which is equivalent to more than 21 thousand football fields as it was explained in an infographic [es] published by the online community Sentidos Comunes (Common Senses). Also, the ONEMI [es] (National Office for Emergencies - Interior Ministry) Director, Vicente Nuñez, said on December 30 [es]:
“Estamos ante una situación altamente compleja, con un escenario de carácter extremo, principalmente por condiciones de topografía, fuertes vientos y estado de vegetación altamente combustible”
“We have a very complex situation on our hands, with an extreme scene, mainly because topography, strong winds and vegetation that is highly combustible.”
Various citizen media have picked up reactions, including online newspaper El Dínamo which published a Storify [es] with pictures of the fire taken and shared by Twitter users. Also, YouTube user Reggaetonmusicfull [es] uploaded this video filmed during the park evacuation.
Indignation grew among netizens as time went by and authorities showed no clear organization and mass media didn't cover the news.
Simón Borić Font (@sboric)[es], a journalist from Magallanes, remembered last year's plane crash accident that resulted in the tragic death of 21 people in September in the Juan Fernandez archipelago:
A Juan Fernández mandaron 3 fragatas, 15 aviones y más de 500 hombres. En Torres de Paine hay 25 soldados chilenos y 23 ARGENTINOS (Chauque)
To Juan Fernandez they sent 3 ships, 15 airplanes and more than 500 men. In Torres del Paine there are 25 Chilean soldiers and 23 Argentinean (Chauque)
Luis Mariano Rendón, Acción Ecológica (Ecological Action) coordinator, a NGO known for its opposition to HidroAysén, said on a press release replicated on several online outlets [es]:
“Hubiésemos querido ver a este Gobierno, que es tan ágil para lanzarle agua a la ciudadanía que lucha por sus derechos, ser igualmente ágil para lanzarle agua a las llamas que consumen nuestro patrimonio natural”
We would have wanted to see this government that is so agile to throw water to the people that are fighting for its rights to be equally agile to throw water to the flames that are consuming our natural heritage
Psychology student and Punta Arenas neighbor Luis Sandoval Pérez (@orpheoslira) remarked:
Los twitteros los únicos informantes wn, que cuático. Los medios guatiando #salvemostorresdelpaine
Twitter users are the only ones informing dude, that's crazy. Mass media failing #salvemostorresdelpaine
Others remembered that in 2005 there was a similar fire and no corrective action was taken to improve the security in the zone, while the penalties for those responsible were low. Designer Marcial Barría (@marcialbarria) complained:
Por lo visto.. el incendio del 2005 en el Parque no dejó ninguna lección. #salvemostorresdelpaine
Apparently… 2005's fire in the Park didn't leave any lessons behind. #salvemostorresdelpaine
Famous Twitter users @elquenoaporta said:
Turistas rayan en Cusco: presos. Turista provoca, en 2005, incendio de 17.000 has en Torres del Paine: multa de $120 mil. #asinosepuede
Photo by Twitter user @IvanGomezS, used with permission
Meanwhile, the government has declared the place a catastrophe zone decreeing that the park will stay closed during January. Also, the President has asked for help to other countries like the United States, Australia and Argentina to fight the fire.
Foreigners that were inside the park when this all started shared their testimonies on the Internet.
Global Voices author Miguel Angel Guevara told us by email:
Estaba en las torres del paine cuando nos tuvieron que evacuar, ayer regresé a puerto natales, hay mucha información aquí en el pueblo pero muchos rumores. […] La situacion ha evolucionado demasiado rápidamente, nos enteramos del incendio hace dos días cuando estábamos en el campamento italiano, y supimos que no podríamos ir al glaciar grey, después en la noche empezó a llegar olor a quemado al parque, y al siguiente día el guarda parques nos despertó a todos en el campamento para decirnos que había que evacuar. Evacuamos, pero ya en el horizonte no se veía nada, estaba lleno de humo, a mi me dieron naúseas al intentar caminar.
I was in Torres del Paine when they had to evacuate us. Yesterday, I went back to Puerto Natales. There's a lot of information here in town but a lot of rumors […] The situation has evolved too fast, we knew about the fire two days ago when we were at the Italian camp, then we learned that we would not be able to go to the Grey Glacier. Then at night we started smelling something burning in the park, and the next day a park ranger woke up everybody at the camp to tell us we needed to evacuate. We left, but it was already hard to see anything on the horizon, it was filled with smoke, I was nauseous as I tried to walk.
Stephanie - The Travel Chica left this comment in the post “Chile cries, her beauty burns: Fire in Torres del Paine” from the blog Matador:
The park should have been closed sooner. The guides coming out of the park knew it was out of control on Day 2 […] I have talked with several people evacuated from the park who said they were not given any information while they waited for hours in refugios watching the smoke and fire get closer. Some were even charged money to escape on the tourist boats on Lago Grey. […]
Blogger Claudia Saunders was also at Torres del Paine when the fire started and after evacuating she posted a call to action in her blog where she echoes the feelings and hopes of many who are closely following the developments:
It's with a heaviness in my heart and a saddness [sic] in my soul that I write this entry. Torres del Paine is burning. It's an act of recklessness, selfishness and stupidity. No fires are allowed in the park, it's one of the few rules to protect this incredible place. Anyone who has been here knows why, the winds in Patagonia are a force unto themselves. But a group of people thought this rule didn't apply to them. With a mixture of despair and anger I watched thick red/brown clouds spill over the ridges and fill the whole valley with smoke…and i cried. […]
[…] I am asking you all to do your part and collectively we can hold in our consciousness the safety and well-being of all of those who rushed in to fight the fire and for a quick and harmonious end to it.
I saw young men, old men, military personnel, park rangers, gauchos and guides leave everything behind and in a moment load up horses, on foot, in cars and boats to reach the beginnings of the blaze and to battle it. This is their home. This is their prize. This is their livelihood and they are struggling to save it.
Photo by Flickr user Nekane Ortega Albarran (NoaPhoto) (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Latin America, 2011: A Year Marked by Social Movements
As the Arab Spring unfolded throughout 2011, as Spain’s indignados and the now worldwide ‘Occupy’ movement gained momentum, and as important social movements also rose up across Central and South America, some netizens have been wondering if similar uprisings could happen in Latin America.
In 2011, Latin Americans took to the streets in big cities and small towns to defend their right to education, protect their lands from road and mining projects, and demand peace. Now, we remember the Global Voices Latin American team's coverage of these important mobilizations as we look back on 2011.
Student movements
Images of Chilean student protests made news around the world for months. While most international media focused on the recurring clashes between protesters and the police, on social networks citizens shared analysis, reports, images and videos from the ground.
For over six months, Chilean high school and university students staged various protests to demand an overhaul of the educational system. Students blogged and live-streamed their tomas (school occupations) documenting their experience inside the schools. They also uploaded citizen videos of cacerolazos (pot banging demonstrations) and the various incidents - negative and positive - that took place during protests, including a video which shows students stopping a group of violent protesters.
The student movement remained a hot topic on social networks as protests continued; in October, the Chilean Ministry of Interior presented an ‘Anti-Occupation' bill to congress and later invoked a State Security Law, heating up the debate among netizens.
Meanwhile, in Colombia, students and professors held meetings and protested against a proposal to reform the higher education ‘Law 30′ that would, among other things, allow private investment in public universities.
Six months later, workers and students joined in a nationwide demonstration, and university students began a university strike demanding the government withdraw the bill to reform Law 30 from congress. On the eve of a nationwide protest scheduled for November 10, President Juan Manuel Santos announced he would withdraw the bill if students lifted the strike.
Despite the announcement, demonstrations were held on November 10 and in Bogotá students ‘occupied' Bolivar Square. The next day, the Presidency's Twitter account reported the President had asked congress to remove the bill, and in the following days students began to gradually return to class.
"We've said: enough" Students protest on November 10, 2011 in Bogotá. Image by Flickr user Juan Camaron (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
But student protests had not ended for the year. Inspired by the student movements in Colombia and Chile, on November 24, students throughout Latin America marched to demand free, high-quality education.
In 2011, several Latin American countries faced a recurring dilemma: mines, roads, and other projects that promised economic growth and development also raised environmental concerns and threatened to infringe upon indigenous rights.
In June, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced a controversial project to build a road that would go through the Indigenous Territory National Park Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS); in August, indigenous groups and their supporters began a 500 kilometer march towards La Paz to oppose the project.
In September, reports of police repression against the indigenous marchers spread on social networks. As a result, citizens began to mobilize both online and on the streets to show their support for the cause to defend TIPNIS. Netizens like Luis Chuquimia (@chuquijosel) [es] described the arrival of the marchers to La Paz on October 19:
las calles pacenhas….quedaron flores, mixtura, banderas de papel…lagrimas, abrazos…sonrisas..pasos que calan historias #TIPNIS ES VIDA
Finally, on October 21, President Morales announced the road will not go through TIPNIS.
TIPNIS march. Image by Flickr user Pablo Rivero (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
In November, in neighboring Peru, bloggers reflected on several mining protests, including demonstrations against the Minas Conga gold mining project in Cajamarca. A strike caused the company to suspend the project, which, as Global Voices author Isabel Guerra explained:
[is] considered to be the largest mining investment in the history of Peru, [and] according to its opponents threatens to destroy some 20 lagoons, which serve as a foundation for local ecosystems and a source of water for farming communities.
Protests continued well into December despite the suspension, as opponents called for the total cancellation of the project; as a result, the government declared a state of emergency. The conflict is not yet resolved, but local bloggers have continued reporting from Cajamarca, and social networks users from all over Peru will keep sharing their reactions as events unfold.
Another mining controversy that is has caused mixed opinions involves open-pit iron ore mine ‘Aratiri' in Centro Chato, a small village in central Uruguay. In 2011, the controversial project divided Uruguayan netizens: some see it as an opportunity for employment and economic growth, while others are concerned about the environmental consequences and question whether the country will actually benefit from the mine’s profits. Developments will surely be followed closely by bloggers in 2012.
Marching for peace
Mexico's Drug War, a major military operation against drug cartels launched by President Felipe Calderón in December 2006, has left tens of thousands of victims. In 2011, Mexican citizens took to the streets and the Internet to say ‘enough'.
In May, Mexicans participated in a massive 4-day, nationwide march for peace, and demonstrations were also held in countries around the globe on May 8.
The march, which began in Cuernavaca on May 5 and ended in Mexico City on the 8, was organized by Mexican poet and activist Javier Sicilia, who became the leader of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity [es] after his son was killed.
With the Mexican blogosphere buzzing with commentary on the issue of violence, GV en Español organized a blog carnival on “Citizenry, Violence and Blogs”. The following posts summarize the results of the carnival:
- Blog Carnival: Mexico - Verbalizing the Violence
- Blog Carnival: Mexico - Citizen Media on the Scene
- Blog Carnival: Mexico - Is Mexican Society Violent by Nature?
- Blog Carnival: Mexico - The United States and Violence in Mexico
Shortly after the Blog Carnival, reports of online activists becoming targets and victims of brutal killings stirred social networks. In a guest post for Global Voices Advocacy, ARTICLE19 explained:
Against a backdrop of endemic violence against journalists, social networks and other online communication platforms such as “Nuevo Laredo en Vivo” are increasingly being used by citizens - especially in Tamaulipas [to] break the silence around criminal activities that are not being reported in the press because of the pervading climate of fear and self-censorship.
As Mexico prepares to elect a new president in 2012, the War on Drugs and how to reach peace will surely keep the conversation on social networks going.
The Latin American team will work hard to amplify more of these important citizen voices from across the region in 2012. If you'd like to help us, we have several author vacancies for you to consider and there are multiple ways you can get involved in the Global Voices community. We hope you will join us as you continue reading, commenting, and sharing our stories; you can also follow us on Twitter @gvamericalatina.
December 30 2011
Chile: Neighbors and Netizens Unite to Save Concon Dunes
Ever since the company Reñaca Concón S.A. (Reconsa) started its efforts to build a real-state complex on the delicate and unique ecosystem of the Concon Dunes [es] neighbors began their struggle to prevent this development. On December 27, 2011, their worst nightmare became a reality: the construction company began erecting a fence around the protected area.
But they weren't alone this time; the Chilean cyberspace was filled with protests against the closing and construction of up to 20 luxury apartment buildings [es] in the zone, thus adding to the claims made by the 50 neighbors that protested at [es] the building site.
Twitter user @Perro_del_Lucho [es] warned:
Amigos, que sea TT por favor #noalcierredunar GUAU. Empresa Reconsa está cerrando el Campo Dunar en estos momentos. Guau
Concon Dunes. Photo by Flickr user Claudio Alvarado Solari (§Claudio§) (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Friends, lets please make #noalcierredunar (no to closing the dunes) a TT GUAU. The company Reconsa is closing the Dune Fields as we speak. Guau
Javier Sanfeliu (@sanfeliu) [es] said:
No deja de asombrarme la falta de criterio, etica y moral de ciertas empresas. Pónganse al día, pulpos. #noalcierredunar
The lack of judgment, ethics and moral of certain companies doesn't cease to amaze me. Get updated you octopuses. #noalcierredunar
Pablo Andres Roldan Lopez posted on Facebook [es]:
Hoy es un día triste para Concón mi ciudad hermosa, es un día triste para Chile, es un día triste para el alma, es un día de realidad dura y pura, el dinero manda sobre todo, el dinero todo lo puede, el dinero es lo importante, lo que mueve al mundo, lo que enciende los corazones… hoy es un día triste, se cierran las hermosas Dunas de concon [sic] para ser hundidas bajo costosos edificios, edificios de lujo que solo habitarán aquellos que viven en el mismo círculo de aquellos que construyen en las dunas… y al pueblo, a los niños le quitarán los atardeceres sobre las duna [sic] mirando el sol… menos mal que la estrella está lejos y no se puede comprar.
Today is a sad day for Concon, my beautiful city, it is a sad day for Chile, it is a sad day for the soul, a day of harsh and pure reality, money rules over everything, money can do anything, money is what matters, what moves the world, what ignites the hearts… today is a sad day, the gorgeous Concon Dunes are being closed to be buried under costly buildings, luxury buildings that will be inhabited by the same circle of those who build on top of the dunes… and to the people, they are taking away the sunsets over the dunes for the kids, staring at the sun… thank goodness the star is far away and cannot be bought.
Some netizens gave away names of politicians or politician's relatives involved in the project: The Twitter account of the political program Difamadores (Slanderers) [es] (@difamadores) denounced the participation of a former minister:
¿Quién está detras [sic] del cierre de las Dunas de Concón? RE: 1 de ellos es el (DC) Edmundo Pérez Yoma #noalcierredunar
Who's behind the closing of the Concon Dunes? RE: 1 of them is the [politician] of DC (Christian Democratic Party) Edmundo Perez Yoma #noalcierredunar
While blogger @donliebre [es] announced the relationship of President Sebastian Piñera's cousin:
y quien era el abogado de la inmobiliaria y representante de los socios de RECONSA?: Herman Chadwick http://tiny.cc/q01tc [es] # noalcierredunar
and who was the lawyer of the real-estate firm and representative of the RECONSA partners?: Hernan Chadwick http://tiny.cc/q01tc
The demonstrations managed to stop the project for a while when some protesters tore down the fence, but the neighbors and activists demand the President expropriate the 19 hectares of the sanctuary or widen the protection to the whole ecosystem [es]. However, this last option could be the most difficult, as it was previously explained by Elda Arteaga in a post on the website Nuestro.cl [es]:
Como esto es de privados la única solución es que la Municipalidad les de unos terrenos a cambio, con una plusvalía equivalente.
Since this is private property, the only solution would be for the Municipality to give lands in exchange with a similar capital gain.
Dunes… (no + real state) Picture by Flickr user la yegua (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
On the other side, Reconsa's general manager defended the project in an article published by El Mercurio de Valparaíso [es]:
[…] quedará “rodeado por una avenida con un muro y/o reja perimetral que, por una parte, permitirán la contemplación del santuario, y por la otra, su protección, imposibilitando su acceso libre desde dicha avenida”. […] ha sido minuciosamente estudiado por los profesionales contratados por la empresa, de tal forma que el santuario se transforme en un valor para la comuna y la Región”.
[…] [the dunes] will be “surrounded by an avenue with a wall and/or fence on its perimeter that will, on one hand, allow the contemplation of the sanctuary, and on the other, its protection, by making it impossible to access from this avenue”. […] this [project] has been thoroughly studied by professionals hired by the company, so that the sanctuary can become an asset for the community and the Region”.
Red Duna Libre [Free Dune Network], a non-profit organization, published the video Let's save the Concon Dunes [es] with the objective of stopping the real-state development and protect this ecosystem. The video explains the environmental importance of the zone and summarizes how the lobby managed to reduce the area protected as a Nature Sanctuary [es] from 55 hectares to 19.5.
Also, Red Duna Libre (@dunalibre) [es] has already collected more than 50,000 signatures against the real-state project through this link. Follow the hashtags #noalcierredunar or #dunaslibres [#freedunes] for more reaction.
Chile: Netizens Report and React to Torres del Paine Wildfire
For days, a wildfire has been consuming thousands of hectares in national park Torres del Paine in Chile's Patagonia. Netizens are sharing reports and reacting to the news through #salvemostorresdelpaine [es] (let's save Torres del Paine) and ‘Torres del Paine' [es] on Twitter.
December 27 2011
‘Developing Latin America': Open Data Projects
[All links lead to Spanish language pages except when otherwise noted]
Previously we reported on [en] the ‘Developing Latin America' competition (Desarrollando América Latina), or #DAL, a public hackathon that aims to create technological solutions to problems in education, security and public budget, in six countries in the region. Now it's time to report its results.
The Intelligent Citizen Foundation [en] (Fundación Ciudadano Inteligente), which organised the event, determined that there were local winners, in addition to the general and regional winners, so the competitiveness in each venue was an added ingredient to the challenge of managing to complete an interesting application based on existing open data, within the time limit.
CitiVox [en] and OpenDataMx talk about the event in Mexico:
Part of the Mexican team. Photo by Desarrollando América Latina.
participaron poco menos de 50 jóvenes, de varios estados de la república, desde Sonora hasta Oaxaca. Se formaron diez equipos que trabajaron en 30 horas en diversos temas, desde seguridad pública hasta la transparencia de la nómina estatal. Finalmente presentaron sus proyectos ante un jurado formado por Mónica Aspe (Coordinación de la Sociedad de la Información y el Conocimiento, SCT), Eric Gundersen (Seed Development) y Andrés Lajous (revista Nexos). Después de escuchar las presentaciones de los equipos y de deliberar se anunció que el segundo lugar sería para el proyecto Nuestra Info por su vanguardia y potencial para presentar datos públicos difíciles de accesar. El primer lugar fue para Xmatch por hacer accesible la información y la visualización comparativa de datos en mapas.
Fayerwayer did the same on the Chilean side:
En Chile, el evento […] se llevó a cabo en la Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, concluyendo con la presentación de nueve proyectos de Santiago y cuatro de Temuco. […] Los tres primeros lugares fueron:
- Proyecto “Escuela Popular”: desarrollado por los ucranianos residentes en Chile Oleh Burkhay y Nadiia Vasylchenko, se trata de un portal que permita tener información actualizada y profunda de los colegios y escuelas del país. […] permite a las personas entregar puntos según diferentes indicadores a cada colegio, y comentar respecto al mismo, entregando mejor información a los padres que estén buscando la mejor alternativa.
- Proyecto “Presupuéstate”: […] busca proyectar cuánto necesitan ahorrar a largo plazo los padres de un estudiante para pagar la universidad del hijo. La aplicación hace el cálculo según el sueldo de la persona, mostrando una proyección de los aranceles según carrera. También hace recomendaciones de qué colegios pueden servirle al alumno para entrar a la carrera que quiere, según los puntajes PSU [Prueba de Selección Universitaria] de corte de cada carrera.
- Proyecto “Punto Seguro”: es una plataforma donde las personas de un barrio pueden marcar en el mapa un lugar de conflicto (donde ocurren robos, violencia, etc) y generar una discusión con los vecinos donde dar ideas sobre cómo combatir esa situación (instalar luminarias, organizar sistemas de alarma entre vecinos, etc).
- “Public School” project (Proyecto “Escuela Popular”): Developed by Ukrainians Oleh Burkhay and Nadiia Vasylchenko living in Chile, it is a portal that allows accurate and detailed information about schools in the country. It allows people to give points to schools regarding different categories and comment about them, thus giving better information to parents who are looking for the best option.
- “Budget yourself” project (Proyecto “Presupuéstate”): It sought to project how much parents would need to save in the long term to be able to pay for their child to go to university. The application made a calculation based on a person's salary, showing a projection of different tariffs relating to different careers. It also made recommendations about which schools could help the students enter the degree path they desire, according to the University Selection Test grades taken from each degree.
- “Safe Point” project (Proyecto “Punto Seguro”): A platform where people from a neighbourhood can mark a conflict area (where robberies, violence e.t.c occur) on a map and create discussions with neighbours, in which they exchange ideas about how to combat the situation (install streetlamps, organise alarm systems amongst neighbours e.t.c).
Part of the Peruvian teams. Photo by Maru Panta/Escuelab.
In Perú, Escuelab reports about the winners from the 12 participating groups (Disclaimer: I [Juan Arellano] was part of the DAL panel in Lima):
El jurado otorgó el primer lugar al grupo #OTA por el proyecto Quiero Ir! que mediante un punto de inicio indicado manualmente o usando el GPS muestra en un mapa las rutas (líneas de transporte público) que llevan al usuario hasta el destino seleccionado. La aplicación ofrece además información referente a la empresa de transporte (número de ruta, distrito inicial, distrito final, etc) así como una foto referencial de la unidad.
En segundo lugar se eligió al equipo SEUSS. Su aplicación presupuestando.pe, brinda información de manera dinámica acerca de los indicadores presupuestales de los gobiernos regionales y locales proporcionando un fácil acceso a la información incentivando la participación ciudadana. (Presupuesto a nivel nacional). El proyecto se puede ver aquí: http://bibliotecuss.iideasperu.org/presupuestando/
En tercer lugar se eligió a ¡Salvemos las Huacas!, una plataforma web de mapeo ciudadano orientada a la defensa, conservación y protección del patrimonio arqueológico ante la amenaza del desborde urbano en nuestra ciudad.
The panel awarded first place to the #OTA group for the Quiero Ir! (I want to go!) project that, by means of a manually- or GPS-inputted starting point, mapped the (public transport) routes that would take the user to their selected destination. The application also offered information about the route (route number, starting point, final destination, e.t.c) as well as a reference photo of the vehicle.
The SEUSS team was given second place. Its presupuestando.pe application offers information in a dynamic way about the budgetry indicators of the regional and local governments, providing easy access to the information and encouraging citizen participation. (Budget at national level). The project can be seen here: http://bibliotecuss.iideasperu.org/presupuestando.
Third place was given to ¡Salvemos las Huacas! (We save the tombs), a web platform for a citizen map orientated towards the defence, conservation and protection of our archaeological heritage against the threat of urban overflow in our city.
In Argentina the winning projects were: 1- Del boletin (The Bulletin), 2- Datos Universitarios (University Data) and 3- Qué Sabemos de? (What do we know about…). In Brazil the Onde Acontece? (Where does it happen) project is reported to have won; and in Uruguay the following projects won: 1- Gobierno transparente (Transparent Government), 2- Reporte de Mapas (Map Report), 3- Moña Azul (Blue Bow). Finally the #DAL organisers announced the regional level winners:
1. Brasil – Onde Acontece. Team: São Paulo Perl Mongers. Team Leader: Thaigo Rondon.
2. Chile – Escuela Popular. Team: Oleyna. Team leader: Oleh Burkay.
3. Uruguay – Moña Azul. Team: Moñita Azul. Team leader: Fernando Briano.
DAL also added that “The developers, designers, engineers, professionals from the most diverse areas, gave a lesson to the world. Boundaries do not exist when it comes to solving real problems for our towns, nationalities don't exist when it comes to trying to solve problems that bring all Latin Americans together.”
Visualization of traffic accidents in Montevideo. Photo by Desarrollando América Latina.
Some of the developers that took part in the competition published their thoughts on their blogs. For example, Uruguayan developer Francisco Castro comments about the project he collaborated on:
Estuve participando en un grupo que busca acceder a la gente de “a pie” la información del parlamento. Datos interesantes, como las asistencias, los proyectos que presenta cada parlamentario; tanto los gastos suntuosos, como los pedidos de informes que estos parlamentarios realizan a las diversas dependencias del estado; … Transparencia. Darle al público también la posibilidad de opinar al respecto de cada asunto, de que la gente pueda indicar qué temas le interesan, y así informarse cada vez que se presenten proyectos, notas, etc… al respecto.
Sylvia, from the blog El mundo frente al mar, is another Uruguayan developer that took part in the competition. Out of all the things that the experience has given her, she mentions:
- Todas las pilas para aprender rápido y bien otros lenguajes como Java y Python. Yo sólo soy estudiante de UTU y mi intención al ir fue la de aprender y no la de ganar. Ahora, que voy a tener un premio entre manos, las ganas de superarme más allá del curso que hago son muy fuertes.
- Darse cuenta que con la informática también se puede ayudar en problemas diarios y en temas sociales. Sólo es cuestión de pensarlo y encontrarle la vuelta.
Also, Fernando Briano, another Uruguayan, in his blog Picando Código talks about his experience in #DAL and he concludes:
Me alegro de haber podido aportar mi granito de arena en algo mucho más grande que cada uno de los participantes, pero realizado con el trabajo colaborativo de todos.[…] Sabemos que estos proyectos, así como los proyectos de otros países, se segurián desarrollando. Próximamente habrán más hackatones de este estilo, donde espero ver más gente participando. Personalmente hoy estuve trabajando un poco en procesamiento de datos xls, ods y Google docs, y sé que Juan Manuel iba a mirar cosas de OCR para PDF y Fran estuvo mirando DJango (por influencia directa del evento). Sé que los demás equipos también piensan seguir el desarrollo, lo que marca el inicio de esta nueva etapa que comentaba. No hay que perder el impulso
Exhibition of one of the Mexican teams. Photo by Desarrollando América Latina.
This competition has, in equal measures, served to encourage the idea of hackathons [en] and public hackers in the region and to organise the community of people from diverse disciplines with experience in the use and exploitation of open data bases.
This might be a good starting point both to generate similar replicas or more ambitious activities from civil society organisations interested in these issues, as well as for the simple spread of the concept of open data, e-government and the social use of IT amongst the developers of the region and others who are interested. Hopefully these types of initiatives will become widespread throughout all Latin American countries.
Latin America: Youth Unemployment
Bloggings by boz looks at youth unemployment in Latin America, concluding that “with growth projections decreased for 2011 and 2012, the current situation for youth unemployment is almost certainly getting worse. That could have major economic, political and social implications moving into 2012.”
December 20 2011
Chile: Twitter User Organizes Christmas Giving Event in Iquique
Cristian Nuñez (@HombredeRadio), using the hashtag #Navidad140Iqq [es], invites Twitter users from Iquique (in northern Chile) to gather at 1:30 am on December 25 to hand out Christmas presents to the homeless and to children living in vulnerable situations. He shares more details in online citizen newspaper El Boyaldía [es].
November 25 2011
Latin American Students March for Education
Inspired by the student movements in Colombia and Chile, students across the continent marched on November 24, 2011 to demand free, high-quality education. El Ciudadano [es] links to the Facebook events organized in each country; Kena Lorenzini posts pictures of the Chilean protests in her blog, and Mike shares pictures of the demonstrations held in Bogotá, Colombia.
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