Section » Culture

Substantial Numbers of Hispanic Americans Believe in Magic, Witchcraft, Spiritual Beings

theatlantic.com reported a new study shows that 57 percent of Hispanics believe in otherworldly beings—and the percentage is even higher among evangelical Protestants. Modernity be damned: It’s 2014, and the spirit world is alive and well. Even in secular life, mild superstitions loom; just look at the popularity of Paranormal Activity, haunted-house tours, and teen books and shows and movies that involve cemetery-related dares. These rituals may seem casual and goofy, but they’re rooted in a deep cultural preoccupation with the dead and the possibility that shapeless, spooky spirits lurk among us.

Spirits have more of a formal role in religious life. Possession and exorcism are part of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. The Bible has stories of angels speaking to Abraham, Jacob, and David; in Genesis, creatures called Nephilim walk the earth. Many Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians pray for saints to intervene in their lives; the Vatican routinely reviews miracles claimed to be caused by the holy figures of the Church. Read Article

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Going to Brazil? Be sure you understand Gerson’s Law

From Wikipedia: In Brazilian culture, Gérson’s Law (Portuguese: Lei de Gérson) is an adage in which those who “like to take advantage of everything” have no concern for ethics. This expression came into use because of a TV commercial from around 1970 for the cigarette brand Vila Rica, played by Brazilian footballer Gérson. While he […]

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Mexico’s Infamous Anti-Gay Slur Used for Opposing Soccer Team’s goalkeepers

slate.com reported if you listened closely during Mexico’s match against Croatia on Monday, you might have heard fans of El Tri shouting the Spanish word puto during goal kicks. Despite how it sounds, puto does not mean point or punt. In fact, the word is a clear, if somewhat semantically sophisticated, anti-gay slur, which is […]

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Cachaca – part of Brazilian culture

reuters.com reported… For some people, a couple of caipirinhas, the powerful Brazilian cocktail, are just what is needed to take the edge off the stress of a hard day’s work. But for others, including more than a few visitors to this year’s soccer World Cup, even a single caipirinha (pronounced kai-per-REEN-ya) will leave them with […]

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Ecuador: In Search of the “Good Life” government aims to eliminate unecessary paperwork

Vistazo.com reported…Citizens may denounce the useless procedures through a web page. President Rafael Correa said that it is a framed program in the “fight for the good life, a much more efficient State”. Quito-Ecuador’s President, Rafael Correa, announced that, in its efforts to achieve a more efficient State, begins a program to capture complaints of […]

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Brit Braja, first virtual synagogue conducting services in Spanish, Portuguese

kcjc.com reported…Local fans of Hadassah Magazine will see a familiar face when they thumb through the current issue. Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn and his Brit Braja Worldwide Jewish Outreach are featured in the summer edition of the international magazine. According to its website, Brit Braja is the first virtual synagogue to conduct services in Spanish and […]

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Brazil: Bibliotaxis promoting literacy among passengers

Bibliotaxi project latinalista.com reported…Launched in 2011 in São Paulo, the Bibliotaxi project now offers books to taxi passengers in 25 Brazilian cities. “The idea is to put the books in front of people, promoting access to culture and entertainment. There’s nothing better than taxis, and the taxi drivers themselves, who have the gift of gab, […]

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Latin America fast growing market for spending on media and entertainment

theguardian.com reported…The statistics are staggering: last year, a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded that Latin America was set to become the fastest-growing region in the world in terms of spending for media and entertainment over the next five years. Already it had seen a 10.6% growth in annual spending, including sales of computer electronics, music, film, […]

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Mexicans and Americans Cracking the Cultural Code

LATIN AMERICA BOOK REVIEW RECORDED BOOK INTERVIEWS WITH AUTHORS ABOUT LATIN AMERICA MEXICANS AND AMERICANS CRACKING THE CULTURAL CODE RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR NED CROUCH February 5, 2010 length 38.50 minutes Purchase: Mexicans & Americans: Cracking the Culture Code   SPONSORED BY LATIN AMERICA NEWS AGGREGATOR LANEWSUPDATE.COM LEARN 12000 Spanish Words a year HOME copyright crowder […]

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Ritual and Remembrance in the Ecuadorian Andes

LATIN AMERICA BOOK REVIEW RECORDED BOOK INTERVIEWS WITH AUTHORS ABOUT LATIN AMERICA RITUAL AND REMEMBRANCE IN THE ECUADORIAN ANDES RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DR. RACHEL CORR – ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE WILKES HONORS COLLEGE OF FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY July 07, 2010 length 01:19:34 Purchase:  Ritual and Remembrance in the Ecuadorian Andes (First Peoples: […]

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The Guinea Pig – Healing, Food, And Ritual In The Andes

  THe Guinea Pig Healing, Food, and Ritual in the Andes LATIN AMERICA BOOK REVIEW RECORDED BOOK INTERVIEWS WITH AUTHORS ABOUT LATIN AMERICA THE GUINEA PIG – HEALING, FOOD, AND RITUAL IN THE ANDES RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DR. EDMUNDO MORALES March 26, 2010 length 40.51 minutes Purchase: The Guinea Pig: Healing, Food, and Ritual […]

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Begging As A Path To Progress – Indigenous Women And Children And The Struggle For Ecuador’s Urban Spaces

LATIN AMERICA BOOK REVIEW RECORDED BOOK INTERVIEWS WITH AUTHORS ABOUT LATIN AMERICA BEGGING AS A PATH TO PROGRESS – INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND THE STRUGGLE FOR ECUADOR’S URBAN SPACES RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DR. KATE SWANSON April 09, 2010 length 49.35 minutes Purchase:Begging as a Path to Progress: Indigenous Women and Children and the […]

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La Calle Spatial Conflicts and urban Renewal in a Southwest City

  La Calle Spatial COnflicts and Urban Renewal in a Southwest City     LATIN AMERICA BOOK REVIEW RECORDED BOOK INTERVIEWS WITH AUTHORS ABOUT LATIN AMERICA LA CALLE – SPATIAL CONFLICTS AND URBAN RENEWAL IN A SOUTHWEST CITY RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DR. LYDIA R. OTERO, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MEXICAN AMERICAN AND […]

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The Argentine Folkore Movement

  The Argentine Folkore Movement     LATIN AMERICA BOOK REVIEW RECORDED BOOK INTERVIEWS WITH AUTHORS ABOUT LATIN AMERICA THE ARGENTINE FOLKLORE MOVEMENT – SUGAR ELITES, CRIOLLO WORKERS, AND THE POLITICS OF CULTURAL NATIONALISM, 1900 – 1955 RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DR. OSCAR CHAMOSA, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF […]

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Guayusa Tea popular among Indigenous of Ecuador, now being exported

petergreenberg.com reported…Guayusa is cherished by locals for its health benefits: Ecuadorian native tribes traditionally drink the tea early in the morning as a communal ritual. A cup is believed to have as much caffeine as one cup of coffee, with double the antioxidants of green tea. While it’s not marketed as an appetite suppressant, Ecuadorian […]

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Eduardo Galeano renounces his book “The Open Veins of Latin America”

nytimes.com reported…For more than 40 years, Eduardo Galeano’s “The Open Veins of Latin America” has been the canonical anti-colonialist, anti-capitalist and anti-American text in that region. Hugo Chávez, Venezuela’s populist president, even put a copy of the book, which he had called “a monument in our Latin American history,” in President Obama’s hands the first […]

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Frustrations of Learning Spanish (Video)

LEARN 12,000 SPANISH VOCABULARY WORDS A YEAR FREE VIA EMAIL – SPANISHWORDOFTHEDAY.COM

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Ecuador: Film production is on a growth spurt

variety.com reported the Ecuadorian film biz is on the upswing, punctuated by recent triumphs on the festival circuit and a boost in production. Spurring growth is the tripling of the national film fund from its original amount of $700,000 in 2007 to its current $2.4 million. When the fund grew to $1.1 million last year, […]

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Ten Best Novels from Latin America

The 10 best Latin American books of all time – telegraph.co.uk The best novels by Latin American authors or set in Latin America from One Hundred Years of Solitude to The Alchemist The Time of the Hero Mario Vargas Llosa (1963) The debut novel of the experimental writer sometimes described as “the national conscience of […]

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Group meets to discuss future of Jewish communities in Latin America

jta.org….The youthful group of 60 drew their chairs around tables strewn with jars of markers and the occasional Rubik’s Cube, nearby chalkboards at the ready for jotting down big ideas. The conference hall was suffused with a can-do vibe that wouldn’t have seemed out of place in Silicon Valley. But high-tech was not on the […]

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Bogota Colombia: Holy Week at Paloquemao Market

mikesbogotablog.blogspot.co.uk reported that the venerable Paloquemao market’s fish section is packed these days (while the neighboring meat section stands vacant). This is Holy Week, of course, and even if the number of Colombian Catholics is declining – and many of those Catholics are only nominally so – as these photos show, eating fish during Holy […]

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Fanesca in Ecuador, a long tradition

newyorker.com reported.Author – Calvin Trillin.. I try not to let a decade pass without renewing my assault on Spanish, which I keep hearing described as an easy language to learn. In the nineties, in preparation for a trip to northern Spain, I bought myself a videotape Spanish course in the form of a sixteen-episode soap […]

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Latin America, Middle East, which is the more sexist

NPR.ORG reported…A semi-naked woman in a sequined Carnival costume. A veiled woman with only her eyes showing in a niqab. Two stereotypes of two vastly different regions — Latin America and the Middle East. On the surface, these two images couldn’t be more diametrically opposed. What could the two have in common, right? What a […]

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Women in Bolivia Face Culture of Harassment

bbc.com reported…Two years after the murder of an outspoken female councillor ushered in new legislation outlawing political violence against women in Bolivia, campaigners say a culture of harassment remains, as Paula Dear reports from La Paz. Women’s domestic, childcare and – in rural areas – agricultural responsibilities can make fulfilling their public roles difficult, discouraging […]

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Reading List Suggestions for Peru

Theguardian.com reported…Our literary tour of Peru embraces Manuel Odría’s dictactorship, murder in Ayacucho, and the legacy of Pizarro’s conquistadors. Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo Roncagliolo’s chilling political thriller is set in the provincial town of Ayacucho in 2000, in the month leading up to Holy Week. An eccentric, mother-obsessed prosecutor, newly returned to his hometown […]

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Ecuador Trivia: The Day a UFO landed in Cotocollao Ecuador, six dead

MSN.com reported that when the green men from Mars landed in the central plaza of Cotocollao, Ecuador, a stunned nation listened as one of the country’s most famous radio personalities was vaporized by a death-ray, and firefighters and police rushed to the sleepy village to confront the invaders. “Once more a radio dramatization of H.G. […]

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Brazil: low income citizens receive culture voucher to stimulate arts

The Brazilian government has begun issuing reloadable magnetic cards that will credit those who earn under $300 a month with $20 to spend on culture. The “Vale Cultura” credits can be spent on books, museum entry, theater and movie tickets, and art and dance classes among other uses. The initiative is intended to stimulate an […]

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Gay Couple in Ecuador Appeal for Marriage License, Denied

ONTOPMAG.COM REPORTED…. The appeal of a gay Ecuadorian couple denied a marriage license was heard on Tuesday. In November, Santiago Vinces and Fernando Saltos were joined in Guayaquil by dozens of supporters as they applied for a marriage license at the civil registry office. While the government had 8 days to decide, the couple was […]

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Brazil: Police threaten strike during World Cup 2014

Mercopress reported that only four weeks away from the World Cup and in a climate of growing social unrest Brazil police unions are threatening the government of President Dilma Rousseff with a national strike. For Rousseff it also means an additional challenge since on February 10 the ruling Workers Party will be launching her re-election […]

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Mangroves of Ecuador, Colombia, Peru under threat (video)

El Manglar from Plan de Acción – CPPS on Vimeo. IF YOU DESIRE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURE IN ECUADOR – READ THIS BOOK

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Ecuador: Motorcycles replace donkeys and horses for rural transportation

Elcomercio.com reported that the use of motorcycle drive in rural areas facilitates transport of people and cargo in narrow or muddy roads. Its usefulness increases in winter. The construction and expansion of roads, the need to save time and the lack of public transportation turned the motorcycle on a means of transport increasingly used in […]

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Ecuador reduces significantly the number of children involved in street begging

Andes.info.ec reported- So far in 2013, Ecuador recorded 3,000 cases of street begging, which shows a clear reduction regarding this issue because in 2007 there were nearly 100,000 cases of children on the streets, said Doris Soliz, Minister of Economic and Social Inclusion, during the launch of the campaign ‘Da Dignidad por un Ecuador sin […]

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Quito Ecuador: Another profession vanishing, the watchmaker in the historic district

lahora.com.ec reported With very good pulse, Marco Leon begins to move the pieces that are failing a clock. After inspecting it and testing it, notice that the minute Cannon has released. Again you open the clock and adjusts this piece that holds the minute hand. He is one of the few ‘professional time’ that still […]

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Guayaquil Ecuador: A real historical piece of culture at Radio Cristal 870AM

from reporter montubio: Ecuador has a long history of radio broadcasting. One of my favorite older stations is “Radio Cristal” 870 AM… Known as La voz del Pueblo. The station began operations in 1957 and is still going strong. There are a couple of unique aspects of this broadcaster. Many well known musical artists have […]

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HCJB voice of the Andes to terminate English Language Broadcasts on International Shortwave

Radio Station HCJB, the Voice of the Andes reported… it will air its final English-language broadcasts on international shortwave radio from Ecuador on Saturday, May 6, even as the station’s English Language Service shifts its emphasis toward teaching English as a second language. English was one of the first two languages, along with Spanish, to […]

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Pictures of Ano Viejo Guayaquil Ecuador New Year 2014

The wonderful tradition of Ano Viejo continues throughout much of Ecuador. The carriers of this tradition are serious artists and have demonstrated this skill in the Barrio La Chala in Guayaquil Ecuador. ————————————– IF YOU ARE AN EXPAT IN ECUADOR OR YOU ARE THINKING OF MOVING TO ECUADOR, READ THIS BOOK ————————————— ———————————— —————————————- ——————————————– […]

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Story of the Night Watchman: Ecuador Blog shares experiences from Quito

A Tale of an Ecuadorian Night Watchman ecuadortalesfromthemiddleoftheearth.blogspot.com reported…In Ecuador, there is a tradition of the Night Watchman. It took me about a month to completely acclimate to my surroundings before I became aware of him. He comes “on shift” every night in my neighborhood at about 7:30 p.m. and stays all night . . […]

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Ecuador entering renaissance period in filmaking

variety.com reported…Ecuador is experiencing a mini production boom, churning out four to five pics a year compared with one every two years before 2007, and one every four years before 1999. Local hits such as Sebastian Cordero’s “Pescador” (2011) and the country’s foreign Oscar entry this year, “Mejor no hablar de Ciertas Cosas” by Javier […]

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Festival in Ibarra Ecuador in remembrance of the survivors that returned from a devastating earthquake in 1868

There are thousands of festivals each year in Ecuador, many more than one could attend in a lifetime. However, one stands out with origins from a tragedy that hit northeastern Ecuador hard in 1868. Two massive earthquakes of 6.3 and 6.7 magnitude on August 15th, and 16th. Ibarra was devastated. Every building was destroyed. The […]

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Bomba del Chota, a real cultural musical experience from Ecuador

wikipedia.org…Bomba or Bomba del Chota is an Afro-Ecuadorian music, dance and rum al form from the Chota Valley area of Ecuador in the province of Imbabura and Carchi. Its origins can be traced back to Africa via the middle passage and the use of African slave labor during the country’s colonial period. Africans brought to […]

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Guayaquil Ecuador: At least 1000 inmates suffering drug withdrawal since transfer to new prison

Eluniverso.com reported that Around of 1,000 inmates have been diagnosed with problems of addictions in the new prison in Guayaquil, so it will be attended by doctors from the Ministry of public health, since these competences were transferred by the Ministry of Justice. If you are looking for a deeper cultural look at life in […]

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Ecuador refuses application from gay couple to marry

Rather than accepting the government’s legal reasoning for rejecting their marriage application, one gay couple in Ecuador is challenging both the Constitution and the Civil Code on their road to marriage equality – A rejection from the government will not stop this gay Ecuadorian couple from obtaining a marriage certificate. Santiago Vinces, 23, and Fernando […]

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Ecuador: Government wants to reduce the labor inequality between men and women

Quito, November 28 (Andes).- Women’s unpaid work in Ecuador is one of the main gaps that the country has yet to overcome. The Encuesta Específica de Uso del Tiempo (EUT – Specific Time Use Survey) conducted by INEC in 2012 show that out of all the time women devote to work, only 59.7% is paid, […]

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Ecuador: 82 percent of the processed foods sold in the country, high levels fat, salt, sugar

Andes.info.ec reported – Quito, November 28 (Andes).- 82% of processed foods sold in Ecuador contain high levels of fat, salt and sugar, and on the other hand, barely 2% of products sold in the country have low levels of those ingredients, reported the Ministry of Public Health as it warns that those critical levels of […]

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Prize Winning Author Discusses the Challenges of Investigative Reporting in Ecuador

Janet Hinostroza (Teleamazonas, Ecuador), receives International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. She was recently interviewed by the Columbia Journalism Review. How would you characterize the media in Ecuador right now? Your program is covering some controversial topics, but are there other programs like yours? My program is the only investigative show […]

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301 events planned for Fiestas de Quito

lahora.com.ec reported that it has beenThis was announced by the Member of the Committee on culture, Pablo Ponce, Councillor to give to know the beginning of the “Fiesta Q 2013” program with a total of 24 days of Central acts of the festivities from November 15 to December 8. The program, initially designed by the […]

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Insecurity affecting Latin America development according to U.N. report

plenglish.com reported that an UN Report: Insecurity Affects Latin America and its Development Latin America as a region remains affected by the problem of insecurity, a phenomenon that limits its socioeconomic progress, according to a report circulated today by the United Nations Development Program. The study on 2013-2014 regional human development focuses on threats such […]

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Honduras: Garifuna Communities in Conflict with developers of mega-tourism projects

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Ecuadorian Bboy Chucho interviewed on Spanish television

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Cuarenta: The national card game of Ecuador

Over thirty years ago when I arrived in Guayaquil Ecuador, some of the best fun I ever had was walking the streets of barrios. On Friday afternoons through Sunday it was not uncommon to see men sitting outside their homes with other friends playing a card game I had never heard of Cuarenta (40). There […]

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Ecuador wins six awards at Russian FlowersExpo for excellent quality of flowers

In the “FlowersExpo’ 2013” conducted in Moscow from the 9th to the 11th of September, Ecuador won the affection of Russian buyers for the excellent quality of its flowers. The show was diverse and exceptionally beautiful, which certainly highlighted the participation of Ecuadorian producers in this international fair. Six awards were granted to Ecuador: “BellaRosa” […]

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Ecuador: Anthropologists claim at least five groups living in isolation in Amazon region

elcomercio.com reported that at least five groups living in voluntary isolation in the Amazon have been identified by different anthropologists. So says a report by a group that brings together 14 anthropologists in the country. They point out that Taromenane and tagaeri are not the only family living without much contact. Kati Alvarez, who studies […]

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Museo Remigio Crespo Cuenca Ecuador listed as endangered monument

hoy.com.ec reported that the World Monuments Watch list 2014-2016, paper prepared by the international organization World Monuments Fund, brought innovations: the Museo Remigio Crespo Toral from Cuenca is listed as one of the world’s endangered monuments. “Contrary to what it seems, this is a positive statement,” said Ramiro Endara, Foundation director and spokesman Ecuador keep […]

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Quito Ecuador: 300 monuments currently undergoing restoration

Elcomercio.com reported that the Heritage Metropolitan Institute (IMP) and the Unit of Public Space Public Company Metropolitan Mobility and Public Works (Epmmop) will work together in the recovery and cleanup of 300 monuments, during the next four months. Paulina Moreno, Special Projects Coordinator Metropolitan Institute of Heritage, said French and Ecuadorian technicians working on the […]

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Ecuador Trivia: The Lone Ranger and Tonto

Ecuador Trivia: The Lone Ranger and Tonto – Hey it is not Tonto you fool. The Lone Ranger and his sidekick “Tonto” was a very popular television show in the 1950’s and 60’s in Ecuador. However, the truth is that the Lone Ranger’s sidekicks name in the television show was dubbed in as “Toro” (bull). […]

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Ecuador: New law requires local talent to be played on radio airwaves

Miamiherald.com reported that Ecuador’s airwaves are about to undergo a domestic invasion. Thanks to a recently passed communications law, half of all music played on the radio will have to be homegrown. The move has station managers scrambling for local talent, musicians tuning up their guitars and long-languishing record companies dusting off their equipment. The […]

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Ecuador’s National Symphony in Flashmob at Quito’s International Airport

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Muslim population growing in Tijuana Mexico

fronterasdesk.org reported that Mexico is a predominantly Catholic country, but the border city of Tijuana has always hosted a more diverse population of worshipers. In the last few years, one of the largest religions in the world has begun making inroads and building a presence there. Every day, at a small, nondescript building in Playas, […]

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Ninis: a social problem for Costa Rica

His routine is part of the lifestyle of ninis: youth who neither study nor work. Some love the option of living and other frustrated watching them playing closed every door in search of opportunity. In Costa Rica, this population is made up a total of 201,870 people from 12 to 24, who represent 19% of […]

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Brazilian Government Spends R$488 Million on Obesity Programs per Year

On March 19, 2013, O Estado de São Paulo reported that a study done at the University of Brasília showed that the Brazilian government spends around R$488 million on average on health programs targeted towards obesity.  Data was analyzed surrounding medium and high risk treatment cases involving 26 diseases associated with obesity, such as heart […]

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Carnaval Generates 700 Tons of Trash

On February 13, 2013, O Estado de São Paulo reported that in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the annual Carnaval celebrations generated the most trash ever recorded in the history of the season. Comlurb, the city’s trash collection agency, reported that it picked up 700 tons of trash, compared to 643 last year. The […]

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Anti-Drunk Driving Law in Brazil Leads to 13% Less Deaths

On February 14, 2013, O Estado de São Paulo reported that recent statistics published by the state of São Paulo’s Polícia Militar show a 13% drop in deaths caused by drunk driving during the Carnaval season. The amount of those injured also fell by 57%. The report gives credit to enhanced monitoring: the amount of […]

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Kiss Nightclub Fire a Product of Our Own Choices, Brazilian Sociologist Opines

On January 28, 2013, the Brazilian sociologist Sergio Abranches produced an opinion piece that addressed the tragedy in the nightclub in Santa Maria that killed 237 people.  In the article he wrote that we already knew such events were going to happen, and that we can only blame ourselves for the tragedy’s magnitude.  We already […]

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Brazil: culture of fatalism involving tragedies that could have been prevented

New York Times….. Sérgio Abranches, a sociologist in Rio de Janeiro, said in a scathing essay about the nightclub fire and the sense of fatalism with which Brazilians often react to such preventable disasters. Of course, Brazil is far from the only country forced to confront such issues. Just in the last decade, lethal nightclub […]

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Ecuador prohibits homophobic comments during Presidential campaign

On January 31, 2013, the National Electoral Council issued a new campaign resolution. Presidential candidates are prohibited from making homophobic comments prior to the election in February 2013. If such comments are made by candidates, penalties may be enacted. The declaration indicated that candidates must abstain from making homophobic comments during the campaign which could […]

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Cuenca: program in schools to help eliminate xenophobia

To prevent children from physical attacks by fellow prejudices about their nationality, the Foreign Ministry has decided to launch a campaign that started yesterday, called all are equal, which seeks to eliminate xenophobia in Cuenca. Read Article

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Carnaval in Pernambuco, Brazil, Has 17% More Police in 2013, Authorities Say

On January 30, 2013, NE10 reported that police presence will be increased this year for the state of Pernambuco’s annual Carnaval celebration.  From February 3-13, authorities announced that over 42,000 police units will be deployed in the Recife Metropolitan Area, including over 32,000 policemen and 4,500 firefighters (firefighters are counted within the police ranks).  This […]

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CODE RED NORTHERN MEXICO: Durango and Coahuila Most Violent States

Elpais.com reports: “There is no curfew, but after nine at night, Torreón is a ghost town,” says Professor Robert Lopez Franco, former director of the School of Social and Political Sciences , alarmed by the breakdown of the social fabric. “Our youth is being annihilated by poverty, drugs and weapons,” he adds. The feeling of […]

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Ecuador: Kichwa speakers may disappear in one generation

691,000 Ecuadorians, according to the 2010 census, have a native language as their mother tongue, of which 591,448 are kichwahablantes. The speakers have less, 323, is the Andoa (spoken in the subwatershed Bobonaza and Pastaza river middle basin, border with Peru), followed Zápara: 367. The latter is in a critical situation, but not very different […]

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Colombia: 4,697 girls under 14 became mothers in first nine monts of 2012

A total of 4697 Colombian girls under 14 were mothers in the first nine months of 2012, according to official statistics, which according to the director of the Instituto Colombiano of Family Welfare (ICBF), Diego Molano, is a “serious problem” in the country. Molano reported today that teen pregnancies and tweens are “a problem that […]

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Report on Prisons in Latin America

Economist.com report on prisons in Latin America… Far from being secure places of rehabilitation, too many of the region’s jails are violent incubators of crime. But there are some signs of change..ON AUGUST 28th six members of the local Human Rights Council, an official watchdog, turned up at Romeu Gonçalves de Abrantes prison in João […]

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Ecuador: proposal to end “de” “of” for married women on wedding licenses

Unmarried women report say “of” “de” man makes a woman creates own Married dislike not say much and machismo “is nothing” Another proposal for the reform of the Civil Registration Act is repealed Article 82, which refers to the use, for married women, the husband’s surname preceded by the preposition “of”, and that “violates the […]

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Foreigners Residing in Argentina Permitted to Change Sexual Identities on Official Documents

Reurters reported that Foreign residents in Argentina can change sexual identity in the DNI Foreigners residing in Argentina sexual identity can change their identity in the South American country, as the Argentines could do, according to a resolution published today in the Official Gazette. The Gender Identity Act, adopted last May by the Argentine Congress, […]

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Brazil: coffee branding – relationship between product’s attributes and consumers’

ABSTRACT This paper aims to evidence the cognitive structure of values of customers of regional brand from the South of Minas Gerais and Triângulo Mineiro regions. It aimed to identify perceptions about attributes, consequences, values and connections among these elements through a hierarchical map of values (HVM). The laddering technique helped in the collection, analysis […]

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U.S. – Broadcasting Board of Governors analysis of broadcasting in Latin America

Broadcasting Board of Governors Latin America Regional Dynamics The nations of Latin America represent a critical target market for the BBG: In addition to being the nearest neighbors of the United States, they also share with our country a common history of European colonization and of independence movements rooted in the ideals of the Enlightenment. […]

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Chile: fertile land for poets

When does not Chilean poetry, but the great Chilean poetry, which is not the same? Fortunately there is a consensus precise: in 1918. That is the year that the two books are published by Vicente Huidobro to inaugurate the new aesthetic in our language: Poems Equatorial Arctic.’re Not forgetting to Gabriela Mistral. This is only […]

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JUST A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR A COLA- A TALE FROM ECUADOR— SOME TRUTH AND A LITTLE FICTION

JUST A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR A COLA- A TALE FROM ECUADOR— SOME TRUTH AND A LITTLE FICTION – My family had suffered through the wet heat in Guayaquil, Ecuador for six months while I attempted to jump-start a sales agency there. I had imagined difficult times but had not anticipated some of the worst rains […]

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Brazil: Police peacekeeping unit makes proms come to life for young girls in a Rio favela

Debutante balls have been a custom among upper-middle-class and wealthy Brazilian families. They mark a girl’s transition from childhood to adulthood. Home to around 53,000 people, Mangueira is the most symbolic shantytown so far to be occupied by the so-called ‘pacification forces’. Famed for producing legendary samba artists such as Cartola, Nelson Cavaquinho and Carlos […]

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Cuba elects its first transsexual municipal delegate

They call Adela, but its official name is José Agustín Hernández. Declared transsexual and lives as a woman in a village in central Cuba where he was elected delegate municipal (council), his “greatest victory” against all “repudiation” who claims to have suffered in its 48 years. In the second round of local elections held this […]

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700,000 Argentines stop smoking in the last three years

The growing encirclement of smokers seems to work. According to a survey conducted early in the country, 700,000 Argentines left the cigarette in the past three years. The data, which is known on the eve of the International Day of Clean Air, adds to a significant drop in the percentage of young people who start […]

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Change and Progress In Bolivia

Chaotic and scattered on a plateau of the Andes, the Bolivian city of El Alto is known for altitude sickness, poverty and the overthrow of governments, an overwhelming reputation that frightens many businesses. But years of relative stability and economic growth are changing both attitudes and access to wealth in one of the poorest countries […]

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Jamaica: Preaching Banned on Public Buses

Jamaica’s public transport authorities have banned lay preachers from addressing commuters in public buses. Jamaica is a predominantly Christian country, but many passengers have complained about the noise and disturbance. Read Article

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Peru: thirteen year old girl hospitalized with convulsions after playing ouija in a cemetery

The initial retail RCN was moved by his peers to the Hunter Health Centre , but left without giving further details. Arequipa. A student of 13 years was emergency evacuated their classmates to the health center in the district of Jacobo Hunter , after participating in the game of Ouija in a graveyard. According to […]

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Latin America: World Bank reports 50 percent increase in middle class over last ten years

Latin America and the Caribbean recorded a 50% increase in the number of people who joined the middle class in the last ten years. According to the World Bank report released Tuesday the Colombian middle class grew from 7.1 million in 2003 to 13.6 million in 2009. An increase also corresponds to the rise in […]

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Why the Ebook has not made significant infiltration throughout Latin America

Dinero.com In Latin America has not taken off electronic reading The economic weakness of millions of families in Latin America is the main reason that hinders the takeoff of the ebook in this region, said the director of the International Book Fair of Guadalajara Why not take off in Latin America the ebook? tecnologia1.jpg. En […]

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Female Wrestling (Lucha Libre) in Bolivia – video

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Venezuela produces socialist soap opera

It took a while, but the dream of President Hugo Chavez came true: Venezuela Teresa premiered in three seasons, the socialist telenovela broadcast by the channel TVES, which was RCTV’s frequency, channel that brought worldwide fame to gender and the government did not renew in 2007 according to ecuavisa.com With giant screens, ball gowns and […]

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Housing Conditions in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1995-2006

Abstract This paper discusses the evolution of housing conditions in urban areas of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) from 1995 to 2006 based on data from household surveys done in 18 countries that comprise 95 percent of the urban population of the region. The results indicate that, on average, the proportion of urban households […]

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Moving to Ecuador? you should read this book

Being the author of Culture Shock! Ecuador, I have had a lot of contact during research of literature about this amazing country. The book I am about to tell you about was not released in English until after my latest edition. I can without hesitation recommend “Portrait of a Nation – Culture and Progress in […]

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Ecuador initiates its own sign language dictionary

Eelmercurio.com.ec reported that the country has its first official dictionary of sign languages ​​Ecuadorian. Lenin Moreno presided over the launch of the editorial project, which was held today in the auditorium of the Ministry of Education. The aim is to meet the Deaf community and equate their condition so that they have equal opportunities. It […]

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Ecuador predicts population will be 23 million in the year 2050

Elmercurio.com.ec reported that in the year 2050 Ecuador will have 23.4 million inhabitants, according to population projections presented yesterday by the Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). In 2012 the country has 15.5 million inhabitants. Projections for 2020 will have 17.5 million inhabitants in 2030, 19.8 million, in 2040, 21.8 million, and by 2050, 23.4 […]

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Mexico: Study indicates female tobacco smokers have 47 percent less sex

A study conducted at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases revealed that addiction to snuff causes decreased libido. A study conducted at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) found that young women who do not smoke are almost twice more sex than those who consume snuff, which implies that addiction decreases sexual encounters, and […]

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Argentina dethrones Colombia with the most holidays in the world

Argentina set a new world record, this time by the number of national holidays that records: a total of 19. With that figure became the country with most holidays and the podium and moved to Colombia, which accounts for 18 days. The situation changed temporarily after Congress declared a one-time holiday to Monday September 24 […]

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Microsoft, Google provide online digital structure in Mayan language

The International Corporate Microsoft technical elements and provide online digital structure to incorporate the Mayan language Internet search engines, especially Google, giving invaluable projection Mundo Maya projects, announced the governor Roberto Borge Angulo. This is a result of the global conference sponsored by Microsoft International last May in the Riviera Maya, involving researchers and scientists […]

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Bolivia: More than 1000 movie fans compete in watching 60 films in five days without sleeping

More than a thousand fans Bolivian cinema today began the second version of a competition to see 60 films for five days without sleep, organized by the Center theater chain, chaired by Spanish businessman Jordi Chaparro. The duty manager of the company in La Paz Eguivar Osman told Efe that moviegoers compete simultaneously in this […]

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Cuenca Ecuador: six percent of students victims of bullying, 39 percent at risk

When a child who used to play and be active, suddenly changed his nature, is isolated, is most of the time silent, nervous or becomes aggressive might be suffering from “bullying” or bullying, as Blanche Shephard, a clinical psychologist, who last year conducted a survey in 74 city schools. The investigation was conducted by the […]

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9 percent of Peru’s population over age 60

About the National Day of Older Persons , to be held tomorrow, the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics ( INEI ) reported that there are currently 000 2’700 people over 60 years, which represents 9% of the total population. In terms of gender, by 2012, the population of women over 60 years amounts to […]

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Birth order effects on human capital development of children in Ecuador

Monique de Haan Erik Plug José Rosero In this paper we investigate birth order effects on human capital development of children in Ecuador. Specifically, we estimate the relationship between birth order, preschool cognition and secondary school enrollment using family fixed effects estimation to rule out that observed differences in birth order are driven by family […]

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Arequipa Peru: First prison case of individual trafficking in archaeological cultural heritage items

The first case of imprisonment for illicit traffic of cultural heritage took place in Arequipa ordered preventive prison for nine months against Jhony Narrea Ramos was arrested several times for committing the offense, reported the Regional Directorate of Culture. The Regional Director of Culture, Julia Bustinza Barreda said that the Public Ministry denounced Narrea for […]

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Bolivia: only 20% of professionals read one book a year

National Director of Cultural South American Editor (ESEC), Azucena Street, reported that in Bolivia generally only 20 percent of practitioners read a book a year, others nothing. “A professional is reading a book a year that does not have anything to do with his career, and that 20 percent of practitioners read a book a […]

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