Advertisement

Archive for April, 2009

The Eduardo Galeano book that Hugo Chavez gave President Obama yesterday, “The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent”, has gone from an Amazon rank of 54,295 to number 2 today. Hey, not bad in just over 24 hours, and if this gets Americans to understand the history of the U.S. and Europe in Latin America, all the better.

Check out the interview with Chavez above where he talks about giving the book to Obama and how apparently awesome his meeting with the U.S. president was.

Via / AP

Post to Twitter

While Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez might have called President Obama a “poor ignoramous” last month, he appears to be changing his tune — at least a little. At the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago last night, the South American leader had something very different to say about his U.S. counterpart:

“I think it was a good moment,” Chavez said about their initial encounter. “I think President Obama is an intelligent man, compared to the previous U.S. president.”

OK, so he’s not calling him Einstein, but he isn’t calling him ignorant either.

In the meeting, Chavez gave Obama the Eduardo Galeano book, “The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent” (video after the jump…check out Chilean President Michelle Bachelet’s reaction when that happens). And if you’re wondering if Obama took the hint, not right away. AP reports that he thought Chavez was giving him his own book and wanted to give Huguito one of his, too. Oh, well. Understanding comes poco a poco.

Read more…

Post to Twitter

VivirLatino’s Maegan la Mala at Queens Museum Mañana

9:21 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Events|literature|New York City · Comments Off

18 Apr 2009

3249_69910733281_628283281_1701553_7883186_nYours truly will be at the Queens Museum of Art tomorrow from 1 to 6 pm, as part of the Poetas en NY contingent celebrating Latino authors and NYC Immigrants Week.

One of the things I love about the Queens Museum ( I was just there yesterday), is that they always host events and exhibits that are really representative of the diversity of Queens and feature poc/woc artists. Oh and it’s in my hood meaning I can walk there from casa mala!

Now I’m off to find something sort of family friendly to read cuz I’m not usually family friendly.

Post to Twitter

Unfortunately toddlers don’t understand the idea of a weekend so I’m up watching the sunrise con un cafecito and reading.

If you’re in the NYC area, check out the 10th Havana Film Festival

Tax day came and went with a little racism for good measure

Sean Bell will get a street named after him, and the assholes are just further Brutalizing the dead man (as in don’t read the comments).

How did Goldman Sachs manage to do so well? Conspiracy? Yeah, well probably. (P.S. I used to work for GS, still feel dirty)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M – Th 11p / 10c
Clusterfu#@k to the Poor House – Goldman Sachs’ Connections
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Economic Crisis Political Humor

And don’t forget you can still enter to win a Pantech Matrix Phone here.

It’s a lovely day. Go outside and enjoy it!

Post to Twitter

Oh, god, the storms are coming!

1:26 pm By la Macha · GLBT · 4 Comments

17 Apr 2009

Stephen Colbert comments on the gay marriage act being introduced by NY’s governor:

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Colbert Coalition’s Anti-Gay Marriage Ad
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

The white guy fawning over the black guy at the end is especially awesome.

Post to Twitter

April is National Poetry Month : Gabriela N. Lemmons

10:46 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Books|literature|Women · Comments Off

17 Apr 2009

primera-pagina-front-coverToday’s poema by Gabriela N. Lemmons comes from the libro Primera Pagina : Poetry from the Latino Heartland published by the Latino Writers Collective.

Sin Calzon

I want to roam
the streets at night
pantiless
loose
when only the sidewalk
watches
stay up all night
read your diary
broadcast your secrets
on the 10 o’ clock news

memoir
of a serial bore
you kill me with your consonants
the way those r’s
roll off your tongue
like leather
in those shoes at the foot of your bed…

There’s more to the poem pero you really should buy the book.

Post to Twitter

att-pantech-matrix-pro-dual-slider-thumbWe warned you. Today through April 21, you can enter to win one AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro Smartphone. For me this phone was the perfect intro to smartphones and it had me tweeting, texting, sending fotos, and emailing up and down the 7 line and in the Mala/Mami’hood.

Want one?

Email us at info@vivirlatino.com, telling us how smartphone technology can help Latinos access and share information to further their political power (and you know I’m not just talking about electoral power). The most interesting (in my humble opinion) answer wins! Not only do you win the phone pero also a $100 credit for AT&T’s web site.

As much as I’m about promoting the Americas, the contest is only open to residents of the U.S.A. Sorry.

Post to Twitter

h22161americasschenkA poet friend of mine invited me to join a Facebook Group called , “AMERICA” is not U.S.A. AMERICA is the name for a whole continent”. This US-centrism has been a peeve of mine for at least ten years now, specifically from when I lived in Chile and found myself in the very difficult position of defending my Latina/Puerto Rican identity (Yes, Kai I’m talking about being Rican again, sigh).

Now the idea of who is “America” comes up again against the context of The Summit of the Americas, which started yesterday in Trinidad. Love him or hate him, President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua raised a good point at the start of the Summit, saying:

“It is not of the Americas , because Cuba is missing, Puerto Rico is missing,”

So how can you have a Summit of the Americas without two nations facing important challenges rooted in colonialism?
Read more…

Post to Twitter

Obama is in Mexico

5:40 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · crime|Drugs|Immigration|Latin America|mexico|Obama|Politics · 1 Comment

16 Apr 2009

President Barack Obama has begun his much-anticipated trip to Mexico today, and both here and there people are expecting a lot out of this visit. Up for discussion with Obama’s counterpart, President Felipe Calderón, are the issues of trade, immigration and — perhaps the biggest standout — the U.S.’s role in fighting the drug war which has plagued Mexico of late.

I’m not expecting much to come of the immigration conversation, but Obama did make a promising statement on the issue of U.S. involvement in ending drug-related violence:

“It is absolutely critical that the United States joins as a full partner” with Mexico in the battle against drug cartels, Obama said at a welcoming ceremony with Calderon. The two nations must “stand side by side in order to promote common security and common prosperity,” he said.

As we here at home hope for some progress in Mexico-U.S. relations, Mexicans in Mexico have their own set of wishes and requests for President Obama. Back in January, Al Jazeera interviewed people on the street in Mexico City to ask them what they would ask of the new U.S. President. Their answers are compelling. Check it out, and let’s see if they — and we — get our wishes.

Via / Bloomberg

Post to Twitter

01_evoEvo Morales announced today that Bolivian security forces have apprehended 3 alleged international mercenaries who were out to kill him, as the country goes through a very difficult political moment.

Morales stated that the assassins were from Ireland, Hungary and Bolivia, and were planning to kill him and the vicepresident with “bombs and sophisticated weapons”.

Upon arrival in Venezuela for the Alternativa Bolivariana para América Latina y el Caribe (ALBA) Summit, Morales told reporters:

“I’ve been informed that there was a shootout that lasted half an hour in a hotel in the city of Santa Cruz where 3 foreigners have fallen, with two arrests [...]

Last year in Bolivia the right tried to use the vote of the people to get me out with a revocation referendum. They failed. Afterwards they tried a coup d’etat. They failed. Now they were planning to shoot us to pieces. They are failing.”

This news comes one day after a dynamite bomb exploded outside the home of the Roman Catholic cardinal of Santa Cruz, Julio Terrazas.

Via / CNN Expansión

Post to Twitter


Hola!

VivirLatino is a daily publication published by Mamita Mala Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse Latin@ diaspora.

About | Advertise with us | Contact | Twitter

VivirLatino on Facebook


blog advertising is good for you

blog advertising is good for you

Get our RSS Feed!