Group items tagged

This article discusses how many indigenous peoples throughout Latin America are experiencing a loss of cultural tradition, along with conflict and violence because of religion. Of the 40 million indigenous people who live in Latin America today, the most prevalent religion is still Roman Catholicism; however, over the years, other religions have surfaced such as Protestantism and Evangelicalism. The emergence of different religions have changed the collective behavior of indigenous people, along with breaking away their traditional nature.

Throughout Latin America, indigenous communities are losing their sense of tradition, stemmed from large established religious denominations and lesser known groups. While some churches focus on social concerns, others focus on spiritual concerns, creating a division between communities and families. The "sects" have taken on the role of dividing the people and lowering them to interests of the dominant powers. Anthropologists and religious leaders blame the sects for employing indigenous peoples with money and advertising beliefs that go against their way of life.

This article discussed the high rates of conversion to Evangelicalism in Latin America. The article also discusses how Evangelicalism/Pentecostalism has redefined Latin American communities. The communal worships and services have brought people of different classes, races, and ethnicities together. We can see here how Evangelicalism has not only changed people's behaviors and practices within the Latin American culture, but also how they interact with one another.

This article discusses the dramatic change that has taken place in Latin America regarding the conversion from Catholicism to Evangelical Christianity. There has been a great rise of Pentecostal Christianity in Guatemala and Brazil, but Venezuela is quick to catch up. Some people believe that Evangelical Christianity is going to save Venezuela from the economic dismay the country is in, as well as the high crime rates. People believe that Evangelical Christianity brings people in touch with their natural emotions "through Jesus" and therefore enables people to help others in need, especially the poor. Some also believe that the rise is Pentecostal Christians is due to their new leftist president, Chavez.

This article talks about the religious changes in Latin America and especially the situation in Venezuela. With the rise of the evangelical Christian population, the article examines the affect that the political influence and in particular Hugo Chavez has had on this religious shift. As well, the article talks about the main demographic behind the religion and who choses to believe and why.

Here it is argued that evangelical Christianity is the "religion of the poor". Saying this, it explains why many people join the relgion: as a way to overcome hardships in life. This religion brings not only spiritual but also social renewal. We also are now aware that the majority of people converting are coming from the Catholic church.

Los Angeles police arrested over forty-five people in a gang "suspected of killing a sheriff's deputy and murdering rivals". Among them were a corrections officer who was accused of involvement and assisting imprisoned members as well as those directly affiliated with the gang. The search to incarcerate the L.A. gang began when they opened fire on police and one man by the name of Daniel Leon was shot to death. In return, the gang members shot Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Jun Escalante in front of his parent's home. The inditement is a huge step in the right direction considering the level of fright the gang and its values and violent actions have instilled in the community.

The article discusses how there are plans to re-open a military base in the town of Ixcán in order to build a highway that will stretch 330 km across north-central Guatemala to Honduras and the Caribbean Sea to the east. The purpose of the highway is to protect foreign investment. However, there is widespread resistance amongst the iindigenous peoples of Ixcán due to the 102 massacres committed between 1979 and 1988 in the area.

What u got from this atricle is that many people thing that because Latin America is mostley made up of 3rd world countries that the health care "south of the boarder" will be third rate as well. The argument made here is that it is quite the opposite of what the general public might think. This author made his argument by explaning it in four sub catigories: convenience, cost, competence and compassion, and lastly communication. Some of what was stated in the article were there are no appointments needed in mexico which is what we up here are not used to but that doesnt make it a bad thing. He lists some cost of things in mexico which would be very expensive anywhere else. The author is not telling everyone that health care there is better but its an alternative to what we do in America and it seems to work for them.

This is an interesting article about how evangelical churches in Brazil are finding ways to connect with younger people. From fight nights to reggae music to video games and on-site tattoo parlors, the churches have helped make evangelicalism the fastest-growing spiritual movement in Brazil and they function as a social community.

La Familia in 2006 emerged as the largest force in organized crime in Mexico, and had a brutal attack in a nightclub in Uruapan to showcase their power. There latest target is the federal police, and in their pursuit they have succeeded in the largest single assault on the federal government since Felipe Calderon assumed office in 2006 and declared war on drug gangs. The agenda of La Familia differs from rival gangs who focus on smuggling and selling drugs. La Familia wishes to develop itself into a malignant institution that extorts taxes from businesses, controls petty crime, and funds community projects. Michoacán, the hometown of Mr. Calderon has become the center of the drug trade as trafficking for the American and local markets grew. La Familia gives loans to farmers, businesses, schools and churches, and they advertise their benevolence in local newspapers. La Familia is recognized as Mexico's largest producer of methamphetamines, as well as controlling the import, transport and sale of cocaine in the state. Surprisingly drugs only account for half of their revenue. Although the government applauses itself for its increase in arrests, most of the people they detain are never charged, and the recession and rising unemployment will provide the mobs with a larger possibility of recruits. Retaking Michoacán back from La Familia is a battle that has just begun.

Venezuela, under the rule of Hugo Chavez, expelled the U.S. Evangelical group "New Tribes Mission" in 2005. The group was active in indigenous communities in Latin America for over fifty years. The Venezuelan government believed that they were westernizing indigenous people by force, and blaming them of things, but disguising it as preaching the gospel.

In 2005, President Hugo Chavez accused New Tribes Mission, an Evangelical group from the US, of being "agents of imperialist penetration" and expelled them from Venezuela. The group had lived and worked in indigenous communities in Venezuela for many years, translating the Bible into indigenous languages to convert people. Their expulsion came soon after American televangelist Pat Robertson declared that the US government should have President Chavez assassinated.

This is an article discussing the resent return of remains of a young woman who disappeared during Argentina's "Dirty War." Years after the end of the war this is an example of the ways in which the victims and the communities are dealing with the violence and terror that had become characteristic to their lifestyles. Thanks to a non-profit organization working to find and return loved ones to families affected by the violence people of this region and others around the war are beginning to be able to mourn the loss of their family members and acknowledge the violence that they were subjected to under their corrupt government.

This article talks about how homosexuality is coming out more and more in Latin America, and people are becoming less afraid of the idea through the support of the government movements. It talks about how the term "macho," though still existing, is starting to give way to a more "gay-friendly" region. This article also gives a bit of history on the gay, lesbian, and bi communities and their efforts in Latin America, and how it is rapidly moving to a more accepting environment despite the religious upheaval with it.

An article published in February 2009 discusses the change in attitude of towards homosexual people in Latin America. Ten years ago the area still promoted "macho" attitude and took on a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude, however, today groups are fighting for gay rights and making improvements. In 2003 Mexico even passed an anti-discrimination law that included sexual orientation. This new toleration is mainly due to the region no longer being authoritarian as well as gay and lesbian activists groups making a different in government and their local areas.

This site addresses how drug and alcohol abuse in Latin America is widespread among the urban poor, and how the two contribute to daily violence. In poor neighborhoods in the Colombian cities of Medellín and Bogotá, approximately half of the population uses drugs--mainly marijuana, followed by cocaine and amphetamines. It is believed that heavy drinking in Guatemala is associated with Mayans, indigenous people trapped in poverty by discrimination and armed conflict.

In an effort to tie the three bookmarked articles together, this piece also discusses relevant material to Nelson's "Reckoning" alongside the movie, "When the Mountains Tremble". This article too discuses the idea and reality of Femicide or the genocide against women in Guatemala that still occurs to date. While the other readings set up an outline of what acts occur against women and the lack of influence police powers have, this article flashes numbers at the reader as a shock value to paint a picture of the immense number of women who have experienced brutality. While the other articles have mentioned the extent to which corruption influences the lack of punishment, this author seeks punishment in a different way. While doing research in Guatemala, he took victims who have been harmed themselves or have lost close ones to the war to the mountains to confront the militia men as a form of satisfaction or justice since the impunity rate is 97% in Guatemala. He explained that the gratitude of victims explaining their feelings to murderers would be far more reaching than formal punishment from the criminal justice system ever could be.

Univision is one of the leading news stations for all Latin America. It connects people all over the world to all the issues that are occuring in Latin AMerica especially for those who have migrated to the United States. It covers news from all spanish speaking countrys as well as the news that is occuring in the U.S.

Portal de Internet en espa�ol, con noticias, deportes, cine, novelas, hor�scopos, fotos y videos musicales, chismes de famosos, estaciones de radio y ringtones. Crea tu p�gina y comp�rtela con amigos y con tus artistas favoritos, opina en los foros y ent�rate de lo que pasa en tu comunidad latina