From Spanish Wire Archives

In some of the thousands of cases of forced disappearance in Argentina, babies were stolen and raised by military couples. Credit: ha+/CC BY 2.0

Argentine Baby Theft Trial Nears End

The trial for the theft of babies of political prisoners during Argentina’s 1976-1983 dictatorship is nearing its end after more than three decades of work by the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who have so far tracked down 105 of an estimated 500 missing children.

Native baby and mother in Mexico. Social movements want indigenous rights and gender equity included in the concept of sustainable development. Credit: Mauricio Ramos/IPS

More Ecology, Less Economy for Rio+20

By Fabíola Ortiz

Hundreds of non-governmental organisations and social movements from around the world hope to counter the failure of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which they consider inevitable, with the success of the alternative People’s Summit.

Salvadoran Civil War Survivors Demand Restorative Justice

By Edgardo Ayala and - -

A choked-up Mercedes Alfaro told the fourth session of the International Restorative Justice Tribunal in El Salvador how she lost seven members of her family in a 1982 massacre.

Many areas in Cuba still rely on tanker trucks for water. Credit: Jorge Luis Baños/IPS

Climate Change Aggravates Water Shortage in Cuba

By Patricia Grogg and - -

In this eastern Cuban city, Danny Dip Leyva has begun to use her shower again after decades of hauling water into her house by hand. But in Aurora, a small neighbourhood on the outskirts of Havana, Manuel Roque still longs for a regular supply of piped water.

Urban Gardening Benefits Pocketbooks and Health in Guatemala

By Danilo Valladares and - -

"It benefits both our finances and our health, because the vegetables help prevent illness while they nourish our children," says Lesbia Huertas, standing in the middle of her yard filled with containers sprouting vegetables in Palencia, 28 km northeast of the Guatemalan capital.

People in remote areas like this in southern Chile are demanding an end to neglect by the central government. Credit: Jeremy Vandel/CC BY 2.0

Protests in Southern Chile Spread to Other Remote Regions

By IPS Correspondents and - -

Protests in the southern Chilean city of Puerto Aysén over the region’s isolation and high local prices of fuel and food have spread to other isolated regions of the country.

Local residents in the Salvadoran capital are fighting the installation of cell phone towers in their neighbourhoods. Credit: Karl Baron/CC BY 2.0

Locals Don’t Want Cell Phone Towers Next to See-saws in El Salvador

By Edgardo Ayala and - -

"You see? That's where they were going to put the antenna," says Alicia Suncín, pointing to a spot in the middle of a park in the Salvadoran capital where a private company was planning to erect a cell phone tower, 10 metres away from swings and see-saws where children play.

Opinions Divided Over Chevron Trial in Brazil

By Fabiana Frayssinet and - -

Opinions are divided in Brazil over the prosecution of U.S. oil giant Chevron for two oil spills. While some argue that the legal action is an over-reaction triggered by nationalism, others say it is necessary to show that Brazil is serious about protecting the environment.

Activists in Mexico Want to Be Heard by the Pope

By Emilio Godoy and - -

Spiralling violence, demands for justice voiced by victims of child sexual abuse at the hands of Roman Catholic priests, and ordination of women priests are issues that, in the view of experts and activists, Pope Benedict XVI will not be able to evade in his visit to Mexico.

Anti-Discrimination Bill Fast-Tracked After Brutal Gay Bashing

By IPS Correspondents and - -

"We shouldn't have to live in fear. We're citizens and voters of Chile, we have jobs, and yet we live in daily fear of being attacked," said 33-year-old Carla Oviedo, a victim of discrimination on the grounds of her sexual orientation.

Eviction Date Set for “Occupy Porto Alegre”

By Clarinha Glock

In this southern Brazilian city that has an international reputation as a pioneer in environmental policies and citizen participation, the city government has set an eviction date for the small protest movement that is occupying the central square.

Inequality, the Achilles’ Heel of Latin America’s Economies

By Raúl Pierri

The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean were able to cushion the jolt of the global economic and financial crisis by means of anti-cyclical policies, but they need to remain vigilant and pay attention to social inequality, their most vulnerable flank.

Guatemalan indigenous leader Rosalina Tuyuc. Credit: Danilo Valladares/IPS

Q&A: “We Are on the Road to Overcoming Impunity” in Guatemala

By Danilo Valladares and - -

"To achieve peace, it is necessary for the truth to come out, and for the victims to receive reparations. And part of this is that cases of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Maya people must come to trial," says Guatemalan indigenous leader Rosalina Tuyuc.

Development Aid in Cuba Threatened by Red Tape

By Patricia Grogg and - -

Excessive delays by the Cuban government in evaluating foreign aid projects for their compatibility with the country’s economic planning policies have created uncertainty for aid organisations, which have sometimes even been forced to return funds to donors due to missed deadlines.

Winter of Crisis Killing the Elderly in Portugal

By Mario Queiroz and - -

This winter the mortality rate in Portugal has grown alarmingly, to a level far higher than the seasonal averages of previous years. And the brunt of the death toll is being borne by low-income elderly people.

Spain’s Jobless Unite for Solutions and Survival

By Inés Benítez and - -

Unemployed people's movements and associations in Spain are proposing alternatives to official job seeking channels, in the midst of an economic crisis that so far has left more than five million people out of work.

Bodies of guerrillas wrapped in canvas by soldiers in 1972 along the Araguaia River in the state of Pará, Brazil. Credit: Image obtained from the digitisation of negatives held by retired sergeant José Antônio de Souza Perez

Brazilian Prosecutors Try to Bypass Amnesty to Try Human Rights Crimes

By Fabiana Frayssinet and - -

A group of young lawyers in Brazil’s public prosecutor’s office are seeking to break through the wall created by the amnesty law that blocks the investigation and prosecution of serious human rights violations committed during the country’s 21-year military dictatorship.

Marathon of Hope in Havana, held to raise awareness about cancer prevention in Cuba. Credit: Jorge Luis Baños/IPS

Helping Child Cancer Patients Reintegrate in Cuban Society

By Ivet González and - -

The days of doctors, needles and uncertainty seem far-off to Elián Acosta, a Cuban boy who was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2006 and is in remission. Now the challenge is for him to be reintegrated into the community without being seen as "different."

The occupied church remains open to those who want to pray before Our Lady of Charity. Credit: Jorge Luis Baños/IPS

Dissidents Occupy Church Ahead of Pope’s Visit to Cuba

By Patricia Grogg and - -

A small group of dissidents who identify themselves as members of the Republican Party of Cuba (PRC) continued to occupy a Havana church Thursday, demanding a response to their grievances, despite the fact that the Catholic Church rejected the use of its churches for political ends.

Mining Industry Puts a Freeze on Mapping of Argentina’s Glaciers

By Marcela Valente and - -

Since late 2011, scientists in Argentina have been carrying out an inventory of the country’s glaciers, with the aim of monitoring and preserving them. But they have failed to reach the most critical areas, where large-scale mining projects are encroaching on the ice fields.

Military pamphlet showing photos of children in the hands of Shining Path. Credit: Joint command of the armed forces

To the Rescue of Children in Hands of Peru’s Shining Path

By Ángel Páez and - -

The armed forces of Peru have launched a campaign to rescue at least 50 children who are in the hands of the last surviving remnant of the Maoist Shining Path guerrillas.