Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Alternative sources of news about Oaxaca

upsidedownworld.org


There are many online alternative sources of news about Latin America, several in English. One that I've been reading is Upside Down World.

I've found many articles that follow-up events in Mexico that have fallen off the radar after their initial coverage in the States. One was an incident I blogged about last Fall, as well as extensive coverage of the struggle of the Triqui in San Juan Copala and subsequent assassinations, the fight to keep corn free of genetic modifications, crimes against the environment perpetrated by foreign mining companies, narcotraficantes and women's issues. A look through the articles that deal with Mexico reveals a lot of turmoil that wasn't immediately evident to me last summer.

I can't vouch for the site and suggest reading it with an open mind. The fact that it's almost completely in English doesn't totally strip it of street cred, but it is a consideration. The writers are mostly Americans with long-term interests in Latin American studies, and the founder is a professor of Latin American politics in Vermont and a writer for publications like The Nation, Utne Reader, and other left-of-center periodicals. The site makes no bones about coming from a leftist perspective, but the writing is free of the overheated sloganeering often found in political discourse, and the arguments are well-laid-out and supported with evidence. Until my Spanish improves, this may be the best I can do.

But judge for yourself. I'd be interested in your insights -- email me if you don't want to publicly post a comment. Any suggestions for further reading would also be appreciated!

No comments:

Post a Comment