Hi Everyone!
Something funny happens with time when you travel. When your whole world changes with every bus ride, somehow time slows down. What looks like a week on the calendar feels like three months in experience. That’s been especially true for me this past week. I’m back in the capital again, this time plugged in with IndyMedia Uruguay, helping with English translations for the website and a classificadores video. It’s great to be plugged into a community again, and helping out. Everyone I’ve met here has been great, as is the family I’m staying with.
We went on an Indy Media “secret mission” the other day. The classificadores are workers who sort the garbage of Uruguay. Three years ago, they unionized and formed self-organized workers’ collectives who work at the designated garbage dumps, sorting the trash into various forms of recycling and reusables and selling it to warehouses. Until recently, they were hardly recognized as workers, but now, with the collectives, they are creating egalitarian, respectful, self-governing working environments. Unfortunately, their efforts are being undermined by illegal dumping stations that hire non-union workers for $3 a day. Our “secret” Indy Media team went out to document and photograph the illegal activities.
One of the things that has struck me about Uruguay is the difference between the evening news in the States and the television news here, which I’ve been watching daily for Spanish practice. Much more world news is presented, clips are longer and more detailed, and reports from Iraq show what war really looks like. There are far fewer dramatic horror stories that don’t really affect anyone except those involved, and no pre-packaged clips from pharmaceutical companies and other advertising disguised as news. But the most startling moment of television viewing for me was when the evening news showed the IndyMedia website on the screen, directing people to the site for information about an upcoming demonstration! The demonstration was for a group of punks who were attacked by Neo-Nazis. Can you imagine U.S. corporate news directing people to IndyMedia!!!!?!
I wonder what differences in viewers’ worldviews these differences in evening television might make in a society.
During my week in Montevideo I got to witness a piece of Uruguayan history take place: The first left-wing coalition president, Taeare Vasquez, and the first female head of parliament, Nora Castro, have taken office. I went down to the Legislative Palace to check out the scene and to join a demonstration supporting women’s reproductive rights. Abortion is currently illegal in Uruguay, even in the case of rape. As a result, unregulated facilities provide illegal abortions. A bill was recently introduced to give women much more control over their bodies, as well as more information, but the bill was defeated by the previous government in a close vote. A small group organized a last-minute gathering at the Legislative Palace to remind the new government that these issues are not to be forgotten. About eighty people showed up; surprisingly, only six of them were men.
On the other side of the Palace, a group of demonstrators gathered, not to protest, but to celebrate the new government. Banners and Uruguayan flags waved, and the crowd grew throughout the day. Right-wing legislators watched the proceedings with grim faces, but a feeling of hope seemed to permeate the air. It was a hope mixed with healthy skepticism, though. As one person put it, “Uruguay is like a small cake. The new government may be able to slice it a little differently, but it will still be a small cake.”
“Eh.” another person said. “We’ll see.”
I have one more story from the week I’d like to share, not a political one, but it’s long so I’ll save it for next time.

Much love,
asha