Global Voices Online

Indymedia Bolivia has lots of interesting photographs and comments (ES) from Cochabamba's Jorge Wilstermann airport, where airline employees are protesting.

Taking a break from the usual tech focus, Patrice introduces his readers to Sunday's elections in Peru, noting that they will probably lead to a second round runoff. Peru Election 2006 links to a three page essay (pdf) by Peter DeShazo entitled, “The Lure of Populism.”

Maria Passo has a long list of what she believes are Peruvian cultural inventions that have been “stolen” by Chile. One commenter, Danica says jokingly, “chile sucks. I'm bitter. gimme my ocean back!”

Katy of Caracas Chronicles has translated an opinion piece, originally published in Tal Cual by Marino González, a professor at Simón Bolívar University. Venepoetics translates an op-ed, also from Tal Cual, by Oswaldo Barreto.

Punctual as always, Boz has his Friday poll numbers from across Latin America.

Ivan Lenin of Rush-Mush reports on the first prisoners being released from Belarusian jails.

Jesse of Bored in Brno writes about the city authorities' somewhat irrational attempts to make the city cleaner and shares his own ideas.

Douglas Arellanes posts regular updates from the Czech Republic's “flood front.”

All About Latvia writes about one official's utopian plans to turn Latvia into Europe's main tourist center. [A belated update: The official's name is Ola Prilof … April Fool!]

VW at TOL's Belarus Blog advises on how to react to what seems like the beginning of a new “gas war,” this time between Russia and Belarus: “Simply pay no attention. Think about those who suffered these weeks.”

Andrei Khrapavitski, br23 blog and TOL's Belarus Blog write about reports of the first March 25 casualty, Milinkevich's visit to Poland, Polish ex-ambassador's hospitalization - and Aleksandr Lukashenko's disappearance.

Regarding an oil pipeline planned to link Russia and China, with a branch extending through Pakistan into India, the Our Silk Road blogger suggests the old Silk Road could very well be renamed the new Oil Road.

“A lucrative idea with a great deal of wheeling and dealing left to be done,” the blogger writes.

Robert in The Marmot's Hole questions whether Korea is as dangerous as the Korean National Police Agency's new crime prevention guide for foreigners makes it out to be.

“The National Police Agency said it made the pamphlet because crimes against foreigners have been on the rise recently (funny, I didn’t know that. Wonder how much is barbarian-on-barbarian crime?).”

The Japundit takes us into a discussion on the aesthetic sensibility of kawaii. (Kawaii translates approximately as “cute“.)

Lonnie B. Hodge at OneManBandwidth shares his research on organ trafficking in China.