Saira Ramos reported in La Hora of Guatemala City that, as part of the commemoration of International Women’s Day, an alliance of over 65 organizations in Guatemala called for action to advance the rights of women to enjoy the good life of society with equality, equity, and justice. 

Efren Lemus, Daniel Valencia, and Ricardo Vaquerano reported in El Faro Magazine of San Salvador on the razor thin margin in the final count of the Salvadoran presidential election in which the ruling FMLN party polled 50.11% to the ARENA party’s 49.89%.   

In Colombia Reports of Medellín Daniel E. Freeman wrote that Colombia’s congressional elections on March 9, 2014 “saw an unprecedented amount of voter fraud and vote buying, though violent pressure on voters from armed illegal groups largely abated, according to electoral observers.” 

Ricardo Mendonça noted in Folha de S. Paulo that the typical Brazilian voter in 2014 is between 25 and 34 years old, with a high school diploma and has low monthly family income. 

Tomás Brockenshire pointed out in the Buenos Aires Herald that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner opened the 132nd session of the Argentine Congress with a speech that included tentative olive branches to the political opposition, and only superficially set out the legislative agenda for the coming year. 

Hermann Bellinghausen reported in La Jornada of Mexico City that the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) unveiled its new publication, Rebeldía Zapatista, to be directed by Subcomandante Moisés. 

Luís Rosero wrote in El Telégrafo of Guayaquil that the Ecuadorian right “in its different shades” captured local power in a number of mayoral races in several large and medium sized cities.   

Pablo Cerda argued in The Santiago Times that “one of South America’s biggest music festivals, the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar is a marketer’s dream and music lover’s nightmare.” 

Alexandra Jolly wrote in Colombia Reports of Medellín that the 54th annual Cartagena Film Festival began with promise with “many famous faces” in attendance to see films ranging in origin from Latin America to Iran.  

Página/12 of Buenos Aires reported that archaeologists have found the remains of a Spanish ship that sank with 193 people, but is well known to history because the crew managed to build another vessel from the wreckage and return home.