What Worried Latin Americans in 2016?

2026-01-25 - 21:08

Originally published on Global Voices What worried Latin Americans in 2016? A photo posted by Pictoline (@pictoline) on Dec 14, 2016 at 10:40am PST Pictoline illustrated what, according to Google, were the top searches in some countries of Latin America on the web browser: Mexico: “How to download Pokemon Go” Costa Rica: “What happens if volcano Turrialba erupts?” Panama: “How to make wooden beds?” Colombia: “What is the Fellowship of the Ring?” Peru: “How to make dog clothes?” Chile: “How to make a concept map?” Argentina: “How to lose the tummy?” Uruguay: “How to decrease my internet use?” Brazil: “What is love?” On Facebook users commented on the results. From Acapulco, Mexico, Diana Soto shared her despair regarding Mexico's result: Diana Soto: Me dio risa el “¿Cómo hacer un mapa conceptual?” Pero luego vi a México con Pokemon Go y se me fue la risa. Diana Soto: “How to make a concept map?” made me laugh. But then I saw Mexico with Pokemon Go and I lost the smile. Gris Simonds-Gómez also felt Mexico's worries were trivial and posted ironically: Gris Simonds-Gómez: A la mierda el narco, la inseguridad, la corrupcion, la obesidad y la miseria, yo quiero saber como bajar el pokemon go! Gris Simonds-Gómez: Fuck the narco, insecurity, corruption, overweight and misery, I want to know how to download pokemon go! While Adolfo Meza sarcastically commented on Peruvians’ searches: Adolfo Meza: ammm al menos tendremos los perros mas fashion de américa... Adolfo Meza: well, at least we'll have the most fashionable dogs in America... Meanwhile Felipe Maluenda, from Antofagasta, Chile jokingly admitted his contribution to his country's top search results: Felipe Eduardo Maluenda Bravo Yo soy el culpable de “¿Como hacer un mapa conceptual?”, todo el maldito año busqué eso para hacer mis tareas y aún no sé cómo se hace Felipe Eduardo Mauelanda Bravo: I am the one responsible of “How to make a conceptual map?”, I looked for it all year long so I could do my homework and still haven't figured it out. From Cordoba, Argentina, Alejandro Pablo Drallny reflected on the interest Argentineans have in their looks: Alejandro Pablo Drallny: Argentina país careta, preocupados por bajar la panza (y como soy argentino y tengo panza, si alguien sabe como hacerlo, avíseme) Alejandro Pablo Drallny: Argentina, a superficial country, everyone worried about how to lose the tummy (and since I am Argentinean, if someone knows how to do it, let me know) Diego Bautista commented on Costa Rica's search preferences: Diego Bautista: ‘¿Cómo hacer una cama de madera?’ Solo un país buscando algo útil que hacer. Diego Bautista: “How to make a wooden bed?” Just one country looking for something useful to do. René Vaca Cardozo, from Bogotá, Colombia, explained why Colombians were so worried about the Fellowship of the Ring: René Vaca Cardozo: No vayan a pensar que los colombianos están preocupados por la literatura Tolkiana. La Comunidad del anillo es el nombre que medios le pusieron a un escándalo sexual y de homicidios que ocurrió al interior de la policía. René Vaca Cardozo: Don't think that Colombians are worried about Tolkien's literature. The Fellowship of the Ring is the name that the media gave to a sexual and homicide scandal in the police force. Ruben Pintos Guerra, from Montevideo, Uruguay pointed out: Ruben Pintos Guerra: Tenemos el mejor Internet de la Region y preguntamos como disminuir el consumo... URUGUAY NOMA! Ruben Pintos Guerra: We have the best Internet of the region and we asked how to reduce our consumption... COME ON URUGUAY! From Costa Rica, Mar Barquero reflected: Marc Barquero Suárez: Brasileños más profundos ... mientras nosotros moriremos quemados por lava Marc Barquero Suárez: Brazilians are more profound... meanwhile we'll die burnt with lava Andrea Marysenka also had a message for Brazilians: Andrea Marysenka: Para Brasil solo me queda decir: baby don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. No more. Andrea Marysenka: To Brazil, all I have to say is: baby don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. No more. Others talked about changes in priorities: Alvaro Alatorre: Si ya no se busca el: “¿Como saber si novia está embarazada?” Se están perdiendo los valores y el verdadero uso de San Google. Que tristeza. Alvaro Alatorre: If we are no longer looking for: “How to know if my girlfriend is pregnant” we are losing the value and true use of Saint Google. How sad. Ihasser Lara: Ya nadie busca “Evidencias de duendes reales” o “Videos de fantasmas reales” y menos “Videos de extraterrestres”.... Charles: “El mundo ya no es como antes!!” Ilhaser Lara: Nobody is looking for “Evidence of real goblins” or “Videos of real ghosts” and not even “Videos of aliens”... Charles: “The world isn't what it used to be!!” While Ariel Aguilar summed up wistfully: Ariel Aguilar: Pero que filosóficos, que profundas dudas asaltan a las mentes latinas de nuestros tiempos. Ariel Aguilar: How philosophical, how profound the doubts that trouble the Latin American minds of our times are. Written by Elizabeth Rivera