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Speaking Truth to Power

Document 10.7, that is, The Diario de Juarez open letter to the drug cartels of Mexico, in September of 2010 was one of the most powerful pieces I have ever read.Lines such as “From whom do we demand justice?”, and “we, the victims, are thus addressing…

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week 11: The Terror

Chapter 9 focused on the period between the 1960’s and the 1990’s characterized by a wave of insurrections and state-sponsored terrorism against political dissidents, left-wing guerrillas, and student groups believed to be associated with communism. It was a time when the new generation of students and young adults began to question and rebel against the […]

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The Terror – Fujimori

This week’s reading focus on the period in which Latin America underwent the “dirty wars”, a period filled with armed civil conflict, authoritarian government, terrorism, and overall violence. In periods like this people tend to look for a “hero” and a “villain”, so it makes sense for testimonio genre to become popular in Latin America […]

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The Terror – Fujimori

This week’s reading focus on the period in which Latin America underwent the “dirty wars”, a period filled with armed civil conflict, authoritarian government, terrorism, and overall violence. In periods like this people tend to look for a “hero” and a “villain”, so it makes sense for testimonio genre to become popular in Latin America […]

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Doc 9.1 Mario Vargas Llosa, “The Massacre”

This excerpt represents the type of violence that has been going on for centuries in Latin America. There is indeed a socio-cultural barrier between those who live in the bigger cities in Peru, and those who live in the Andes, or poorer regions. I have lived in Peru for several years and I know of and to a certain extent understand the type of violence that goes on in these countries, not only triggered by racism, but by religion, politics and culture. In this excerpt, the Iquichanos massacred and mutilated…read more

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Doc 9.1 Mario Vargas Llosa, “The Massacre”

This excerpt represents the type of violence that has been going on for centuries in Latin America. There is indeed a socio-cultural barrier between those who live in the bigger cities in Peru, and those who live in the Andes, or poorer regions. I have lived in Peru for several years and I know of and to a certain extent understand the type of violence that goes on in these countries, not only triggered by racism, but by religion, politics and culture. In this excerpt, the Iquichanos massacred and mutilated…read more

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Speaking Truth to Power

The Zapatistas Revolt in Chiapas Mexico was a revolutionary feat for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, the revolt attained international attention before the Mexican government even had time to react, due to the modern technological use of the internet.  The Zapatistas revolutionized the entire concept of a civil rights movement by simply using the internet as a forcefield against the government.  When the news was spread across the globe instantaneously the mexican government could no longer use the secret tactics of sequestration as had been done in the past to remove their opponents. Another revolutionary feat,  as Dawson states in his book, was the Zappatistas’ prioritization of woman’s rights.  Revolutionary Womens’ Laws titles ten woman’s equality laws that would ensure a balanced and fair society.  In correspondence with the internet, the international audience would prohibit the Mexican government from enforceing any cultural stigmas or stereotypes upon the Mexican people. In other words, the world powers, to whom already abided by those laws, would obviously be in agreement with the proposed woman’s rights laws and would thus support the revolt.  
The technological advancement of the internet has snowballed into an ever progressive method for international attention.  As seen in video 10.6, the Chillean University students are protesting the increased tuition by calling the global attention of other students to whom, in most cases, would relate to their issue, and give support.  This goes to show that social issues of modern times are no longer suppressed which changes the entire face of government control worldwide. 

I would like to mention however that there are limitations placed on servers by specific governments.  For instance China has a ban on Facebook and I speculate many other sites as well.  This certainly affects the freedom of the Chinese people to be able to reach  the international community.  It is important to keep in mind that governments do have control over our access and have the power to misinform.  So as the internet can be used a tool for power, it depends who has control of this power.

This lack of freedom is the causing factor for events such as the 30,000 desaparacidos which occurred in Argentina in the 1970’s.  There was no form of communication or tracking to account for all of the abducted people.  It was the Madres to whom we can give credit for accounting for their missing child.  

And lastly, 100 Años de Soledad by Garcia Marquez makes an allegory of such incidents as he tells the story of the 1000 factory workers whose bodies were placed on trains and never to be seen again after they were massacred, and no body in the entire town ever spoke of the event again as if it has never happened.  (If you haven’t read the book, you should.)

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Speaking Truth to Power

The Zapatistas Revolt in Chiapas Mexico was a revolutionary feat for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, the revolt attained international attention before the Mexican government even had time to react, due to the modern technological use of the internet.  The Zapatistas revolutionized the entire concept of a civil rights movement by simply using the internet as a forcefield against the government.  When the news was spread across the globe instantaneously the mexican government could no longer use the secret tactics of sequestration as had been done in the past to remove their opponents. Another revolutionary feat,  as Dawson states in his book, was the Zappatistas’ prioritization of woman’s rights.  Revolutionary Womens’ Laws titles ten woman’s equality laws that would ensure a balanced and fair society.  In correspondence with the internet, the international audience would prohibit the Mexican government from enforceing any cultural stigmas or stereotypes upon the Mexican people. In other words, the world powers, to whom already abided by those laws, would obviously be in agreement with the proposed woman’s rights laws and would thus support the revolt.  
The technological advancement of the internet has snowballed into an ever progressive method for international attention.  As seen in video 10.6, the Chillean University students are protesting the increased tuition by calling the global attention of other students to whom, in most cases, would relate to their issue, and give support.  This goes to show that social issues of modern times are no longer suppressed which changes the entire face of government control worldwide. 

I would like to mention however that there are limitations placed on servers by specific governments.  For instance China has a ban on Facebook and I speculate many other sites as well.  This certainly affects the freedom of the Chinese people to be able to reach  the international community.  It is important to keep in mind that governments do have control over our access and have the power to misinform.  So as the internet can be used a tool for power, it depends who has control of this power.

This lack of freedom is the causing factor for events such as the 30,000 desaparacidos which occurred in Argentina in the 1970’s.  There was no form of communication or tracking to account for all of the abducted people.  It was the Madres to whom we can give credit for accounting for their missing child.  

And lastly, 100 Años de Soledad by Garcia Marquez makes an allegory of such incidents as he tells the story of the 1000 factory workers whose bodies were placed on trains and never to be seen again after they were massacred, and no body in the entire town ever spoke of the event again as if it has never happened.  (If you haven’t read the book, you should.)

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The Terror – Daniel

“In the Andes, the Devil merges with the image of the stranger.” If you were to replace ‘the Andes’ with ‘Latin America’, I believe it would still be a true claim. It was true with the natives that were “discovered” by Europeans; it was true with Guaman Poma; it was true in Guatemala with the Banana […]

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The Terror – Daniel

“In the Andes, the Devil merges with the image of the stranger.” If you were to replace ‘the Andes’ with ‘Latin America’, I believe it would still be a true claim. It was true with the natives that were “discovered” by Europeans; it was true with Guaman Poma; it was true in Guatemala with the Banana […]

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