The heart of the war in Colombia / Constanza Ardila Galvis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ardila Galvis, Constanza.

Standardized Title:

Guerreros ciegos. English

Language:

English

Spanish

Subjects (All):

Colombia--History--1974-.

Colombia.

History.

Violence--Colombia--History--20th century.

Violence.

Political violence--Colombia.

Political violence.

Insurgency--Colombia--History--20th century.

Insurgency.

Guerrillas--Colombia--History--20th century.

Guerrillas.

Physical Description:

223 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

London : Latin American Bureau, 2000.

Language Note:

Translated from the Spanish.

Summary:

Readers familiar with Gabriel Garcia Marquez will recognise the magical realism of these stories. The truth of life in Colombia may seem hard to believe but these powerful, gripping accounts take us to the heart of the war. Colombia is in the grip of the longest-running civil war in Latin America. Thousands are killed each year, and one-and-a-half million have already been internally displaced. The guerrilla have a presence in half the country's municipalities, the armed forces are the recipients of massive US military aid and the paramilitaries have the capacity to inflict the highest number of casualties of all. The question raised by The Heart of the War is universal: how do people face the truth of trauma to work for a better future? This is a people's history, where the collective memory of injustice and violence calls out not for revenge, but for peace.

Contents:

Speaking Out 16

Part 1 The War Within 19

Gabriela: Jose, and the carpenter's wife, Maria 20

Daniel: Revenge and hate are stronger than patriotism 33

Mercedes: We cannot live by will alone 38

Socorro: She navigated a sea of violence 44

Laura: To be displaced is to be mutilated 51

Antonia: The pain of learning to forget 60

Marcos: Listen for the fox 64

Alejandra: She loved learning, but not through beatings 68

Ana Dolores: Her tenderness leaves an aroma of hot guava jam 79

Angela: Paths drawn at will 93

Part 2 This is the War 105

Gabriela: Death is not one, but many 106

Daniel: A soul destroyed by enduring injustice 114

Mercedes: We cried while we marched 125

Socorro: Both sides at war consider it a job 131

Laura: They will not wipe out the seed 145

Antonia: The only man who respected her was dead 152

Marcos: What does our country mean to us? 164

Alejandra: The saddest part of the war is getting used to it 175

Ana Dolores: Sleeping with your eyes open to remember 181

Angela: I brought up my sons to be men 185

Part 3 Creating Our Country 195

Hatred doesn't end with the signing of peace accords 196

Changing our outlook is not easy 198

Authority and relationships between equals 201

To show we're courageous, we behave like cowards 209

Equality is to be treated as human beings 211

Holding out your hand to help another is not enough 214

We must oppose all the armed groups 217

Moving on 218

We have to defeat fear 221.

Notes:

Translation of: Guerreros ciegos : el conflicto armado en Colombia.

ISBN:

1899365427

OCLC:

43813713