Social Networks Progressives

 Translated  by Marvin Najarro Latin America is infested with formidable social networks progressives; some with a thicker skin claim to be revolutionaries. As in times past, when paper put up with everything that was written on it, now it is the social networks. They are the catalyst par excellence of our human mediocrity. They say that anyone has social networks nowadays, but no, not anyone, only those who have access to a computer, a smart phone or a tablet, those who have the economy to pay for internet at home, the people, the hoi polloi, do not even have access to…

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Dignifying the Arrabal

Translated  by Katrina Hassan Historically, in the classist and racist societies, the arrabal or the “hood” is where all the evils of the world collide. This is why, whoever comes from the hood, has to be a thief, abuser, racketeer, rapist, murderer and every other accusation that a person can think of. To be rid of these labels is a titanic feat. The stigma is part of the arrabal DNA. To be from the hood is an impediment for getting a good job, to study and to have interpersonal relationships outside of your own kind. People view those coming from the…

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The Assyrian Man and My Bamboo Sticks

Translated  by Marvin Najarro I am trying to find bamboo sticks to tie down the sunflower stems which are growing and are already bending over. I walk along the shelves full of pots with summer varieties, flamboyant colors, different types of yellow, and the green bottle or green avocado of the leaves. Fuchsia and pitaya colors and bright orange ones. Older adults are hired temporarily to take care for the flowers in the nursery; they water them, remove the dry leaves and carefully place the flowers on the shelves. The young workers are in the topsoil and fertilizer area carrying and…

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Frida’s Immensity Encompasses and Illuminates All

This essay belongs to The Insurrectionists Women series Translated  by Katrina Hassan Many critics considered Frida Kahlo a naïve artist. They undervalued her artistic technique. Frida overcame the passage of time and her art travelled the world over as if it became small enough for the palm of her hand. This limitless woman dared to resist. She questioned, rebelled and said no to wasting away, inert. The pain Frida felt did not rob her of expressing what was in her soul. Against all odds, Frida painted, painted and painted. She showed us, with her naïve art, the beauty of simple souls.…

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The Cuban Doctors in Guatemala, A Breath of Fresh Air

Translated  by Marvin Najarro In the midst of a rotten system, plagued with corruption and impunity that corrodes the foundations of Guatemalan society and take with it the people’s lives by the thousand, there is, like a breath of fresh air, the medical brigade that shoulders the most vulnerable, because it is present where the national doctors are not. And they are the Cuban doctors, willing to exalt the mission of saving lives.   A bunch of criminals, who place their puppets in any sitting government, have taken on the task of plundering the state’s resources which has caused people to give…

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The Palestinian Genocide is Right Under our Nose

Translated  by Katrina Hassan In Latina America, information and news from dictatorships is hard to come by thanks to technical limitations and repression. In the past, this information had to be extracted by foreign journalists. They had to jump over many hoops to do so. This is why so much was left in silence and the forgotten. In terms of technology, times have changed. The population can make use of their telephones. They can reproduce, in real time, what really happens in their countries in a matter a seconds. People sharing information gain time on the media as it wastes time…

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The Colombian Awakening

Translated  by Marvin Najarro In 2015 it was Guatemala, demonstrating against corruption on sunny Saturdays. Latin America was amazed to see the submissive and “chambona” Guatemalan society finally rising up after having elected a genocidal as president; they did not protest demanding justice for the victims of the genocide that they denied it took place, but against corruption. But it is better than nothing, given the circumstances of a very weak historical memory. They allowed themselves to be tricked, as in soccer “chilena” goal, when Jimmy Morales was made president, and after that, they by their own volition headed for the…

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