QUESTIONS
1. In the first section: “Lust for Gold...”, How do the Spanish conquerors describe Latin America and its inhabitants? (Quote their words)
Columbus was dazzled by the transparent hues of the Caribbean, the green landscape, the soft clean air, the magnificent birds, and the youths “with size and with good faces and well made” who lived there. “I was very attentive to them, and the strove to learn if they had any gold. Seeing some of them by signs, that by going southward or steering round the island in that direction, there would be found a king who possessed great cups full of gold, and in large quantities”. For “of gold is treasure made, and with it he who has it does as he wills in the world and it even sends souls to Paradise”.
Amerigo Lorenzo de Medicis: “The trees are of such beauty and sweetness that we felt we were in earthly Paradise”.
Columbus: “When I discovered the Indies, I said they were the greatest rich domain in the world. I spoke of the golds, pearls, precious stones, spices”.
2. What was the Requerimiento? Why did it exist?
It was a declaration in which Spaniards basically conquered Indian territories with the purpose of getting rid of native inhabitants. The slavery was abolished by that time, so Spaniards gave natives two options, become Catholic or go to another country. The Requerimiento consisted in a document that was communicated from Spaniards to Indians, in which they explained in detail the process of becoming Catholic.
3. On p16 Galeano writes “Latin America seemed like another invention to be incorporated along with gun powder, printing, paper, and the compass, in the bubbling birth of the Modern Age”. How could Latin America, a geographical area populated by ancient cultures, be “invented”?
The idea of new beginnings has always been appealing to most people, the chance for a fresh start in a virgin land where everything is possible; this is what Latin America meant to Europe back in the XV century. When conquistadors reached american lands they were astonished not only with its culture and all natural resources, but also with the natives, who “naively” lived amongst all of these fortunes but had no clue of it.
“There was something of everything among the natives of Latin America: astronomers and cannibals, engineers and Stone Age savages But none of the native cultures knew iron or the plow, or glass or gunpowder, or used the wheel except on their votive carts” (pg.16)
It became clear to the conquistadors that they needed to “sell” the idea of this tropical paradise to the crown, so that more travels could be financed and more man power could be employed. And so came religion, and the impose of new customs.
I think when Galeano says Latin America seemed “invented” sums up to the idea of superiority and power Europe had in that time, and how easy it was to impose themselves and their culture upon such a big civilization.
4. In one paragraph, with reference to pp28-37, answer: For Galeano, What is Latin America’s relationship to Europe?
Europe practically forced its customs and religion on the natives in Latin America for their own personal benefit (Spices, raw materials, gold, silver, etc.) creating a very conqueror-conquered kind of relationship from a position of power and superiority in all senses. European culture was considered the most favorable, european ways were considered better and more sophisticated, so native people had to adjust to these new customs or die.
“The rape of accumulated treasure was followed by the systematic exploitation of the forced labor of Indians and abducted Africans in the mines.” (pg. 29)
5. In the final section, is Galeano saying that the same power dynamics exist in Latin America in 1977 as in the colonial era? From the description his text provides, what evidence is there for and against that idea?
Galeano presents all throughout the book a very "local" perspective of what happens in Latin America, it puts into focus the events taking out the veil of excuses and embellishment the conquerers painted for the world throughout the years. He also states that the same power dynamics remain nowadays, the superiority of the foreign powerful neighbors. Latin America remains exploited and pretty much managed and dependent if not dominated by our northern neighbors.
"Latin America's underdevelopment arises from external development, and continues to feed it" (pg. 283) An International Labor Organization study recently showed that Latin America has more than 110 million persons in a condition of serious poverty. (pg. 280)
Bibliography
Galeano, Eduardo. (1971) Open Veins of Latin America. Siglo XXI Editores: Mexico.
By Mara Orozco and Dalia Córdova