Sunday, January 12, 2014
CHILE
The next stop on our South American journey was Santiago, Chile. Waking up in this city, we saw the evident development and industrialization of this modern, forward-looking nation. The city almost seemed like it could blend in with those of Europe. The city even had its own metro system as a efficient public transportation system. In addition, Santiago is home to the tallest building in South America, Gran Torre Santiago, which has a total of 70 floors and a height of 300 meters (compared to the 828 meters of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world). The country has had a consistent, steady growth in GDP and an overall good management of assets. This wealth is largely due to the copper industry, which comprises one third of all copper production in the world. In addition, economists educated at University of Chicago and Harvard have pushed the country into a more capitalist economic model. Through privatization they have greatly improved Chile's economy.
Like many neighboring South American countries (e.g. Brazil and Argentina), Chile has a female president, Michelle Bachelet, who served her first term in 2006. Bachelet has done a lot of work helping the Chilean people find the truth and take steps towards reconciling what happened during the 1973 Coup d'etat. Bachelet has created a museum to "raise awareness of the human rights violations committed by the State of Chile between 1973 and 1990, to dignify the victims and their families, and to stimulate reflection and discussion on the importance of respect and tolerance, so that these events never recur" (according to their website). We visited El Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, which resembled all the other genocide or Holocaust museums I have seen around the world. This reminded me that history really does repeat itself. Here is a brief history of what was covered in the museum:
In September 1973, the democratically elected left-ist president Salvador Allende was overthrown by a military coup. The coup was lead by Augusto Pinochet, who ended up taking over the country, kicking Allende, who later committed suicide, out of office. These are President Allende's last words:
My friends,
Surely this will be the last opportunity for me to address you. The Air Force has bombed the towers of Radio Portales and Radio Corporación.
My words do not have bitterness but disappointment. May they be a moral punishment for those who have betrayed their oath: soldiers of Chile, titular commanders in chief, Admiral Merino, who has designated himself Commander of the Navy, and Mr. Mendoza, the despicable general who only yesterday pledged his fidelity and loyalty to the Government, and who also has appointed himself Chief of the Carabineros [national police].
Given these facts, the only thing left for me is to say to workers: I am not going to resign!
Placed in a historic transition, I will pay for loyalty to the people with my life. And I say to them that I am certain that the seed which we have planted in the good conscience of thousands and thousands of Chileans will not be shriveled forever.
They have strength and will be able to dominate us, but social processes can be arrested neither by crime nor force. History is ours, and people make history.
Workers of my country: I want to thank you for the loyalty that you always had, the confidence that you deposited in a man who was only an interpreter of great yearnings for justice, who gave his word that he would respect the Constitution and the law and did just that. At this definitive moment, the last moment when I can address you, I wish you to take advantage of the lesson: foreign capital, imperialism, together with the reaction, created the climate in which the Armed Forces broke their tradition, the tradition taught by General Schneider and reaffirmed by Commander Araya, victims of the same social sector which will today be in their homes hoping, with foreign assistance, to retake power to continue defending their profits and their privileges.
I address, above all, the modest woman of our land, the campesina who believed in us, the worker who labored more, the mother who knew our concern for children. I address professionals of Chile, patriotic professionals, those who days ago continued working against the sedition sponsored by professional associations, class-based associations that also defended the advantages which a capitalist society grants to a few.
I address the youth, those who sang and gave us their joy and their spirit of struggle. I address the man of Chile, the worker, the farmer, the intellectual, those who will be persecuted, because in our country fascism has been already present for many hours -- in terrorist attacks, blowing up the bridges, cutting the railroad tracks, destroying the oil and gas pipelines, in the face of the silence of those who had the obligation to protect them. They were committed. History will judge them.
Surely Radio Magallanes will be silenced, and the calm metal instrument of my voice will no longer reach you. It does not matter. You will continue hearing it. I will always be next to you. At least my memory will be that of a man of dignity who was loyal to [inaudible] the workers.
The people must defend themselves, but they must not sacrifice themselves. The people must not let themselves be destroyed or riddled with bullets, but they cannot be humiliated either.
Workers of my country, I have faith in Chile and its destiny. Other men will overcome this dark and bitter moment when treason seeks to prevail. Go forward knowing that, sooner rather than later, the great avenues will open again where free men will walk to build a better society.
Long live Chile! Long live the people! Long live the workers!
These are my last words, and I am certain that my sacrifice will not be in vain, I am certain that, at the very least, it will be a moral lesson that will punish felony, cowardice, and treason.
Santiago de Chile, 11 September 1973
This coup was influenced by president Nixon of the United States who did not want there to be another "Cuba" or communist country neighboring America. This exemplifies how fear of communism during the Cold War pushed America to support dictatorships in South America. What followed were 8 years of terror where Pinochet killed anyone who disagreed with him. From mass killings, to torture, to labor camps, Pinochet did it all. The sheer fear imposed on all citizens and the increasing number of refugees, woke up the international community. They eventually pushed Pinochet to call a referendum, the YES option keeping the dictator and NO making him step down. Ultimately in 1988 he was denied a second term and the country worked its way back to freedom of speech, press, and towards a free market economy.
While Chile has the tallest building in South America, it is also the longest country in the world. Stretching almost the entire length of the continent of South America, it is home to the driest dessert in the world, beautiful snow covered mountains in Patagonia, and the world wonder of Easter Island. Chile is not only a progressive economic and political nation but also such a geographical natural beauty. I can't wait to visit again and see all the natural wonders I missed this trip:)
There are so many mysteries that I have yet to uncover: why is the country so long, how did it get this shape, how does the government manage with such a spread out country? From being in other countries I know that the smaller the country, the easier it is to manage. This is especially evident in the highly fractioned United States. I plan on continuing studying government in my future years in school and I will continue to pursue these mysteries.
Peru: Breathtaking...literally
The first stop on our South American adventure was Peru! Peru is a very bio-diverse country, comprising of coasta (arid coast), sierra (mountain ranges, the Andes), and selva (the amazon and jungle) environments. We got a chance to visit two of them; the seirra during our stay in Cusco and visit to Machu Picchu and the selva during our cruise along the Amazon rainforest.
The second I caught sight of the Amazon, I fell in love: its sheer beauty, the fact that it seems like it goes on forever, the cute villagers and Amazonian women, the sounds of the jungle, and the beautiful crisp blue cloudy skies. We started our trip in Iquitos, meaning surrounded by water, where were boarded our Amazonian cruise ship for the next three days. It was modern and organic, the most perfect oasis from the hot city, busy with the hustle and bustle of motor taxis, much like the ones in Thailand called tuctucs. Most of our time in the Amazon was spent exploring the vast river and spotting wildlife. We got a chance to go on four excursions, twice a day, where we did a variety of activities.
The first day we went on a general boat ride through a few of the Amazon's many tributaries, sighting many types of birds, sloths, and even pink dolphins. Next we went on a village tour where we got to meet the people of an Amazonian village. It was such a cute village. The houses were built on stilts because the water level rose by up to 21 feet in the rainy months. You could see the water mark on the houses, some lines went higher than windows and doors, making it nearly impossible to live in the villages when the water level was high. There were around 40 families living in the village we visited, some more hard working than others, managing to build houses with walls while others settled for a more open house look. The families had a lot of children, sometimes even up to 14 kids in one household. The population was rapidly rising due to lack of birth control and education but recently organizations have started educating and providing birth control methods for the families in Peru. The families would drink water from the lake: they got a bucket of water from it and then would wait for the sediment to settle at the top and then drink the other part. As one would assume, this is not the healthiest method for getting water but that is all they had. Young children often would get sick due to the unsanitary water but they would get used to it in the first couple years of their lives. At the village I met a really cute girl that wanted to hold my hand. She was adorable and even remembered my name. It reminded me of the little girls I know from The Taft Elementary School back home where I tutor. We then gave them school supplies and they gave us a mini Spanish lesson, I really enjoyed it. We also got a chance to have a canoe ride across the lake and see the breathtaking sunset. The next day we went on a jungle walk, and really the main thing I took away from this certain experience were mosquito bites! I enjoyed the afternoon much more when we caught (at least attempted to catch) pirañas and caymans. I even got to carry one!! I absolutely LOVED my time on the Amazon.
The first day we went on a general boat ride through a few of the Amazon's many tributaries, sighting many types of birds, sloths, and even pink dolphins. Next we went on a village tour where we got to meet the people of an Amazonian village. It was such a cute village. The houses were built on stilts because the water level rose by up to 21 feet in the rainy months. You could see the water mark on the houses, some lines went higher than windows and doors, making it nearly impossible to live in the villages when the water level was high. There were around 40 families living in the village we visited, some more hard working than others, managing to build houses with walls while others settled for a more open house look. The families had a lot of children, sometimes even up to 14 kids in one household. The population was rapidly rising due to lack of birth control and education but recently organizations have started educating and providing birth control methods for the families in Peru. The families would drink water from the lake: they got a bucket of water from it and then would wait for the sediment to settle at the top and then drink the other part. As one would assume, this is not the healthiest method for getting water but that is all they had. Young children often would get sick due to the unsanitary water but they would get used to it in the first couple years of their lives. At the village I met a really cute girl that wanted to hold my hand. She was adorable and even remembered my name. It reminded me of the little girls I know from The Taft Elementary School back home where I tutor. We then gave them school supplies and they gave us a mini Spanish lesson, I really enjoyed it. We also got a chance to have a canoe ride across the lake and see the breathtaking sunset. The next day we went on a jungle walk, and really the main thing I took away from this certain experience were mosquito bites! I enjoyed the afternoon much more when we caught (at least attempted to catch) pirañas and caymans. I even got to carry one!! I absolutely LOVED my time on the Amazon.
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Our second stop in Peru was Cusco where we visited Machu Picchu. Not only was Machu Picchu spectacular, but so was Cusco. This beautiful city at 15,000 ft served as the capital of the Incan empire until the Spanish took over. The streets made of cobblestone and decorated with native bright colors were so beautiful. I really enjoyed the little shops with llama sweaters and alpaca wool since I got to pick a couple to take home:) Taking little time to get accustom to the altitude, which ended up not being such a problem, we went to Machu Picchu our first full day in Cusco. Built in 50 years, Machu Pichu was one of 82 Incan cities. In order to build so many cities of great size, the empire utilized a system called the Mita system. According to our guide, it was almost a type of slavery due to its heavy labor demand. Connected by 8 Inca trails to other large cities Machu Picchu was home to around 300-500 people. Sadly, the Incans only stayed in this beautiful city for a few decades due to the fear of the Europeans, and due to lack of food and the ability to efficiently farm. Even though the conquistadors never found the city in the clouds, Incans left the city quickly, also due to lack of food and the ability to efficiently farm. The Incans left behind an archeological wonder, which was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham found to have many deep celestial, deeper meanings. Almost everything in the city was thought out according to the stars and other Incan myths. For example, the Incans believed in three worlds: the underworld, represented by the snake, life, represented by the puma, and the celestial world, represented by the condor Everywhere around Machu Picchu, you can see windows, doors, etc in threes representing the three worlds. In addition, the entires structure of Machu Picchu forms the shape of a condor and the city of Cusco forms the shape of a puma. I also really really loved Machu Picchu, it was honestly breathtaking (and by that I not only mean the beauty but also due to the high altitude. A couple steps up caused major panting and shortness of breath!) I also got a chance to see a couple Llamas which were one of the highlights of the whole trip. I LOVE LLAMAS!!!
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Besides its natural beauty, Peru is also a developing country with a high human development index. Unfortunately, 31.3% of population is poor and 9.8% of the population lives in poverty. The country is on an upward spiral that is really encouraging democracy. For example, according to law, if you are a citizen, between 18 and 70 years old you have to vote, otherwise you get fined! While many think that the country is very impoverished I would argue that it is one of the richest in beauty. It is also, by far one of my favorite countries I have visited thus far!
The Smallest Nation in the Americas: The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
By guest contributor: mom
The federal thing is a bit unusual since Nevis and Saint Kitts together form one country. They became independent of United Kingdom in 1983 and in 1998, Nevis tried to break off from the federation through a referendum but failed to achieve the two thirds vote needed. The federation has been a source of great contention between the two islands because the common governing body for the two is also the governing body for Saint Kitts island, creating the perception and accusation that the umbrella administration favors Saint Kitts´ affairs and needs above those of Nevis (Nevis once went without a hospital for ten years). Most of the arguments are about distribution of funds like who should get corporate taxes for Nevis businesses headquartered in Saint Kitts (Nevis is a big off-shore banking/accounting haven), departure taxes for Nevis tourists departing from Saint Kitts airport, custom duties of Nevis cargo entering Saint Kitts, education and health expenditures, police/defense/coast guard allocations, foreign aid and so on.
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In the late 17th century, Nevis was a major producer of sugar, even larger than Jamaica. Its cane juice was much more potent than that of Saint Kitts´producing 24 ounces of sugar per gallon vs 16. At the time of the American Revolution, exports from West Indian colonies like Nevis were larger than all the exports from mainland North American colonies. The large sugar business required a large labor force and African slaves were brought in to complement the white indentured servants from Europe. In 1706, the founder of French colony of Louisiana, Pierre d´Iberville attacked Nevis again, as he done many times before, this time causing irrecoverable damage to the sugar industry. Many of the British land and slave owners were driven out , thousands of slaves were shipped to Martinique and hundreds starved to death. To sustain remaining enslaved families, small plots of land were distributed to them. When emancipation came in 1834, a big number of Nevisians owned or controlled land. The high proportion of farmers and entrepreneurs created a solid middle class in Nevis, a social development that did not form in Saint Kitts. There, fifteen rich planter families controlled the fertile land, and while the sugar industry died off in 2005, Saint Kitts has a large landless population.
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It was fun to learn that our founding father and first secretary of the treasury was born in Nevis. Hamilton´s economic philosophy was thought to be protectionist and against free trade so that new industries in the U.S. could take hold. He died in a duel!
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