Galeano's analysis of colonialism and exploitation in Open Veins

Latin America

In Open Veins of Latin America, Galeano analyzes the root causes of poverty, despair, and environmental degradation in Central and South America. Tracing the problems to colonization, Galeano shows how centuries of pillage and plunder have simply morphed into different forms, culminating with the farce of free trade. As Galeano (1997) writes, "the rich countries that preach free trade apply stern protectionist policies against the poor countries: they turn everything the touch- including the underdeveloped countries' own production-into gold for themselves and rubbish for others," (p. 101). Latin America's greatest weakness also happens to be its greatest strength: a wealth and diversity of natural resources. The "open veins" Galeano refers to in the book's title refer to the threads of ore and specialty raw materials providing streams of revenue for exploitative enterprises. Latin America is not, however, condemned to humiliation and poverty. Neither God nor nature is against Latin American progress, success, and self-determination. The climate is not oppressive; only people have that unique capacity for creating generational conflict. A combination of methods, ranging from liberation theology to political reform to the arts can provide the diverse people of Latin America with the tools for self-empowerment.

However, Galeano remains focused on describing the condemnation of the people of Latin America in Open Veins. First, he describes the presumed racial superiority of Europeans over the indigenous peoples of Latin America. Racism also prompted the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which epitomizes the sociopathic dimension of imperialism and colonization in the Americas. Moreover, racism led to the decimation of innumerable indigenous civilizations, many of them rich with not just resources but also wisdom and knowledge of the land, of human relations, and the stars. Their wealth was their greatest downfall, as it was that which made their land too attractive and too easily attainable by the bully cultures of Europe. This was the "drama" of all Latin America that has caused its people to suffer tremendously (Galeano, 1997, p. 47). Racism continues to impact social relations and political institutions, as well as socioeconomic class differentiation in Latin America, notes Galeano. Only by discarding the outmoded beliefs of colonialism and imperialism can Latin America achieve liberation.

The natural wealth of the land could be framed as a source of oppression, as the people of Latin America did not realize its power over the Europeans. "Our defeat was always implicit in their victory of others; our wealth has always generated our poverty by nourishing the prosperity of others," (Galeano, 1997, p. 2). Yet Latin American people do have the power and potential to wrest back the means of production, and take back their land. What was a means to oppress can become the means to liberate. As Galeano (1997) puts it, "We are entering times of rebellion and change. There are those who believe that destiny rests on the knees of the gods; but the truth is that it confronts the conscience of man with a burning challenge," (p. 261). Using some of the foundational principles of Marxism, many nations have indeed attempted to divest themselves of foreign interests and yet many of those left-wing enterprises have failed the test of time. Economic reform requires corresponding political institutions, but those institutions must also empower the people through democracy. The future will bring new opportunities for a balanced and nuanced approach to participating in the global economy without the systematic exploitation of the land. What is needed is an approach that recognizes the intrinsic value of the land, not just for financial gain but also for spiritual solidarity, cultural continuity, and aesthetics.

God is certainly not to blame for the state of affairs in Latin America, although it may be a simple solution to blame the invisible or resort to superstition instead of the more difficult path of genuine change. The religion of the oppressors has long been entrenched in Latin America. Rather than revert to the religions of long-gone ancestors, the people of Latin America have come to recognize the transformative power in collective belief, collective faith, and collective vision. Liberation theology symbolizes the revision of Christianity into a more meaningful and relevant religion for Latin America. Whereas the Christianity models of the oppressor stamped out indigenous traditions via racist insinuations, the new Christianity empowers via the genuine message of redemption and love.