Latin America
This collection contains materials from Central and South America and the Caribbean. Primary topics include Cuba and the Cuban Revolution, the Sandanista revolution in Nicaragua, the Nicaragua-Contra War, the Chilean struggle for independence and US imperialism.
Subcollections
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Chile
This collection focuses primarily on the advent of the elected socialist Presidency of Salvador Allende in Chile, the 1973 fascist coup against Allende, engineered by the CIA and led by General Augusto Pinochet, and the subsequent repression of the left. -
Cuba
This collection primarily contains recordings focusing on various aspects of life in Cuba after their Communist Revolution. -
El Salvador
This collection contains materials related to the liberation struggle in El Salvador. -
Guatemala
This collection contains materials detailing the revolutionary struggles in Guatemala, the role of Guatemalan women during the revolution and the United States role in Guatemalan politics. -
NACLA
North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1966 to research the political economy of the Americas and US policy towards the region. -
Nicaragua
These materials focus primarily on the Sandanistas and their struggle for national liberation. -
Struggles in Latin America
This collection contains materials from throughout Latin America. Detailed interviews, poems and accounts from the 1973 revolution in Chile, the Sandinista Contra conflict in Nicaragua, and from revolutionary forces El Salvador are all included.
Documents
Voices From Nicaragua: Sofia Clark
Date: 12/4/1989Call Number: LA 104AFormat: Cass AProducers: Grant Fisher, Barry CorngoldProgram: Voices From NicaraguaCollection: Nicaragua
In this interview with Sofia Clark, the Nicaraguan Liason to the Superior Electorial Council, Clark emotionally explains the situation of the contra war and the struggle to regester voters in the eve of the election. She tries to reveal the underbelly of “demobialization” and Violetta Chamorro’s intent to carry on her husband’s legacy. She also explains the involvement the UN will have on the election and the truth about US funding for UNO and the govt.
Nicaragua bebop
Unedited recording session of Rosario Murillo’s poem “I’ve had to tear up all the daily papers” read by Nina Serrano, accompanied by Stephen Herrick on sax. Rosario Murillo is the director of the association of Sandanista Cultural workers. The poem is dedicated to her husband, Daniel Ortega, the President of Nicaragua.
Voices From Nicaragua: U.N.O.
Call Number: LA 104BFormat: Cass BProducers: Barry CorngoldProgram: Voices From NicaraguaCollection: Nicaragua
In this compilation of voices exploring the gritty subject of the United National Oposition (Union Nacional Opositora) in Nicaragua, Edgar Chamorro, a distant relative of Violetta and Pedro, Thomas Walker, a political scientist, and Antonio Lacayo explore the UNO campaign. Subjects such as land reform, the invasion of Panama, CIA bribery and the Stanford Plan are addressed from various viewpoints.
Interview with William Leo Grand on Panama
Date: 12/29/1989Call Number: LA 085BFormat: Cass BProducers: Atlanta Committee for Latin AmericaProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Struggles in Latin America
This interview with William Leo Grand, a professor of government at the American University explores the dynamics of the recent US invasion of Panama. He explains the relationship of Noriega with the CIA, the relationship of Panama with Nicaragua and Cuba, nationalism in Panama and the predicted outcome of the invasion.
Nicaragua this week
Robin Singer, from the Atlantic Committee on Latin America, speaks about his recent trip to Nicaragua to deliver humanitarian aid. He talks about the aid program, worker-owned cooperatives, the burgeoning of small farms in the previous 10 years, and cooperatives defending themselves from CONTRA attacks. During his visit all heads of Central American states met in Honduras including a delegation from Nicaragua representing all 21 opposition parties and the Sandinistas. All the Central American states signed the Taylor Agreement ordering the disbanding of the CONTRAS. Also discussed are the U.S. economic embargo, internal Nicaraguan support for the Sandinistas, and projections for outcomes of the Taylor Agreement.
El Salvador In Focus
This tape includes a statement from the FMLN on the recent election in Nicaragua placing the UNO party in power. Military choppers bomb civilians and refuse to prosecute the pilots. Labor movement repression worsens. CDHES, the non-governmental Human Rights Commission of El Salvador, issue its statistics on civilian deaths for 1989. Miguel Ramirez, U.S. representative of the Union of Independent Unions and Associations of El Salvador, speaks about attempts to organize under the current state of siege.
El Salvador In Focus
Around 8000 refugees return from Honduras to El Salvador and suffer violent abuses from the military. People ask the Christiani government to intervene. Christiani introduces legislation to nullify the land reform decrees of 1980. If passed critics say this will hurt cooperatives and further consolidate land into the hands of the few. FMLN sees a positive side to the elections in Nicaragua. U.S. critics call it the victory of violence and intimidation. The report turns to Panama and the U.S. occupation post invasion, citing yet more human rights violations by the U.S. and cover up attempts.
Voice of Sandino
Sugar workers and sugar commission talks broke down. Government repealed a law that prohibited the commercialization of Christmas. Health ministry region declared that 2 children die everyday of illness. Hospitals in Managua are hit hard by bacteria resistant to antibiotics, bacteria was attributed to basic hygiene.
Poetry reading by Ernesto Cardenal
Poetry reading followed by a short question and answer dialogue from Father Ernesto Cardenal of Nicaragua. Poems, including "The Big Bang", "Wall and Water Street" and other pieces, are read in Spanish with English translation. Cardenal is known as one of the greatest living Latin American poets today. He wrote during the Samoza dictatorship and the Sandanista overthrow of Samoza in 1979. Through his poems, Cardenal brings together science and poetry, science and mysticism, mysticism and revolution, and poetry and politics. He speaks out against oppression and searches to preserve the unity of creation through spiritual insight. In a short question and answer period at the end of the reading, Cardenal discusses how Nicaraguan culture and revolution are entertwined and how poetry is an expression of the revolution. Cardenal also talks about his priesthood as a lifelong commitment and of poetry as a religious practice.
Interview with Luis Godoy
1989 interview with Nicaraguan revolutionary musician, Luis Godoy. Godoy was born in 1945 during the Samoza dictatorship. He speaks about the responsibility of an artist to send an important message and raise the consciousness of the people. Godoy then explained that from a very young age he realized that he could express the injustices of Nicaragua through songs, "I realized that my music could be used as a social tool". Throughout the interview, Godoy discusses those who have influenced his music, his involvement with past bands, and his visions for the future in both his musical career and for his country.
