Open veins of Latin America — Eduardo Galeano

The history of Latin America is a perfect example of the exercise of power that happened throughout the century XVI (distinguishing between many of the events, the conquest).

In order to discuss the system used by Spanish soldiers (which clearly represents the use of power in form of manipulation) in Latin America, some questions are answered (with respect to Eduardo Galeano’s text “Open Veins of Latin America”). Also, some information of Foucault’s ideas of discourse which were discussed in the previous publication are presented.

Questions and answers to Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano.

1. What was the “Requerimiento”? Why did it exist?

The “Requerimiento” was a system in which Spanish soldiers exhorted indigenous people for them to convert to the catholic religion, if they didn’t do it, the spanish were “obligated” to possess everything of the indigenous person.

This process existed because by XVI slavery was abolished for indigenous people. Basically the requerimiento was created in order to keep slavery without it being called like that. (They just created a consequence system.)

2. 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”. Considering Foucault’s idea of discourse, why do you think Galeano writes this? How could Latin America, a geographical area populated by ancient cultures, be “invented”?

Galeano writes this because Latin America was seen by europeans as a source of resources. Europeans saw Latin America as a hollow place, a place with humans but not humanity, lack of urban development and as a source of zero knowledge but in reality, they just cherished different things as a discourse. Spanish population had a different type of ideas and them bringing inventions (different things that they cherished) is why Galeano says that Latin America is “invented”.

“No nos dominaran por la fuerza, sino por la ignorancia.”

− Simón Bolívar