Voices of Resistance : Testimonies of Cuban and Chilean Women

Latin American women were among those who led the suffrage movements of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and their opposition to military dictatorships has galvanized more recent political movements throughout the region. But because of the continuous attempts to silence them, activists have struggled to make their voices heard. At the heart of Voices of Resistance are the testimonies of thirteen women who fought for human rights and social justice in their communities. Some played significant roles in the Cuban Revolution of 1959, while others organized grassroots resistance to the seventeen-year Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. Though the women share many objectives, they are a diverse group, ranging in age from thirty to eighty and coming from varied ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Cuban and Chilean women Judy Maloof interviewed use the narrative form to reinvent themselves. Maloof includes narratives from a poet, a tobacco worker, a political prisoner, an artist, and a social worker to demonstrate the different faces of their struggle. In the process, these women were able to begin to put together their fragmented lives. Speaking out is both a means for personal liberation and a political act of protest against authoritarian regimes. The bond that these women have is not simply that they have suffered; they share a commitment to resisting violence and confronting inequities at great personal risk. At The Heart Of Voices Of Resistance Are The Testimonies Of Thirteen Women Who Fought For Human Rights And Social Justice In Their Communities. Some Played Significant Roles In The Cuban Revolution Of 1959 That Overthrew Batista, While Others Organized Grassroots Resistance To The Seventeen-year Pinochet Dictatorship In Chile. Each Woman's Story Helps Break The Silence Of Generations Of Marginalized Latin American Women. The Bond That These Women Have Is Not Simply That They Have Suffered; They Share A Commitment To Resisting Violence And Confronting Inequities At Great Personal Risk. Together, They Represent A Women's Movement In Latin America That Has The Potential To Reshape The Region's Political Future.--jacket. Women And The Cuban Revolution -- Naty Revuelta : Cultural Worker -- Aída Pelayo : Schoolteacher And Revolutionary -- María Antonia Carrillo : Afro-cuban Dance Troupe Director And Artist -- Zoila Elisa Alfonso González : Tobacco Worker And Union Organizer -- Nancy Morejón : Afro-cuban Poet And Journalist -- Belkis Vega : Documentary Film Maker -- Toward An Interpretation Of Cuban Testimonies -- Chilean Women And Human Rights -- Elena Maureira : Speaker On Behalf Of The Disappeared -- Mirta Crocco : Social Worker And Community Activist -- Elena Pinilla : Domestic Worker And Political Militant -- Alicia Oyarsún : Military Wife And Mother Of Political Prisoner -- Rosa Alfaro : Secretary And Widow Of Slain Youth Leader -- Belinda Zubecueta : Political Prisoner -- Chiloé Sasso : Student Living In Exile -- Political Awareness In Chilean Testimonies -- Conclusion : Self-fashioning Through Narration. Edited And Translated By Judy Maloof. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [240]-248] And Index.