Description
Book SynopsisThis book explores the significance of remembering the rescuers denouncing human rights crimes and protecting targeted victimsâincluding the deadâduring the Cold War state violence in Latin America. It moves past a victim â perpetrator dichotomy to focus on those whose righteous acts were beacons for good in the midst of extreme violence.
Trade ReviewThe least noticed aspect of genocide is the courageous resistance that is often put up to save the victims. This collection shows how victims were helped during Cold War violence in Latin American countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. The rich exploration of historical cases enhances our general understanding of "rescue", showing that it is not just a matter of bystander intervention but of solidarity among victims. This is an important collection that deserves a wide readership. -- Martin Shaw, emeritus, University of Sussex
A much-needed and relevant collection of essays on a rarely studied topic—rescuers of human rights violations in Cold War Latin America. Who were the rescuers and how and why did they risk their lives to save others? By examining cases arising in a number of national contexts, the volume provides a valuable contribution to previous discussions about the figure of the “rescuer” and the political and moral duty to remember that have long characterized Holocaust studies. It explores the tension between a historically and geographically broader reading of acts of humanity on one hand, and concrete historical contexts on the other, delivering hopeful and inspiring insights.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Why Remember the Rescuers in Latin America? Marcia Esparza and Zachary McKiernan Chapter 1: Rescued From Fear: The Sebastian Acevedo Movement Against Torture in Chile Christopher Ney Chapter 2: Bending the Rules: An Ambassador's Quest to Save Lives Pascale Bonnefoy Chapter 3: The Santo Tomás Chichicastenango's Municipal Firefighters: "Green Pines Covering the Dead Bodies" Marcia Esparza, Stephanie Alfaro and Kristy Sanandres Chapter 4: Strategic Rescue Responses to Genocide: The Guatemalan Case Roddy Brett Chapter 5: Between Memory and Oblivion: The Cases of Eureka and Afadem Isabel de León Olivares, Maribel Rivas-Vasconcelos and Miriam Rodriguez Chapter 6: From Rescue to Solidarity: (Re) Humanizing Relationships for Social Transformation Jenny Escobar and Angie Tamayo Chapter 7: Argentine Rescuers: A Study on the "Banality of Good" Jessica Casiro Conclusion: On the Moral Value of Rescue and Remembering Rescuers: Conceptualizing Rescue in the Latin American Context Jeffrey Blustein About the Contributors and Editors
