Week 12 readings enclose a very important topic for Latin America, human rights. At the beguining of the chapter, Dawson metions how difficult it has been for the governmental institutions to implement order, law and loyalty in their people; therefore, the use of violence and uncountable wars as a form of control. Ofcourse this makes a state weak.

The first example given is the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, as a product of the wars in which the authoritarian states make disapear any type of oposition. I think this is one characteristic that Latin American countries have in common. All countires share difficult war stories, grief of the working class, thousands of murders, and “dissapearences”. None of them is less important than the other or less painful. I particulary feel horrified with this part of our history, it seems so  inhumane and hard to believe someone could support those acts, yet they happened a lot of times in Latin America. This is also why it I found no surprise in the fact that foreign journalist started to writte sympathetic pieces about the Madres, even some artist began writting songs and poems about the Madres. Humans can be so empathetic and so unforgiving with people’s lives at the same time.

The Video “Where Are our Children?” clearly shows the demands of the Madres. You can feel the  passion, their anguish, their sorrow. Again, women are the ones that have to put up with war, they suffer war, some participate, and sympathize with with the warriors, but most of them dont understand war, and they curse them. Personally, I don’t understand war, I will always think there must be an alternative. These women just confim that it is impossible to win a war. In wars we all lose lifes, dreams and we just bring desolation and grief. Maybe we needede the perspective of a mother to highlight even more the impacts of war and Violence on the people. Revolutionary Women’s Law is the second document and goes really well with empowering  women. I really liked this one, I felt it was really idealistic but very much needed in that time. It was definitely a call for transformation of the social relations.

The last chapter of the book gave us an insight of the violence and difficult situations Latin American countries had to face. But at the same time it showed how people can stand up an fight for Human Rights. There is always hope. Latin America always have hope for the future.