Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent Kindle Edition

Masterpiece!!As I grow older I continue to unlearn the propaganda, lies, half-truths and omissions the American school system poured into my head. The corporate media and the largely ignorant masses who surrounded me, of course, helped to propagate and reinforce this misinformation so that by the time I reached adulthood I was as stupid, misinformed and biased as everyone else. How easy the sheep are led!!Along the way, by sheer dumb luck, I begin to meet certain rare individuals who knew what was happening and went through certain life experiences that caused me to question everything I thought I knew and believed in. It was a traumatic time in my life. At first I resisted the truth. How could everything my teachers, parents, friends, the media and various authoritarian figures told me be wrong??? Once the truth stuck its foot in my door I was finally forced to question everything and forced also to search for the truth on my own. Its something everyone must do if they really want to know reality.One source of the truth can be found in certain select books and their authors who are courageous enough to face the powers of falsehood and deception. Galeano's "Open Veins" is one such book. It, together with Howard Zinn's People's History, should replace all the current history books in our schools and should be required reading for the President of the US and all the others who hold the fate of our nation and the world in their hands. That is why Hugo Chavez gave it to Obama, hoping it would be read so that the leader of the US might gain some modicum of understanding about the history of Latin America. I doubt he ever read it.This book is packed border to border with facts, figures and accounts all duly documented with a bibliography nearly as long as the book itself. How one man could put together, assemble such a wealth of information, in one book of 300 pages is mind-boggling. I knew our government's foreign policy record in Latin America was bad but didn't know how bad. Now, I know--and it has left me saddened and exasperated because there is no way we can undo the injustices of six hundred years--not even a way we can change the current and future policies that perpetuate those injustices for those who hold power are too entrenched.My thanks and gratitude to Galeano, a giant of a man, through whose book I now know the history of Latin America--through whose book I now know the truth."And There I Was" by DH Koester

A must read in order to begin to understand how we as the ugly Americans have pillaged Latin America and installed dictators over the years in order to maintain order so as to continue to drain all the natural resources and make these countries dependent economies. All this done to enhance the wealth of our corporations and our banks. Shameful that we treat the few people that present themselves at our borders like criminals and their children like animals! We owe them a lot and they deserve better treatment from us.

Eduardo Galeano died in April, 2015. He was a Uruguayan journalist, best-selling author, and one of the most prominent Latin American writers. This book about the last five centuries of Latin American history focuses on the genocide, abuse and exploitation that started with the Spanish conquistadors and colonization. It continued with foreign economic domination of the banana republics and the brutal dictators -- many imposed and supported by the CIA -- during the twentieth century. Open Veins of Latin America was initially banned in several Latin American nations, including Uruguay.Galeano’s thesis is that Latin America, “has specialized in losing ever since those remote times when Renaissance Europeans ventured across the ocean and buried their teeth in the throats of the Indian civilizations. Centuries passed, and Latin America perfected its role…our region still works as a menial…Latin America is the region of open veins. Everything, from the discovery until our times, has always been transmuted into European – and later United States – capital, and as such has accumulated in distant centers of power…The history of Latin America’s underdevelopment is an integral part of world capitalism’s development.”The pre-Columbian population of the Americas totaled no less than 70 million when the foreign conquerors arrived. A century and half later, they had been reduced to 3.5 million, just five percent of the original number. It was a virtual death sentence for millions of indigenous peoples who were forced to work in the mines, clawing out gold, silver, and other metals for shipment to Europe. When there weren’t enough Indian slaves, millions of Africans were imported to work the mines and plantations. The African death rate in Latin America was far higher than in the United States.Pope Francis, the first Latin American Pope, apologized for his Church’s role in the colonial invasion of the Western Hemisphere and the violent subjugation of its indigenous inhabitants. “Many grave sins were committed against the Native people of America in the name of God,” Pope Francis said. “I humbly ask for forgiveness, not only for the offense of the church itself, but also for crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America.”The Pope’s critique of capitalism echoes Galeano’s. It is said that Pope Francis has embraced liberation theology, which led Christian resistance to the right-wing regimes in Latin America during the 1970s and 80s. The Pope calls upon us to rethink capitalism, indicting the global economic system with its “deified market” that vastly enriches a few while leaving billions behind in misery. Galeano asserts that the economic system is Latin America has almost always enriched a few while leaving the masses in abject poverty. In short, Francis and Galeano are singing from the same hymnal.One fascinating event Galeano describes is how in 1864, Paraguay was invaded in “a war of extermination which was the most infamous chapter in South American history.” The government of Paraguay had been the most progressive in Latin America, fomenting internal development using protectionism and without foreign investment. Britain encouraged Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to invade their neighbor. The war lasted five years, killed more than 80 percent of the Paraguayan population, and led to the annexation of large parts of the country by Brazil and Argentina.Though formal colonization had ended in Latin America, foreign domination did not. U.S. President William H. Taft said in 1912 that the correct path in foreign policy “may well be made to include active intervention to secure for our merchandise and our capitalists opportunity for profitable investment.”Looking at just tiny Panama, American troops intervened there twenty times, most recently in the invasion of 1989. The US occupied Haiti for twenty years. Marine General Smedley D. Butler, who had led many military expeditions south of the border, said in 1935 that, “I spent my time being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street, and for the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.”When Latin Americans resisted brutal oligarchies, the US typically backed the generals, such as the notorious Anastasio Somoza in Nicaragua, who ruled from 1932-1944. The US overthrew the democratically elected reform government in Guatamala in 1954, and this led to 15 years of violence.Economic development in Latin America, Galeano writes, has been held back by producing only certain crops, such as bananas, sugar cane, and coffee, by the lack of agrarian reform and by dependence on Britain or the US. His heroes are the land reformers, who inevitably faced foreign opposition and reversal of reform, such as the liberator Simon Bolivar, Jose Arrigas in Argentina, and Emiliano Zapata in Mexico. Both the US and Britain long used tariffs to protect their infant industries from foreign competition, while pressuring Latin America to lower it tariffs for British or American goods. In other words, do as I say, not as I do.Several chapters in the book are devoted to the Twentieth Century, focusing on the American desire for oil, iron ore, copper and other metals. Latin Americans got little of the benefit from the sale of their natural resources -- workers got very low pay, and the governments typically got modest tax revenues or concession payments – while the profits went to the multinational corporation that controlled the process. Dictators “hawked the country to foreign capitalists as a pimp offers a woman.” In this way, countries rich in natural resources remained poor. “What Latin America sells gets constantly cheaper and what is buys gets constantly dearer.” Thus economic inequality grows.If there were any benefits to Latin Americans from economic domination, other than for a few oligarchs, Galeano does not mention them. He does not acknowledge the improvements in Latin American living standards and life expectancy that have occurred despite the obstacles, though it is true Latin America remains relatively poorer than North America.Some readers will take exception to Galeano’s sympathy for Castro, and may be uncomfortable with the forward by Isabel Allende, who describes how the democratically elected president of Chile – Salvador Allende -- was overthrown by the CIA in 1973, installing General Pinochet and his long and brutal reign.These reservations aside, Galeano is a gifted story-teller who can turn a phrase, and if he is a dangerous radical, then so is the Pope. ###

Despite being written in the 1970s the point of the narrative is to tell the history without the cover ups told by USA history book writers. It does not occur to us history is written by the victors. What really happened is far uglier and provides a better view into how we can do better moving forward. We shouldn't fear the truth or sanitize it. It's a difficult read in the sense that it hurts to see how our government contributed to the destruction of democracy in other countries. Worthy of the time to read. It's not a dry history book but a soulful rendition of voices lost to us.

An interesting book on the history of Latin America from the arrival of Europeans to the 1970s, organised sort-of thematically. It's very ashamedly not a pleasant read in terms of the brutality inflicted on the region - although the victimhood aspect, and placing blame entirely on external factors is arguably taken a bit too far. There is apparently more beneath the surface of the story than the author has revealed.It should also be said that the book is let down by the strong bias of the author, who mentions adoringly his meetings with people like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Liberal or right-wing governments are automatically branded brutal, capitalist, murderous; left-wing governments are depicted as heroic, brave, compassionate (even when suppressing the population). Violence and oppression directed against innocent people is conspicuously ignored or glorified as necessary if perpetrated by socialists, yet openly criticised and described in graphic detail when enacted by non-socialists. The free market is clearly a bad thing, except when undertaken by left-wing governments when suddenly it is a good thing. The US and Europe are simultaneously berated for asset stripping and neglecting the region, and for heavily investing in and supporting the region.

If you want to understand why Latin America is as it is this book is indispensable. Galeano describes how native Amerindians and slaves from Africa were systematically exploited by the conquistadores for their own enrichment. 19th century independence did nothing to change this as it was granted to the imperialist elites, not the native inhabitants. He documents in sometimes excruciating detail the extent of this pillage. It made Europe rich and Latin America poor. The legacy remains in that the self same elites own the vast majority of the assets and continue to dominate politics.Galeano was a committed Marxist until his final years which gives the book a polemical style that ultimately becomes exhausting. One can only put up with so many crimes against humanity, but the central thesis is persuasively argued.

This book provides an interesting insight to the history of Latin America, from the 17th century onwards. It's a history that is rarely discussed, so the book has great potential. Unfortunately, it is ruined throughout with a significant bias. I'm not disputing the majority of the facts in the book, it's more of how they're portrayed by the author. There's a great dislike towards first Europeans, and later Americans, and the book refuses to acknowledge any benefit provided by them, rather focussing on any negative aspects. There's also an obvious bias towards the left, instantly branding any government on the right as brutal or dictators, and praising any on the left.Further, the book is hardly a page-turner, taking great time to go through the chapters, littered with smaller sub-chapters.The history of Latin America, and the undoubted 'pillage' is a story that needs to be told, however it needs to be told in a fair and open way, taking into consideration the benefits of foreign investment and the admittance of local failures, and unfortunately this book fails to do this regularly.

Amazing Amazing Amazing 3x. Definitely it is an art. This book is a monument. Many friends from around the world asked me about Latin America. If they really want to know about it, it is the book I always recommend. I bought 3 copies: one for myself and two others for a good friends. You will learn not only everything about Latin America, you will learn a lot about the real Europe, the history of Europe that is not in "official" Books. Then you will learn what is the United States of AmeriK.K.K.a. But if you are fool enough to watch mainstream news, forget about it, it is a book that tell the truth without illusion! I wish that every young person in Latin America had read this book, our world would get better.

An excellent book! one of my favourites and in my my opinion a must read for all Latin Americans. Very good and very thorough, however it is a sad book to read as time and time again he outlines the poverty and barbaric treatment endured by the poor and dispossessed in relentless and lyrical detail."The most heartening response came not from the book pages in the press but from real incidents in the streets. The girl who was quietly reading Open Veins to her companion in a bus in Bogotá, and finally stood up and read it aloud to all the passengers. The woman who fled from Santiago in the days of the Chilean bloodbath with this book wrapped inside her baby’s diapers. The student who went from one bookstore to another for a week in Buenos Aires’s Calle Corrientes, reading bits of it in each store because he hadn’t the money to buy it. And the most favorable reviews came not from any prestigious critic but from the military dictatorships that praised the book by banning it." (Afterword by Eduardo Galeano)An important book and one I'd recommend to everyone, read, learn and understand.