Map Of South America And North America - 1760 - a drawing by Louis Charles Desnos
Faces and Masks is the second volume of Eduardo Galeano's Memory of Fire
trilogy, covering the eighteenth and nineteen centuries. The author
narrates the history of America with a special focus on Latin America, a
narrative that will "reveal its multiple dimensions and penetrate its
secrets."
As with each volume, Faces and Masks is written in short entries, more than 300 in number, each entry about a half page in length.
For
both North America and South America, the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries were among the most brutal and tragic in the long saga of
human history. Eduardo includes some uplifting events and happenings,
but sadly, most of what is written about here reflects greed, hatred,
and unflinching stupidity.
To share a taste of what a reader will encounter, below are direct quotes taken from a number of entries along with my comments.
1701: Paris – Temptation of America
“In
his study in Paris, a learned geographer scratches his head. Guillaume
Deslile draws exact maps of the earth and the heavens. Should he include
El Dorado on the map of America?”
The question is a legitimate
one. After all, Walter Raleigh describes golden waters the size of the
Caspian Sea. And soldiers of fortune from Spain, Portugal, England,
France, and Germany have violated forests and tortured and murdered
thousands of Indians in search of the golden city of El Dorado. Eduardo
concludes his entry thusly:
“All seek the miracle. Beyond the
ocean, magical ocean that cleanses blood and transfigures destinies, the
great promise of all ages lies open. There, beggars will be avenged.
There, nobodies will turn into marquises, scoundrels into saints,
gibbet-fodder into founders, and vendors of love will become dowried
dèbutantes.”
This serves as a flagrant example of our common
human experience: chasing dreams that have no basis in reality with the
consequence of turning our backs on the intense suffering our illusions
inflict on others, especially if those others have their own customs and
beliefs, their own rituals and way of life. 
1717: Dupas Island – Portrait of the Indians
“Among
the Indians of Canada there are no paunches nor any hunchbacks, say the
French friars and explorers. If there is one who is lame, or blind, or
one-eyed, it is from a war wound. They do not know about property or
envy, says Pouchot, and call money the Frenchmen's snake.”
So,
the French encountered a people who were in excellent physical and
mental shape, who shared all their food and goods in common, who would
only eat when they were hungry (as opposed to set times), and marry and
have sex with whomever and whenever they wanted. In a word, a people who
were healthy and free.
Now, do you think the French opened up
their minds and hearts to these healthy people? Absolutely not! The
Indians were mere fodder for French proselytizing. And what was the
Indians' response when these free, happy people heard about
Christianity? Here are Eduardo's words.
“According to Brèbeuf,
the Indians cannot grasp the idea of hell. They have never heard of
eternal punishment. When Christians threaten them with hell, the savages
ask: And will my friends be there in hell?”
18th century print of Indians - notice how all are in excellent physical shape
1785 – Mexico City – Fiction in the Colonial Era
“The
viceroy of Mexico, Matías de Gálvez, signs a new edict in favor of
Indian workers. The Indians are to receive fair wages, good food, and
medical attention; and they will have two rest hours at noon, and be
able to change employers whenever they like.”
Hey, we have an instance where one European displays a sense of fairness and decency. I suspect Eduardo wrote his title, Fiction in the Colonial Era, with a touch of irony and black humor, knowing land owners and employers might not adhere to every detail of the new edict.
It
is now 2024. How have things changed in Latin America these past 250
years? Take bananas. Why are bananas so unbelievably cheep in the US?
One reason: in Ecuador, the largest exporter for bananas, the average
pay for an adult working in the banana field is $5.85 a day. The many
thousands of children working in the banana fields are not so fortunate.
According to one Human Rights Watch report, “In the course of
their work, child banana workers were exposed to toxic pesticides, used
sharp knives and machetes, hauled heavy loads of bananas, drank
unsanitary water, and some were sexually harassed.” And children form a
huge chunk of the banana workforce since they are paid much less than
adults - $3.50 a day.
1848: Villa of Guadalupe Hidalgo – The Conquistadors
“In
Washington, President Polk proclaims that his nation is now as big as
all Europe. No one can halt the onslaught of this young voracious
country. To the south and to the west, The United States grows, killing
Indians, trampling on neighbors, or even paying. It bought Louisiana
from Napoleon and now offers Spain a hundred million dollars for the
island of Cuba.
But the right to conquest is more glorious and
cheaper. The treaty with Mexico is signed in the Villa of Guadalupe
Hidalgo. Mexico cedes to the United States, pistol at chest, half of its
territory."
One historical fact few US schoolchildren learn
about American History: there was a time in the nineteenth century where
the US government payed bounty hunters good money for Indian scalps.
You can read all about this wretched practice in Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian - but you'll need a strong stomach.
1861: Havana – Sugar Hands
“Hands are needed for sugar. Blacks smuggled in via the Mariel, Cojímar, and Batabanó beaches are scarce and expensive.”
As
Eduardo notes, Cuba desperately needs more black slaves who are loyal
and meek, who will work long and hard out in scorching hot sugar fields
in order to support Cuban economic prosperity. This is one of many
entries addressing slaves brought from Africa to North and South
America. Another tragic fact schoolchildren will not read about in their
history textbook: over eight million Africans – women, men, and
children – died on the middle passage from Africa to the Americas.
Faces and Masks
isn't exactly a fun read But Eduardo Galeano has given us a book where
we can, if we're open, learn a good bit of history and that awareness, wisdom, and compassion will
always benefit ourselves and others at any time and in any place.
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