Cross and Sword

Revolutionaries

By Nelson Hedditch.

When the Spanish invaded South America in 1519 with the goal of colonization, they brought with them their most powerful weapon; the Catholic Church. Catholicism was forced upon the native people of Central and Southern America to allow the Spaniards to build their empire. However, the Revolutionary fervor which is sweeping through Latin America currently, dubbed the “red wave”, has captured the hearts and minds of the people and they are now beginning to rise up and denounce the politically assertive position of the Church in favor of new left -wing ideologies. Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador have already democratically elected new left-wing government systems which Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, has labeled “socialism for the 21st century.” In times of change, the Catholic Church is beginning to fear the repercussions of its history in Latin America.

The revolutionary legacy of leaders such as Che Guevara and Simon Bolivar was powerfully clear when, in October, 40 representatives from 22 countries around the world converged on Melbourne for the Latin American and Asia Pacific International Solidarity Forum.
 
 
The representatives expressed their unique struggle for change in their nations. What emerged was a resonant indigenous voice, passionately opposed to the United States imperialism and the political and economic agendas pursued by the Catholic Church. Two of the strongest voices of the Forum were: Bolivian representative of the National Coalition for the Defence of Water, Eduardo Yssa, and Christian Quechupan, an indigenous activist from Chile.
 
Eduardo was lean and skinny in stature but had an enormous presence on stage. Later, when he sat down for the interview, I could see the deep passion in his eyes and the pain that flickered across his face as he told me how “the Spanish came with the cross and a sword, along with the ideal of indigenous colonization”. Very serious about the issue and the state of Bolivia, Eduardo’s intense drawing eyes made no lie about his beliefs and how much he wanted me to believe them too. Without blinking he looked me directly in the eye and told me that the key to the Spaniard’s success in colonizing Bolivia was found in the “brainwashing of the indigenous masses with Catholic ideals”.
 
The Twenty First Century has rejuvenated indigenous people throughout South America. Grass-root movements in Bolivia put extreme pressure on its oil and water companies as well as its shareholders, one of which is the Catholic Church. As the Bolivian socialist left came to power in the democratic elections held in January 2006 their new leader, Evo Morales, was the first indigenous American to become president. In a radical decision influenced by the call of the indigenous, Morales, a dedicated catholic, passed a new law stating that Catholicism was no longer recognized as the national religion. Eduardo said to me that “this law helped to break the old mentality imposed upon us by the Spaniards and promote autonomy”.
 
A similar attitude has arisen in Chile towards the Church. Indigenous Chilean human rights activist Christian Quechupan informed me of the Church’s role in indigenous repression throughout Chilean History.
 
Christian had a very humble and gracious demeanor. He wore traditional emblems and clothes, which showed the innocence of the indigenous and was, I believe, representative of the Chilean people’s struggle. Christian spoke with raw emotion about the Chilean military dictatorship implemented in 1883 when, “all the native indigenous American people, known as the Mapuchu, had their lands stolen and placed into the hands of the state and the Catholic Church”.
 
Crossed swords
 
A process known as “Pacification” was created by a Catholic Bishop and carried out by the Chilean state to convert the indigenous people to Catholicism. This was done, Christian said, so “they (the Church) could privatize the industry developments on those lands into the hands of the church.” Christian pressed upon me that “The military was not the most advanced or effective weapon for the Chilean dictatorship but religion was their best weapon of widespread indoctrination”.
 
The circle of privatization in Chile and Latin America has been supported by the Church investing in private health and private education. According to Christian this is where “the (Church’s) beliefs are indoctrinated among the communities and thus allowed to keep profiting off their faith”.
 
Christian noted also that when Cuba offered thousands of free healthcare services and educational scholarships to Venezuela, Chile and Bolivia in 2002 the Church did everything in its power to stop the Cuban initiatives so as to “preserve their economic strongholds on those services”.
 
“The capital reward is so great for the church that their economic expenditure supports the political campaigns of right-wing conservative parties” says Christian, “whose only aim is to increase the economy, no matter what the cost.” The type of revolution that seems to be washing over Latin America currently has promoted the ideals of self determination and nationalism as an alternative to right wing governments funded by the Catholic Church and conservative US investors.
 
As the indigenous people of these lands continue to claim their sovereignty, the plight of Catholicism and the Church, although still extremely prominent in South America, no longer serves the same interests or agendas as the newly democratically elected socialist governments. As Bolivian activist Eduardo Yssa told me, “We are trying to build a society where healthcare and education is free to all people, and not just reserved for the elite, which the church has tried to do in the past”.
 
On the future of the Catholic Church in Latin America, Eduardo so passionately expressed to me that “in times of change, if the church doesn’t accommodate to the call of the people they will lose all they have” I think it’s our role as such fortunate and informed Australian citizens to question the role of all religious groups in society when their service goes beyond a spiritual bond and enters a capitalist framework.

 

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