Las guerrillas contemporáneas en América Latina. (Contemporary Guerrillas in Latin America)
Reviewed by Laura Torres, Arlington, MA -- Críticas, 2/15/2008
Prieto, Alberto.
Colombia/U.S.: Ocean Sur: Ocean Press. 2007. 479p. ISBN 978-1-921235-54-2. pap. $19.95. SOCIAL ISSUES
Guerilla fighters are largely considered to be either revolutionary heroes or, in more conservative circles, perpetuators of unnecessary violence. Prieto, a prolific Cuban author and professor of Latin American history, chronicles the history of modern guerilla movements as he sheds light on their internal strategies and reasoning. The author begins by outlining the key players, political moves, and lives sacrificed for the nascent movement during the globally tumultuous times of the late 1920s in countries such as Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Colombia. While many industrialized nations were heading toward economic depression, numerous guerilla groups were formed, spurred by poverty, political injustice, and U.S. and European imperialism. Of all these armed groups, Fidel Castro's was the most successful in implementing revolutionary ideas; and it was this success that inspired the continuation of guerilla ideals well into the 1980s. Prieto's strengths lie in his ability to tie in so many parallel ideological movements happening not only in Latin America but globally. Recommended for public and academic libraries, this title is particularly relevant in light of the new socialist presidents coming to power in various Latin American countries.
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