The Heart of the War in Colombia [Paperback]

Constanza Ardila Galvis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002 | ISBN-10: 1899365427 | ISBN-13: 978-1899365425

Colombia is in the grip of the longest-running civil war in Latin America. Thousands are killed each year, and one-and-a-half million have already been internally displaced.

This book brings to life the stories of ten of those caught up in the war, told in their own words. It aims to go beyond the statistics, to portray the culture of violence which permeates Colombia. This violence has consistently emanated predominantly from the most powerful in society; its victims are mainly the poor.

These life stories plunge us into the personal realm, putting forward one way that change may come about: that truth and memory can reconcile both victims and perpetrators of violence to a new beginning.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Kumarian Press (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1899365427
• ISBN-13: 978-1899365425
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,321,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A painful portrait of the poor in Colombia, July 11, 2002

By 

Bert Ruiz "Author" (Pleasantville, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Heart of the War in Colombia (Paperback)

This book is a chilling collection of voices first published in the UK. The accounts come from the very poor in Colombia. To that end, most of the voices are female. Journalist Constanza Ardila Galvis does an outstanding job of capturing the views of the poor in the Colombian countryside. However, she is guilty on two counts. One...the views are overwhelmingly pro-guerrilla and secondly her prose is too melodramatic. Nevertheless, this is an important book that documents the suffering of the rural and urban poor war inside Colombia. Two quotes stuck in my mind when I finished this book. The first was by Laura who said,"the hatred against those who persecute and murder us kept me in the struggle." And Angela who said, "I continue to be convinced we must keep dying, giving birth and bringing up soldiers for the revolution." On a positive note, all the voices in this book conclude that a non-violent and just solutions must be sought in Colombia. The bad news is that no one knows how to get there.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Examines the root causes of this deadly strife, May 12, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Heart of the War in Colombia (Paperback)

The Heart Of The War In Columbia by exiled Columbian journalist Constanza Ardila Galvis is a serious, sober look at the depths of human conflict in that very troubled Latin American country. Unequivocally characterizing the clash between the government and the guerrilla forces as the longest-running civil war in Latin America, The Heart Of War In Columbia examines the root causes of this deadly strife, the toll it takes upon people, and yet projects the enduring hope for the a better, peaceful future, one that stretches beyond the injustice of the present into a national comity for the generations to come. The Heart Of The War In Colombia is very highly recommended reading for students of contemporary Latin American studies in general, and the nation of Columbia in particular.