Timnath Serah (and what comes before)

like a knife in the gut

Posted on berto.ca

Well I am back in Santa Cruz. The visit out to Ipati was defiantly interesting. I will try to post pictures for you when I get home. There are so many things about these people whom my parents are working with; that I just couldn’t believe. For one thing their indentured slavery only ended in 1994. As I understand it this is what let to their long standing captivity. When the Spaniards conquered much of Latin America many of it original inhabitants became slaves to the conquistadors. As the land was divided up many of the land owners (lords) used the slaves within their lands to work in their fields. As revolution led to independence the new ruling class were the wealthy (many of the old lords were extremely making them part of the ruling class). Though the slaves were supposed to be freed after the independence many were kept as indentured slaves. They were kept in captivity because the patrones (land owners) claimed that they were owed money for rent and food and other thing which they provided for their “workers”. Though the slaves received a wage for their work it was never enough to cover their debt to the patron. They were kept in captivity till 1994 when an NGO (non governmental organization) paid their debt and set them free. Just mind blowing that a group of people could remain in this condition for so long. I know that this is something that still goes on today but as is our human nature when you are put face to face with the reality of our world, it somehow becomes more real. Its crazy the consequences that we bring upon each other by or very actions.

posted by Lauren @ Thursday, January 05, 2006