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Abstract:
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Most countries of Latin America lived through long dictatorships before transitioning to
democracy in the late twentieth century. Who keeps the spirit of resistance alive during bleak
periods of intense repression? Who reaffirms the principles of democracy when they are violated
with impunity? In Panama, a clandestine weekly titled El Grito (The Cry), published during the
first four years of the military dictatorship installed in 1968, became a reliable source of
information, a vehicle of protest, and a mouthpiece of democratic education. Never divining that
those responsible for the clandestine publication were women, the military regime was unable to
stop it. Uncovering unknown details of the weekly, this paper retrieves the effort made by a
small group of middle-class women who did not identify with any political party and had no
financial support other than their own limited resources. We suggest that attention be paid to the
actors—often from relegated social groups—who keep the spirit of protest alive in countries
during long periods of political repression. We show that, contrary to general expectations, those
occupying subordinate positions in society may have an advantage in carrying out resistance
activities against authoritarian regimes. |
