2. Section 1: Maria Antonia Muniz-
Frontier Matriarch
Lived 1762 – 1870 in Uruguay (which was caught in
conflict between Brazil and Argentina
Status of frontier civilian / widowed matriarch
Chief activities of raising 13 children and managing
family estates
3. Maria Antonia Muniz (cont’d)
General History:
Issues of royalism vs. patriotism & empire vs. independence
overshadowed by conflict between countries and frontier life
Land of opportunity = land of danger
Lived during Spanish – American wars of 1810 brought profit
due to Brazilians moving across the borderland
Cattle and land were their livelihood
Suffered watching murders among children ultimately due to
political and economic unrest
Left a legacy of frontier, hard intense life, and maintaining
culture and family tradition in spite of hardships
4. Section 2: Carlota Lucia de Brito
Women, Power and Politics in
Northeast Brazil
Lived during mid-1800’s in Brazil
Mistress of Paraiban politician in small town of
Pernambuco, Brazil
PERNAMBUCO (home) >>
<< Pedro II (ruler of Brazil
during Carlota’s life)
5. Carlota Lucia de Brito (cont’d)
General history:
Gained political power through politician boyfriend
Survivor or refugee from drought in small town (1854) which
severely altered social and political conditions
Incurred conservative thirst for vengeance upon the plot of the
murder of a politician (fighting for honor)
Relevant to historical context due to the issues of:
Women’s rights
Family-based politics of Brazil at the time
Unrest of deciding between old ways and new ways
Mirrors impact of liberal vs. conservative and European versus
Iberian influences in Brazil
6. Section 3: Nicolas Zuniga y
Miranda – Mexican Sartre on the
Zocalo
Lived 1856 – 1927 during the rule of Porfirio Diaz in
Mexico
Earned prestige based on scientific inventions and
earthquake prediction jests (acquired the wealth of
politician status and ran against Diaz in 1896 and
1900)
Explanation of “bad faith” in the midst of political
growth (town drunks, negative impacts, etc.)
7. Nicolas Zuniga y Miranda (cont’d)
General History:
Represents one facet of political inconsistency and
satire during the turn of the nineteenth century
(standing against mainstream values)
Comical characteristics that deflected criticism of
colleagues and political opponents
Utilized streetcorner preaching and melodrama tactics
Represents an important stand against serious political
actors of his day – “sanctioned or not – he’s nobody’s
fool” ( Beezley, 74)
8. Section 4: Pedro Crespo – The
Rough and Tumble Career
Grew up in Temax, Mexico near the Gulf of Mexico
and lived from 1870 to late 1940
Humble village origins >> revolutionary prominent
military player
Stood with the establishment
<<Temax, Mexico (near Merida)
in the Gulf of Mexico >>
9. Pedro Crespo (cont’d)
General History:
Prime example of the conflict regarding what type of
people should be considered Mexican – the seriousness of
the conflict of the Mexican Revolution
Rising military leader able to bridge gaps between villagers
and political ends
Crespo = cautious policeman turned vengeful revolutionary
Became the Yucatan’s most successful insurgent at a time
when it was a political vacuum at the fall of Diaz
Represents a regional revolutionary hero who left a legacy
that remains critical to politics in Mexico
10. Section 5: Pagu: Patricia Galvao -
Rebel
Lived 1910-1962 in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Public Figure status – gained through her published
writings and politically agitating public displays
Occupied her life with absorbing political taboos and
turning contemporary ideologies of Sao Paulo around
11. Patricia Galvao (cont’d)
Monumental figure for:
Women’s rights
Elimination of poverty and class exploitation
Liberation from social norms
View of bourgeoisie politicians as “parasites”
Independence from “rich” aristocracies
Never shrank from consequences of idealism
Galvao lost friends, but impacted the “mental horizons”
of hundreds of thousands of people
12. Section 5 – Ofelia Dominguez
Navarro: The Making of a Cuban
Socialist-Feminist
Lived in Cuba during 1930’s through the global
frustrations of the depression
Politically active Cuban Woman, an example of
political voice - the prime of which was 1923-1946
Childhood = Cuba’s struggle for independence
Fought against “political immunity”
13. Ofelia Dominguez Navarro (cont’d)
Known for her political attitudes of
Significant for raising the question of women’s rights in
newly independent Cuba
Spoke before political assemblies about women’s rights
Helped form Union Laborista de Mujeres (REFORM)
Noted for understanding the psychology of her jailers while
imprisoned for political activism
Ofelia’s personal honesty and passion was an example of
horrendous political terror , as well as opportunity, for a
person who was meant for revolution regardless of her
circumstances
14. Section 5 – Ligia Parra Jahn: The
Blonde with the Revolver
Lived in Post WW2 Venezuela (late 1940’s)
During transformation to iron-fist gov’t of Jiminez
Part of the modest middle class, originally unaware of
political issues – but moved to awareness through a
government position of dental aid and social security
15. Ligia Parra Jahn (cont’d)
Significance of her story:
Mirrored conflicting old and new values of honor and
shame in tradition Venezuelan families through
illegitimate sexual relations
Acted “for all women” politically by shooting her ex-
partner on a personal account
Was released from jail early out of political discussion
being raised about women’s rights and her motivations
for killing Josebo
“In part, she was killing herself” by having sex before
marriage (Ewell, 221) – Shows the state of women’s rights
in the societal context of her relationship with Josebo
16. Section 6: Irma Muller
Lived through the 1980’s in Chile
Lost her son and future daughter-in-law in
“deseparacidos” during The Dirty Wars
Became a representative for justice through relatives’
associations of the “disappeared”
17. Irma Muller (cont’d)
Her story helped me to see that “what is political is
also personal”
Example of the intense sociopolitical climate that
caused the future election of a Marxist president in
Chile (Gossens in 1970)
“…silence is our worst enemy” – Muller
Spent her life committed to the exposure of the severe
torturous acts of the Chilean government during this
season of her life for the sake of the vindication of her
son and his fiancee
18. Section 6 - Leticia: A Nicaraguan
Woman’s Struggle
Lived through the 1980’s in Esteli, Nicaragua (two
hours from tobacco country) – a place of symbolic
significance for the excessive amount of conflict it
endured due to its opposition to the Nicaraguan gov’t
Grew up impoverished
Family tortured for opposing Somoza government
Life often touched by U.S. Contras vs. Nicaragua war
19. Leticia (cont’d)
Historical Significance of Leticia’s Story:
Demonstrated how politics is always personal
Showed the modern role of females at the time
Leticia left Nicaragua for emotional reasons relating to
her family, but ultimately the problems were caused by
tense and difficult external political circumstances
Esteli, her hometown, was a place that she was driven
out of due to political strains, but desired to return to
because for hope of a future
“Leticia’s problems are not separate or isolated from
those of her country”…The struggle continues.
20. Section 6 – Maria Ferreira dos
Santos
Set during early 1960’s in Sao Paulo Brazil
Member of Christian Base Community (normally the
least privileged class of society)
Concerned with stimulating political awareness and
action in her community through CEBs
21. Maria Ferreira dos Santos (cont’d)
Member of CEBs – social/politically active church
Maria was part of this religious response to oppression
Committed to the cause of justice through social action
through catholic church
Sees Jesus Christ as the “liberator of the poor and
oppressed” therefore He is the one who cultivates and
motivates her political action
Significant because these groups will never be
internationally recognized as political players – but
through people like Maria we see a huge role in “the
individual” and awareness raising in Latin America…Maria
shows that when people turn to Jesus for solutions, he
shows up. Religion is inseparable from people and politics
