Remembering the Rescuers of Victims of Human Rights Crimes in Latin America

Reviews / Votes

The least noticed aspect of genocide is the courageous resistance that is often put up to save the victims. This collection shows how victims were helped during Cold War violence in Latin American countries including Guatemala, El Salvador, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. The rich exploration of historical cases enhances our general understanding of "rescue", showing that it is not just a matter of bystander intervention but of solidarity among victims. This is an important collection that deserves a wide readership. -- Martin Shaw, emeritus, University of Sussex A much-needed and relevant collection of essays on a rarely studied topic-rescuers of human rights violations in Cold War Latin America. Who were the rescuers and how and why did they risk their lives to save others? By examining cases arising in a number of national contexts, the volume provides a valuable contribution to previous discussions about the figure of the "rescuer" and the political and moral duty to remember that have long characterized Holocaust studies. It explores the tension between a historically and geographically broader reading of acts of humanity on one hand, and concrete historical contexts on the other, delivering hopeful and inspiring insights. -- Nina Schneider, Global South Study Center (GSSC), University of Cologne