• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.41
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• pp.199-227
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• 2015

In the twenty-first century, one of the most controversial issues concerns neoliberal policies and its results. In particular, since the mid-1980s, the United States and international financial institutions have imposed their programs on Latin American countries. The result is a deepening social inequality in Latin America that puts an emphasis on financial stability instead of social security. Consequently, social inequality is worsened and an imbalance in income distribution took place. Because of the flexibility of labor, the middle class is destroyed. For the poor person deprived of the opportunity to rise, violence is a common occurrence in daily life. Thus, in this context, Eduardo Galeano raises the necessity of a critique concerning the values that neoliberalism regards as important. Furthermore, Galeano is also wary of the "militarization of neoliberalism." This is because the neoliberal multinationals motivate a war without borders under the guise of peace. Neo-liberal policies also contribute to environmental pollution. However, environmental vandalism, which happens in partnership with large and international organizations, is not readily apparent to the public because those perpetrators wore a "green mask." Hence, Galeano assiduously endeavors to undercover the false consciousness hiding behind the green mask. Thus, in brief summary, Galeano represents in his works a depiction about Latin America where violence often happens in daily life.

• Iberoamérica
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.25-57
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• 2020

Eduardo Galeano is a left-wing intellectual who led the criticism and accusations of dictatorship and social absurdity in Latin America. It digs into the truth of hidden history that has not been revealed in official history. He values the memory of history to stop repetition of the unfortunate history of the past. The main research topic of this study, 『The Book of Embraces』, is also an extension of such work. Most of the stories in this work depend on the writer's memory. There is no coherence or integration in the content of the story, and the length of the text is not constant, so it is extremely informal and fragmented. This is a strategy to formally reveal the illogical and irrational reality of Latin America. He analyzes the problems of the separation system prevalent in Latin American society from various perspectives. It separates me and the others as well as the past and the present. It makes the memory of history void and paralyzes the consciousness of history. These systems are fixed for convenient governance. In this situation, the pattern of violence becomes more explicit and broad. The anxiety and fear of the Latin American public become commonplace. It is a reality of enduring daily life without hope. Galeano finds this enduring force in historical memory. He believes that when the past and the present meet and embrace, a new history of the future can be encountered. Galeano does not just criticize reality or cynical attitude but also suggests hope for the future.