The intersection of two different classes in a quarter is always a delightful thing for me. Seeing ideas I’m exploring simultaneously elsewhere has a reaffirming quality that enriches the experience in both classes. Interestingly enough, that;s more or less occurring right now with this class and Human Rights in Latin America. It can be difficult to link the anthropocene to much of the historic and structural background to the systematic deprivation of human rights south of the United States border. Rising seas did not kill Salvador Allende and massacres in El Salvador in the 80s were not brought about by desertification. However, other factors that still exist in the region today very much tie into the threat or impacts of human control of the environment. In Guatemala, super massive ranches, producing Chiquita and Dole bananas, force villages out of region to be replaced by African Palms. In some areas, such as Lake Atitlan in southeastern Guatemala, the lake has turned into acid and the forest has been stripped of fauna. As the environment is drawn more and more into a human centered one in Latin America, it seems the rights of the common people, particularly economic, social, and cultural rights, also become constricted. Human rights, and people’s ability to enjoy them, appear to be increasingly tied to the effects of the anthropocene. There are other connections, too. Violence in Latin America, as governments move from authoritarian regimes to fragile democracies, is rarely clearly state sponsored and often applied in such a way as to blur the line over who would be responsible or at fault for actions that often are ambiguous human rights violations themselves. It’s similar to the plight of climate refugees, from Pacific Islands and elsewhere, who find themselves slighted by the actions of the global human system but have little ability to finger blame at any tangible parties.
