Don't Be Afraid Gringo

<p><strong>Here is a voice seldom heard the voice of Latin America's majority those who bear the burdens of society. If we are to understand Honduras Central America or for that matter Latin America we must listen attentively to this voice. It has much to teach us. It commands the future. --E. Bradford Burns Professor of History UCLA</strong></p><p><em>Don't be Afraid Gringo</em> is the award-winning oral history of Elvia Alvarado a courageous <em>campesina </em>[peasant] activist in Honduras the poorest country in Central America. Trained by the Catholic Church to organize women's groups to combat malnutrition Alvarado began to question why campesinos were malnourished to begin with. Her growing political awareness her travels by foot over the back roads of Honduras and her conversations with people from all over the country have given her insights into the internal workings of her society that far surpass those of the majority of campesinos who have never ventured from their villages. Working as a campesino organizer Alvarado has led dangerous land recovery actions in an effort to enforce the national land reform laws. As a result of these actions she has been harassed jailed and tortured at the hands of the Honduran military.</p> <p>Skillfully translated and edited by Medea Benjamin an expert on Central America <em>Don't Be Afraid Gringo</em> takes us into the heart of campesino struggle and political conflict in Honduras today.</p>