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Ladino
The Spanish word compañero literally translates to “companion.” In this sense, at the beginning of Rigoberta’s story, it refers to members of Rigoberta’s Maya-Quiché community. Later on, the term is increasingly used in a political context to mean “comrade,” as Rigoberta’s becomes involved in revolutionary groups. These include the CUC, labor unions, and other political organizations that promote solidarity and comradeship. The phrase “compañeros in the mountains” specifically refers to guerrilla groups.
Compañero Quotes in I, Rigoberta Menchú
The I, Rigoberta Menchú quotes below are all either spoken by Compañero or refer to Compañero. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 15
Quotes
We began thinking, with the help of other friends, other compañeros, that our enemies were not only the landowners who lived near us, and above all not just the landowners who forced us to work and paid us little. It was not only now we were being killed; they had been killing us since we were children, through malnutrition, hunger, poverty. We started thinking about the roots of the problem and came to the conclusion that everything stemmed from the ownership of land. The best land was not in our hands. It belonged to the big landowners. Every time they see that we have new land, they try to throw us off it or steal it from us in other ways.
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Chapter 29
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Well, the compañeras had to go to a cheap hotel after the presentation. This is what hurts Indians most. It means that, yes, they think our costumes are beautiful because it brings in money, but it’s as if the person wearing it doesn’t exist. Then they charge the people who go to the festival a lot for their tickets and get a lot of money from the presentation of the queens. Everyone has to pay to go in. Only people with money can go.
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Chapter 31
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But in this respect I’ve met serious problems when handing out tasks to those compañeros, and I’ve often found it upsetting having to assume this role. But I really believed that I could contribute, and that they should respect me. […] It doesn’t mean you dominate a man, and you mustn’t get any sense of satisfaction out of it. It’s simply a question of principle. I have my job to do just like any other compañero. I found all this very difficult and, as I was saying, I came up against revolutionary compañeros, compañeros who had many ideas about making a revolution, but who had trouble accepting that a woman could participate in the struggle, not only in superficial things but in fundamental things. I’ve also had to punish many compañeros who try to prevent their women taking part in the struggle or carrying out any task.
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A leader must be someone who’s had practical experience. It’s not so much that the hungrier you’ve been, the purer your ideas must be, but you can only have a real consciousness if you’ve really lived this life. I can say that in my organization most of the leaders are Indians. There are also some ladinos and some women in the leadership. But we have to erase the barriers which exist between ethnic groups, between Indians and ladinos, between men and women, between intellectuals and non-intellectuals, and between all the linguistic areas.
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Compañero Term Timeline in I, Rigoberta Menchú
The timeline below shows where the term Compañero appears in I, Rigoberta Menchú. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 23: Political Activity in Other Communities. Contacts with Ladinos
...from her family in over a year, but she learned to find support among the compañeros of the CUC, who became like a family to her. As she stayed in different...
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Chapter 24: The Torture and Death of Her Little Brother, Burnt Alive in Front of Members of His Family and the Community
...for his son. He left the next day. Rigoberta’s mother, in the meantime, brought the “compañeros in the mountains” (the guerrillas) Petrocinio’s clothes. She resolved not to cry in front of...
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Chapter 25: Rigoberta’s Father Dies in the Occupation of the Spanish Embassy. Peasants March to the Capital
...Rigoberta ran into her father by chance. He praised her in front of all the compañeros of the CUC, asked them to be a father to her if he died, and...
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...died at the hands of torturers. Mostly, she grieved the death of so many valuable compañeros, who were simply fighting to defend their needs and dignity. In addition, she initially believed...
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One compañero who survived the event was later kidnapped from the hospital where he was recovering. The...
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Chapter 27: Kidnapping and Death of Rigoberta’s Mother
Rigoberta’s mother was kidnapped on April 19, 1980. After the death of eight compañeros from the village in the Spanish embassy, she decided to return to the Altiplano to...
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Chapter 28: Death
...violence. Given how insufferable the political-military situation had become, Rigoberta supported the work of the “compañeros in the mountains” (the guerrillas), who were ready to die to defend their community’s way...
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Chapter 31: Women and Political Commitment. Rigoberta Renounces Marriage and Motherhood
...join the fight. Rigoberta insists that women leaders must not seek domination over their male compañeros but must always be willing to engage in dialogue with them.
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...Part of her fear about getting married, she admits, derives from having seen so many compañeros die, and anticipating the grief she would feel if her husband died in similar circumstances.
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Chapter 34: Exile
Finally, the compañeros succeeded in helping Rigoberta leave the country for Mexico. Abroad, Rigoberta met many people who...
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Rigoberta was joined in Mexico by some Guatemalan compañeros, including her little sister, and was overjoyed. At the age of eight, her sister secretly...
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...cause, and that she is ready to give her life in the name of her compañeros. Convinced that only the masses are capable of changing society, she believes in the possibility...
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Translator's Note
...politically charged manner to indicate people who support an oppressive racial system. The second is compañero, which means “companion” but also acquires a more political meaning (“comrade”) as Rigoberta becomes more...
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