Defense and rise
Drawing from October 2019 and 2020
The first part is a comic I drew after my defense. It was many things going on and after one year I can said it was an awesome journey that finished in an explosive way. Thanks to everyone who was part of it.
This translation is from a text written in 2019:
“Last October 18th, several manifestations and demostrations started in Chile. Their goal was/is the human right for dignity, but the government didn’t hear. Their answer for the people’s demands was to move the military forces on the streets, and the police are abusing and killing the people… I’m so away and ill, I don’t know what to do more than cry… I’m scared… Everything feels so SURREAL… an epigenetic fear appears again as a nightmare… Soon will be my PhD defense and I cannot focus… How can I read papers while my friends can dissapear forever?”
“The movement didn’t stop and currently everyone is fighting there as they can, with pot and spoons, on the streets, in assemblies or cabildos, informing theirselves and organizing…
What can I do so far away in this world that didn’t stop their routines? I feel all of this struggles from here, but I’m fighting for everyone with my PhD thesis… THAT’S IT!
I’m Aymara, woman, dissident, from a family from a small city and not big incomes, and to be a doctorate (and hopefully be back), is today a POLITICAL ACTION and also RESISTANCE!”
“So, finally I successfully defended my PhD thesis in Marine Microbiology!
To accomplish this goal has been thanks to a looot of people that supported me, including you reader!
Thanks for read me and support this scicomm project, and believe on me and this microbial world <3″
After a year of the starting of the social movement and one year after my PhD thesis defense, I still cry while translating this text. Last year I was scared by the future of my home and my career development. Now I am scared still, but with hope we can build something together and I can finally find a scientific or scicomm job, a place that I feel comfy to continue growing as a scientist and let me the freedom to create my scicomm cartoons.
Last year I would never believe I would vote for a new constitution neither be part of the support team at the election process. Now after a Plebiscite we all decided (by ~80% majority) that we want to finish the current Constitution and write a new one made by people selected by the citizens. This is gonna be the first time that we all select each one of the members to write this document, and the group will be based on gender equality! (50% women/50% men).
Although I/we have clear this is not a solution will not necessary answer the people’s demands, this is an important step to burn the constitution from the dictator. Yes, we still have the constitution from the dictatorship, but hopefully for a limited time!
This is not gonna stop the social movement, the political prisoners from it must be free before write the constitution, we will continue in assemblies, cabildos and selforganizing. This movement is gonna get stronger and I have faith we can find a way to reach the real dignity for everyone.
