Antígonas colombianas: Gloria Cuartas. Por qué no tiene miedo

Abstract

The participation of Colombian women in the realm of politics dates

from the last several decades. Whereas young women who took up arms

and joined guerrilla movements are the focus of recent Colombian cinematic

representations, in this piece I combine the historical depiction of a

tumultuous political situation in the Urabá area of northern Colombia during

the 1990s with a textual analysis of a partial biography, Gloria Cuartas.

Por qué no tiene miedo (Marbel Sandoval Ordóñez, 1997). I propose that

Cuartas’s biography is of great historical value as it presents the challenges

endured by Colombian women who took part in politics or public service in

the 1990s. Gloria Cuartas stands out for her pursuit of equality and dignity

and her struggle for human rights. Her work in favor of the region’s pacification

also led to confrontations with the military-paramilitary authorities

who devalued her fight for social justice. In the act of vindicating Cuartas,

Sandoval Ordóñez has penned a feminist text in which the defense of human

rights, women’s rights, and pacifism are brought to the fore, challenging

the Colombian patriarchy.