Poetry & Protest
Venceremos, Venceremos, Venceremos by Raúl Zurita
WE WILL WIN, WE WILL WIN, WE WILL WIN
AND CRYING WE WILL HOLD EACH OTHER
AND SINGING WE WILL HOLD EACH OTHER
AND MY EYES WILL BE YOUR EYES
AND ALL OF CHILE WILL BE YOUR EYES
AND YOUR BLIND EYES
MY LOVE, MY GIRL, MY BOY
THEY WILL BE A COUNTRY RISING UP
THEY WILL BE A SKY RISING UP
THEY WILL BE THOUSANDS OF FISTS RISING UP
AND OUR EYES WILL BE YOUR EYES
AND ALL THE COUNTRY WILL BE KISSING
YOUR BLIND EYES
WILL KISS THE SKY
THAT THEY KEPT YOU FROM SEEING
KISS THE SEA, THE ROCKS, THE BEACHES
THAT THEY REFUSED TO LET YOU SEE
AND ALL OF CHILE WILL BE YOUR EYES
AND LIFTING ITSELF UP BY YOUR LIGHT
YOUR EYES WILL SING WITH MY EYES
AND CRYING WE WILL HOLD EACH OTHER
AND SINGING WE WILL HOLD EACH OTHER
BECAUSE THEY BLINDED US, THEY BROKE US
THEY KILLED US
BUT THEY DID NOT DEFEAT OUR EMBRACE
MY DAUGHTER, DAUGHTER OF MY COUNTRY!
—Translated by Daniel Borzutzky
Reprinted with the permission of the author and translator.
All rights reserved.
Venceremos, Venceremos, Venceremos was written by the great Chilean poet Raúl Zurita in late 2019 as millions of Chileans were in the streets, demonstrating against the brutalities of the neoliberal economic model, which has decimated and privatized public education, public services, social security; destroyed labor unions and consolidated wealth in the hands of a few (the richest 1% in Chile own 33% of the country’s wealth). The demonstrations in Chile have been met with vicious force and there have been thousands of reported cases of police and military officers committing acts of torture and brutality. Thousands have been wounded and, shockingly, there have been over four hundred reported cases of ocular wounds caused by police officers shooting protesters in the face from close range with hardened rubber bullets.
Venceremos, Venceremos, Venceremos honors those who have been blinded; it has been recited at demonstrations and solidarity events throughout Chile.
