Ciclo Político / Poltical Cycle

We are experiencing a transition of epoch, with constant turbulence and notable contrasts. It is a time of crisis and there are many of us who have the conviction that crises are overcome through cooperation and joint effort. The spirit of solidarity plays a unifying role and allows the smooth coupling of the social gears. The father of modern sociology, Emile Durkheim, warned that without this unifying, harmonizing component, social cohesion would gradually fray until it breaks into a thousand pieces. Today, this dystopia of a general social breakdown is  a very real possibility. In the first quarter of our century, tensions seem to be increasing. Societies are torn between centrifugal forces that try to bring people together in solidarity, and centripetal forces that scatter people’s intentions,  leaving behind social antagonisms. Needless to say, this is a very  broad and general problem, with multiple variants and facets, and with manifestations at the family, communi...

In the month of December, Mexico, Nicaragua and Paraguay celebrate the day of Virgin Mary. The best known is the mythical Virgin of Guadalupe from Mexico. On December 12th , millions of promeseros go to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe to thank her for her good deeds  and charity or to promise her new beginnings. This custom is repeated with variations in Colombia in the case of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, in Chile with Nuestra Señora del Carmen. Along the length and breadth of the Latin American geography there is a long procession of faithful who place their faith and fears in Virgin Mary. The Virgin, without a doubt, has deeply penetrated popular religiosity and the national identity of the countries of the region.  In the case of Paraguay, the Day of Virgin Mary is a time when the Catholic Church stands as the voice of the nation and the people. The historical and cultural roots of the Virgin of Caacupe are so dense and significant that the homilies delivered on t...