What Remains: Personal and Political Histories of Colombia

by Camilo Aguirre

Overview

What Remains is an innovative graphic novel that weaves documentary and memoir forms to capture the sociopolitical fabric of Colombia, spanning 200 years. Camilo Aguirre dips in and out of pivotal historical periods, all while skillfully interweaving family histories and anecdotes of students, union workers, and guerilla fighters. He creates a critical, unflinching vision of Colombia that is profoundly mobilizing in its search for resolution. Aguirre is hopeful throughout, but he refuses to step into the trap of fictitious optimism. The people and the families represent a detailed composite portrait of life in Colombia, sketched from opposing ends of the political spectrum. Colombia is inextricable from its people's complex lives and identities, as well as the lives of Aguirre and his family. Aguirre narrates the complexities from a distant Minneapolis. He details the tides of power and politics, from American and corporate interventions to internal hierarchies of wealth and power, and finally to the impact of emerging globalization and neoliberalism. The criminalization and persecution of union workers and students propagate amidst these political phases. What Remains poses a question. Aguirre answers through a profoundly personal lens and demonstrates that what remains of Colombia are the rich and varied lives of its people.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941250495
Publisher:	Uncivilized Books
Publication date:	07/12/2022
Pages:	188
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Camilo Aguirre is a Cartoonist and Fine Artist from Colombia. Aguirre has obtained a Masters in Audiovisual Scriptwriting from UNIR, La Rioja, Spain and an MFA in Visual Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Aguirre has been published in several documentary comics anthologies, including Ciervos de Bronze (La Silueta, 2014), Caminos Condenados (Cohete Comics, 2016), La Palizua (Centro Nacional de Memoria Historica, 2018), and Our Stories Carried Us Here (Green Card Voices, 2021).

Editorial Reviews

07/11/2022

Aguirre’s ambitious debut documents the terrors committed by the Colombian government over the past 75 years. The nation’s violent history is recounted in stories from guerrilla fighters, historians, unionists, and other activists who have experienced oppression, along with hard data (often written out, without panels) emphasizing the body count from horrifying murders and victims of “armed conflict” under former president Alvaro Uribe. The strength of the graphic storytelling lies in Aguirre’s inclusion of voices of his own family, including his grandmother and father. But when he seeks out portraits to supplement his personal ties, he admits, “I ended up with a bunch of stories about the ELN .” He reaches out to scholars and activists for help in mapping the complexities of the political movements, for example drawing how a man’s uncle was kidnapped by the ELN. The insights into his journalistic processing are endearing but highlight the stitched together shape of the volume. At one point, a professor asks, “So what are your intentions with this project?” and Aguirre responds, “I don’t know.” That uncertainty, while frank, can leave the reader feeling on shifting ground. Brushy drawings illuminate the painful narratives in a beautiful gray-wash. It’s an arresting series of testaments, but readers may be left wanting more from this difficult-to-unpack history. (July)

Publishers Weekly