Into malunga neendaba ezingeyonyani (into esele siyibonile le ncwadi yakutshanje NguDavid Alandete) sisihloko esivela kude. Nangona ngaphambili, ubuxoki bokuzenzela babusenziwa ngendlela egxile ngakumbi kumanqanaba ezopolitiko ahanjiswe ziiarhente zobuntlola kunye nezinye iinkonzo kwelinye icala le-Iron Curtain.
Uyazi kakuhle a UMario Vargas Llosa eyenza le noveli ibe ngumdaka phakathi kwengxelo kunye ne-intrahistory ukuze ekugqibeleni inandiphe eyona ncindi inkulu yento eyenzekileyo.
Sihambile saya eGuatemala ngo-1954. Ilizwe eliphila ngeentsuku zalo zokugqibela elasekwa kangangeminyaka elishumi, latsho lazisa idemokhrasi kwelo lizwe.
Kodwa kwelona xesha linzima lemfazwe ebandayo, akukho nto inokuhlala ixesha elide kuMbindi nase Mzantsi Melika apho i-United States ihlala ilungisa iyelenqe layo.
Njengoko iiYankees zazinokukwazi ukuthatha isiphoso ngqo eSpain ekutshoneni kwenqanawa iMaine eyakhupha imfazwe eCuba phakathi kwala mazwe mabini, kulula ukuqikelela malunga nenyani mayela ne Vargas Llosa amabakala eli bali ulungelelwaniso olunomdla phakathi kweziganeko zokwenyani, ukucacisa iingxelo kunye nesenzo sabalinganiswa abayintsomi.
Ekugqibeleni, yayinguCarlos Castillo Armas owabulala. Kodwa ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo yayikukuvuyisana ne-United States esikelele isenzo ukuze kupheliswe izilingo zolawulo lobukomanisi kuloo mmandla.
Kamva nganye iya kuvuna iziqhamo zayo. I-United States izakufumana ingeniso yayo enenzuzo ngelixa uCastillo Armas ephelisa naluphi na uhlobo lovukelo ngokulungisa ubulungisa belizwe ukuba bulinganise. Nangona inyani kukuba khange ahlale ixesha elide kangaka emandleni ngoba emva kweminyaka emithathu wagqibela ngokubulawa.
Ke iGuatemala yindawo ebonakalayo yento entsha uVargas Llosa afuna ukusixelela yona kwii-engile ezininzi nakwiziqwenga zobomi ezenza i-mosaic yokugqibela. Ngabalinganiswa abasoloko besecaleni lokusinda, kunye neminqweno yabantu abadidaniswe neembono, ngezityholo kunye nokujongana rhoqo.
Incwadana enkulu malunga neentsuku ezinzima ze-Guatemala ebonga kakhulu, ngaphezu kwayo yonke, ukugcinwa nokulawulwa kwe-CIA kweli lizwe kwaye, ngokubanzi, ngaphezu kobomi babantu abaninzi baseGuatemalans.
Ungayithenga inoveli Hard Times, incwadi entsha kaMario Vargas Llosa, apha: