Into ngezindaba ze-fakes (udaba esesivele silubonile le ncwadi yakamuva nguDavid Alandete) yisihloko empeleni esivela kude. Yize phambilini, amanga okuzisebenzisela wona adalwe ngendlela egxile kakhulu emikhakheni yezepolitiki ethunyelwa yizikhungo zezobunhloli nezinye izinsiza ngapha nangapha kwe-Iron Curtain.
Wazi kahle i- Mario Vargas Llosa lokho kwenza le noveli ukuthi i-hybrid phakathi komlando ne-intrahistory ekugcineni ijabulele ujusi omkhulu walokho okwenzekile.
Saya eGuatemala ngo-1954. Izwe eliphila izinsuku zalo zokugcina zaleyo nguquko eyasungulwa iminyaka eyishumi, okungenani, eletha intando yeningi kulelo zwe.
Kepha eminyakeni enzima kakhulu yempi ebandayo, akukho okwakungahlala isikhathi eside eMelika Ephakathi neseNingizimu lapho i-United States ihlale ilungisa khona uzungu lwayo.
Njengoba amaYankees akwazi ukuthatha iphutha eliqondile laseSpain ekucwileni kwempi yempi iMaine eyadalula impi yaseCuba phakathi kwala mazwe womabili, kulula ukuqagela ngeqiniso ngamayelenqe uVargas Llosa ahlukanisa ngayo le ndaba nge ibhalansi ekhangayo phakathi kwemicimbi yangempela, ukucacisa izitatimende nokwenziwa kwabalingiswa abaqanjiwe.
Ekugcineni, kwakunguCarlos Castillo Armas owenza lo mbhikisho. Kepha ngokungangabazeki bekuwukuhalalisela kwe-United States okubusise isenzo ukuze kuqedwe izilingo zokulawulwa kwamakhomanisi endaweni.
Kamuva ngamunye wayezovuna izithelo zawo. I-United States izothola imali yayo engenayo ngenkathi uCastillo Armas eqeda noma yiluphi uhlobo lokuvukela umbuso ngokulungisa ubulungiswa bezwe ukuze bukalwe. Yize iqiniso ukuthi akahlalanga isikhathi eside kangaka emandleni ngoba ngemuva kweminyaka emithathu wagcina ngokubulawa.
Ngakho-ke iGuatemala iyisimo sokukhululeka sayo yonke into entsha uVargas Llosa afuna ukusitshela yona kusuka ezingxenyeni eziningi kanye nezicucu zempilo ezakha i-mosaic yokugcina. Ngabalingiswa abahlala njalo onqenqemeni lokusinda, ngezifiso zabantu ezididaniswe nemibono, ngezinsolo kanye nokuphikisana njalo.
Inoveli enhle ekhuluma ngezinsuku ezinzima zokubonga kakhulu eGuatemala, ngaphezu kwakho konke, ukugcinwa nokulawulwa kwe-CIA ezweni lonke futhi, ngokwengeza, phezu kwezimpilo zabantu abaningi baseGuatemalans.
Manje usungathenga inoveli iHard Times, incwadi entsha kaMario Vargas Llosa, lapha: