Singing in English didn't make them any less Guatemalan, since the sheer act of being a rocker then was nothing short of heroic. Still, this was no guarantee: After a rock festival in 1969, the police tortured members of S.O.S.Įnglish was also possibly a means of escape, not just from the forces of the right (who were out to kill), but also those on the left (out to recruit).
Quintaesencia laboratorios code#
So writing in English became a form of code - a way of resisting authority without danger of being branded as guerrillas.
When groups like Apple Pie, S.O.S., Caballo Loco and others were performing, any form of political expression was extremely hazardous to your health.
The Guatemalan authorities were on the lookout for subversives. The country was wracked by political violence, and the word desparecido ("disappeared," as applied to political prisoners) was heard in Guatemala more than a decade before Argentina became infamous for its legions of desparecidos.