Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent

Eduardo Galeano

Galeano follows gold, silver, sugar, coffee and other commodities through five centuries of Latin American history. Instead of telling one country’s story from beginning to end, he asks how the region’s wealth was extracted and where it went.

First published in 1971, this is a passionate political interpretation, shaped by the arguments of its time. Its scope reaches far beyond Mexico, linking mines, plantations and trading routes across the continent. For a reading journey, it offers a provocative view of the economic relationships beneath familiar landscapes.

Politics; Economics; Colonialism; Latin America