Published by Byron Garoz
Drawing on the Gramscian concept, Simona was an organic intellectual, closely linked to Guatemalan social movements, with whom she shared analysis, writings, proposals and strategic vision. And in addition, with which he was actively involved in finding unitary places and actions that strengthened the struggle and achievements of the field that was popular. Simona was also a friend, a partner, a companion.
He arrived in Guatemala very young, today we know that in 1987, apparently with the Peace Brigades. He didn’t speak Spanish, he learned it in Antigua Guatemala. At that time she lived in the district of Primero de Julio (zone 19 of the capital of the country) where she joined a family we met in the past days, who supported for her and who was worried about her.
I don’t remember where or when I met her, but her presence became familiar at parades, workshops, meetings and popular gatherings. At first, Simona seemed a little bad, but as we got to know her and talked to her, we understood her skills, her joy, her hope, her ability to analyze, her commitment to the people’s struggle, not only to Guatemala, but of all the oppressed people of the world who are fighting for their liberation. Simona was a true internationalist and participated in solidarity groups with Cuba, Venezuela, Palestine…
The union, farmer, feminism, indigenous, environmentalist and other movements confirm all this, while at the same time contributing to virtues that deserve to be celebrated and shared.
Simona didn’t talk much about her life. Once I asked her “and you, where are you from, Italian, Russian; What’s wrong?” He smiled – he had a beautiful smile – and said “It doesn’t matter where I’m from or where I come from, Byron, the important thing is that I’m here.” We now know that he was born in Italy, to an Italian father and a German mother, who lived in Germany; that her mother died when Simona was very young, which is why she started using her mother’s surname; who married an American at a very young age and lived for a short time in the United States. Then he arrived in Guatemala.
Simona leaves a great contribution to the social sciences. The 20 books, or more, that he wrote or coordinated, his conferences, his multiple collaborations with the movement – some paid, others not – confirm his calling. He had a great culture and many social, human, artistic, etc. interests. She played the cello and for a time was part of the female choir “Las sin Decoro”.
In 2009, he coordinated a study on social movements for Flacso, in which I participated. I remember, in one of the reports, that I wrote a paragraph saying that a certain bill that some movements had drafted was valuable because it had positive elements.
He read it and said to me “Handjobs! These are pure bullshit! “That’s a bad copy of the Bolivian Constitution!” And then he gave his arguments for such statement. In the end I decided that the classmate was right, so I wrote the paragraph again. Simona had a hard science.
It is said that she was alone, it is not true. She lived alone, but a group looked after her. And as a colleague said, that Simona was free, she made her way to work in different places, without telling or asking anyone’s permission; He would disconnect for days and when he returned he would communicate again. That’s how she was. But what remains to be learned without a doubt is that we must implement the circles of common care with great earnestness and diligence; the ones we talk about in the trends. We need to take more care of ourselves, be more sensitive to others, especially in areas where social security is often not available, and jobs that are not paid enough.
To conclude: we lived very close, we met often and talked. I saw her on Wednesday the 2nd or Thursday the 3rd of October in the morning, she got on the 7 bus, three blocks after me, on the trip we talked about national and international politics, social movements, views. He told me that he would go to the march in solidarity with Palestine on Sunday the 6th; It struck me that I had not seen her that day. Everything indicates that he died on Saturday night.
I thank Simona, because she was never selfish. He shared his knowledge with anyone who needed it, as in my case… He answered my many questions: “How do you see the elections in the USA? How do you see Milei, Bukele? What do you think about the second floor of Q4? How do you see the situation in Russia, in Gaza?
Thanks for that, Simona. Thank you for being an interlocutor in several beneficial discussions for me and for the trends.
So that the victory is always Comrade Simona Yagenova!
Taken from Community Press
