8th Latin American Student Congress 1987, Havana, Cuba

By Irene Perez

This depiction of a sunrise over an overwhelming sea of letters perfectly conveys the endurance of a student organisation that emerged in the 1960s to advocate for mass literacy, the democratisation of education, and solidarity amongst Latin American students. OCLAE (Organización Continental Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Estudiantes) released this poster designed by Raúl Piña to announce the 8th Latin American Student Congress taking place in the City of Havana in 1987. The topic of this congress was Latin American unity and solidarity against imperialism, which is alluded to through the white lettering in the background creating the shape of the Latin American continent. During the congress, resolutions of solidarity with Chilean, Salvadoran, and Nicaraguan students were passed in light of Pinochet's dictatorship in Chile, the Civil War in El Salvador, and the Contra War in Nicaragua. The fact that OCLAE’s 8th Congress took place in Cuba is particularly significant given that the Cuban Revolution was a core inspiration for many of the student movements across Latin America from the late 1950s onwards, and given that figures such as Fidel Castro began their political careers in student movements themselves.

One of the most striking features of this poster is the vibrant colour scheme. For instance, the warmth of the sunrise can be interpreted as a symbol of hope for a brighter future and rebirth of a shared Latin American identity of equality, freedom, and diversity. Another powerful feature is the rainbow coloured OCLAE acronym at the bottom of the page. This element is particularly interesting when comparing contemporary and current perceptions of the poster, as these colours could instantly remind current audiences of LGBTQ+ advocacy in student movements. Conversely, contemporary audiences in La Havana in 1987 would have most likely not made that connection, given that queer rights were predominantly absent from student revindications in Latin America at the time. This 8th Congress took place one year after the Chilean politician José Joaquín Brunner wrote “The student movement is dead, student movements are born”, notably due to the brutal repressions that students suffered during the wave of protests for educational reform during the 1950s and 1960s across Latin America. Despite this, student movements endured and their results were twofold; achieving increased university democratisation and youth involvement in politics. For example, in 2011, students were directly involved in critiquing a new law that would essentially privatise Colombia’s university system and eventually managed to revoke the proposed law. Efforts such as this one have been reproduced across the region and, despite ongoing violence towards young activists in Latin America, OCLAE currently has representation from 24 Latin American countries with over 100 million members.

This 8th OCLAE Congress was the first to have a female president, Ana María Pellón Sáez. Later in her career, she went on to become the director of International Relations at the Culture Ministry of Cuba, thereby proving the transformative potential of student empowerment through organised mobilisation and solidarity. Overall, one can firmly say that Brunner was wrong in assuming that solidarity and mobilisation amongst Latin American youth have decreased in recent decades. Most recent examples, including the green wave advocating for safe access to abortion and the increase in environmental activism, have positioned Latin American youth at the centre of an unstoppable movement towards societal change.