After so long, José has put a martyr face, Receive the wafer with a loose mouth, indifferent to the saliva threads that overflow for their beard of months. When Father Damián dedicates his blessings, he looks through him, as without seeing, Stoicism endures the microphones and shooting of photographers and closes the eyes for a moment. Then the peat of journalists contains your breath as if from one moment to another they went to levitate and escape from this quarter that stinks to disinfectant and urine. To rise above Asunción and Paraguay, annoying all exclusive. But when he is going to start floating the ten centimeters of iron that he has sunk in his hands they hold him strongly, Then he opens his eyes and dedicates an exhausted smile to his wife; She also smiles at the Madero next door. The Crucified of the Line 23 They meet today the number 65 of his protest. 65 days of passion, Metal and blood in the happiest country in the world.
How happiness is measured?, In kilos?, In dollars?, For tons of smiles? That question is asked daily more than half of the planet's inhabitants but nobody seems to have a very clear answer, Except for the prestigious Gallup media agency that has decided that for the fourth consecutive year Paraguay is the happiest country on Earth. To measure happiness, their employees decline the phone and ask quite simple questions. How many positive emotions record throughout the day?, Do you smile?, Do you feel rested?, Do you treat you with respect? The 87% of the Paraguayans says that if, above Colombians and Hondurans among which only one feel happy 84%.
I went to levitate and escape from this quarter that stinks disinfectant and urin
-The happiest country in the world?, But who fucking says it? Julián the president of the union looks at me surprised, Before traffic again and insult the police that prevent the transfer to the courts.
Actually Paraguay has a lot of reasons to be a reasonably happy country: A great climate and fertile land, so much that the fruit rots on the ground and millions of cows graze in their endless meadows. The country is watered by long and abundant rivers that provide electric power without limits for a scarce population that in addition to its beauty stands out for being one of the most hospitable in Latin America. If that did not suffice, In addition to happiness, Paraguayan can boast huge amounts of resignation; resignation to endure a political class infested by corruption and a 30% of inhabitants in poverty, A tremendous resignation that supports mafia in Parliament and crucified in its streets.
Because for a while this part in Asunción sprout the crucified as if they were pigeons of the cathedral. In a country where religion is a fundamental part of the life of families, The Bible in addition to Consuelo, provides inspiration and ideas. First, there were six workers from the Brazilian hydroelectric plant Itaipú dissatisfied with an inadmissible dismissal who decided to wage a cross and camp with their families in front of the Brazilian embassy before the narcotics of their officials. Months later some line employees 49 Bus fed up with working conditions that included months of non -payments, threats and working days of more than 16 hours decided to form a union. Days later they had a statement ready with their dismissal, The owner of the bus company was Celso Maldonado Honorable Deputy of the Liberal Party.
In Asunción, the crucified sprout as if they were pigeons of the cathedral.
So more than twenty workers with their families took wood and nails and instead of going up to Golgotha ??they settled in a room next to the Ministry of Labor with their wrists pierced and ready to maintain the protest until they were readmitted. Since then the area lives in a constant pilgrimage state; media, police, medical, priests and citizens who stop by just in case a miracle happens. And some miracle has happened, The first is that they have started listening to them, The second that graffiti have multiplied with Maldonado's face throughout the city, accompanied by legend, "Celso exploiter". That does not seem like and has decided to denounce his former workers for altering public order. A judge has just cited them and they have not shown any inconvenience, as long as they make it crucified clear.
Putting six crosses in a court is not an easy task, The transfer must be done in a truck, Assemble a flesh and wood tetris trying to fit the pieces and not open the stigmas. Union companions shout slogans against the government, They fight with the agents who argue that moving to a crucified in this way is illegal. Passersby applaud and televisions connect live while the martyrs close their sleepy eyes, outside your own Calvary.
José has 35 years a child of twelve who does not know if he understands very well what his father is doing but “he will understand it over time. I could no longer endure that situation ". The nail of the left hand nailed the same, With a house hammer, On the other, a partner was in charge. Fear never had and pain is bearable. "The worst have been the nights, We have only been able to sleep thanks to the soothing. Companions have helped us support this period, To cure us, to empty the cubes after going to the bathroom ". He hopes that what he is doing will serve something although he has his doubts “Pope Francis came a few months ago to Paraguay. He better than anyone would have understood what we are doing but the government changed the tour so that he could not see us. They were in charge of painting an ideal country and putting all garbage under the carpet, also to us ".
The nail of the left hand nailed the same, With a house hammer
Norma, his wife, left his own work shortly to crucify himself with him. These two months have passed together without touching, separated by two meters, confesses that they have never felt so united. If you have done it for your son, “So that one day I can live in a country where the rights of their workers are respected and do not have to reach this. That can live in a different country "
The truck starts escorted by the police among the murmur of the claxons, Norma, José and the others are bambolean with the brackets, They complain weakly with pain gestures. There are people who applaud and another who criticizes them. Was it necessary to crucify?, Take everything so far? Union members shout at the mute windows of the Ministry while the mobile units and Father Damián pray in silence. Little by little we see them miss slowly between traffic and place despite being full of people, it is weird after these months, Vacuum without them. The crucified are left and the usual remains; Power and struggle, Faith and pain, We also remain. That strange animal that calculates and soup, that takes the measures of happiness.
Note: That day the judge forced the crucified lines 48 to abandon your protest. Days later a general transport strike was convened that paralyzed the entire country, They are still struggling to return to work in their work and recognized in their rights. Have announced that if their protests are not attended they will crucify themselves again.
