Hello, how are you? Welcome to this podcast, from the Canary Islands to the world.
This is a raw, unfiltered look at the darkest chapters in history. In each episode, I explore dictatorships, hate crimes, and regimes of terror that left indelible scars on humanity. Silenced voices, forgotten memories, and uncomfortable truths that need to be told.
In this episode, I travel back to the 19th century, when a Spanish general, Valeriano Weyler, first implemented this brutal strategy... in Cuba.
Who was Valeriano Weyler? He was a Spanish military officer who assumed command in Cuba in 1896, in the midst of the Cuban War of Independence. His mission: to suppress the independence uprising that threatened Spanish colonial rule.
Why did he create the concentration camps? Weyler implemented a policy known as reconcentration. His goal was to cut off peasant support for the Cuban insurgents. To achieve this, he ordered the entire rural population to be forced to abandon their lands and concentrate in areas controlled by the Spanish army.
What were these camps like? The reconcentration camps were unsanitary, overcrowded, and lacking basic resources. They were not provided with enough food, water, or medical care. The conditions were so extreme that it is estimated that around 170,000 people died, mainly civilians.
Who were the victims? Most were Cuban peasants, women, children, and the elderly. They were not combatants, but civilians caught in the middle of a ruthless military strategy. Weyler sought to isolate the rebels, but ended up punishing an entire society.
Why does this matter? Because history doesn't begin and end with the names we all know. Before Auschwitz, there was Cuba. Before Hitler, there was Weyler. And understanding this background helps us see how certain destructive ideas repeat themselves if they are not denounced.
And with this, I conclude today's episode—see you in the next one!
If you have any comments or suggestions for future episodes, please leave a comment.
Higher Technician in Sociocultural Animation
Specialist in Immigration
Higher Technician in Social Integration
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