Set Fear on Fire: The Feminist Call that Set the Americas Ablaze - LASTESIS

First published in English in 2023 by Verso, London, UK and New York, NY

Originally published in 2021 as Quemar el miedo 

Translated by Camila Valle

ISBN: 978-1-83976-480-6

In November 2019, the LASTESIS collective gathered at the Plaza Anîbal Pinto in downtown Valparaîso, Chile to protest the prevalence of patriarchal violence against women in Latin America. Donning blindfolds, they performed a choreographed routine to a catchy beat, titled Un violador en tu camino (A Rapist in your Path) as they collectively chanted phrases such as:

              "y la culpa no era mía, ni dónde estaba, ni cómo vestía" 

              ("and it was not my fault, nor where I was, nor how I dressed”), 

and 

“Son los pacos, Los jueces, El estado, El presidente, El estado opresor es un macho violador, El estado opresor es un macho violador, El violador eras tú, El violador eres tú” 

(“It’s the cops, It’s the judges, It’s the system, It’s the President, This oppressive state is a macho rapist. This oppressive state is a macho rapist. And the rapist IS you. And the rapist IS you.”).

       Amidst the social unrest in Chile, the collective once again staged their performance five days later in Santiago, as women sang together in protest against gendered violence, both interpersonal and systemic. The ensuing videos of these performances went viral, as their video acquired over a million views from around the world, becoming an anthem for feminist protest. The message spread like wildfire, as the creators encouraged women across the globe to recreate their performance according to their own contexts and to protest in their public spaces. As such, the performance found its way to various cities in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, France, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and many more. 

       In the wake of the viral spread of Un violador en tu camino across the globe, the LASTESIS collective published their manifesto against sexualized violence in 2021, titled ¡Quemar el Miedo! (Set Fear on Fire). Translated into English by Camila Valle and published by Verso in 2023, Set Fear on Fire presents this fiery and justifiably furious feminist manifesto to the English-speaking world. 

Overview:

       Comprising seven brief chapters, Set Fear on Fire confronts the issues of sexual assault, abortion, bodily autonomy, state violence, the intersectional mutualism between patriarchy and capitalism, the unpaid labor of social reproduction, and the transformative power of art to affect political and social change. Militant in its stance and fiercely unsparing in its criticism, the LASTESIS collective pulls no punches in attacking the central antagonistic forces of patriarchy and state violence against women in Latin America. 

       Throughout each chapter, the authors ground their polemics in the lived experiences of women across the nation of Chile, as they tell their stories of gendered violence and oppression. The collective reveals stories of women who are shut down at every turn when they attempt to speak out against their abusers, as well as how they are often denied justice through a corrupt and broken legal system. We hear stories of women who, when denied the ability to obtain legal abortion and healthcare, are forced to undergo dangerous procedures. Through collectivizing their voices as a unified “we,” this manifesto demands a radically different world that is free from the violence of capitalism and patriarchy. 

Commendations: 

       There are several key strengths to this short manifesto. Due to its slim size and short chapters, Set Fear on Fire is a swift read. At just under 100 pages, it can easily be consumed in a single afternoon, though more sensitive readers might need to take breaks between chapters at times due to the heaviness of the subject material. It is written in plain and accessible language, and the authors provide a glossary of terms to clarify their conceptual framework at the outset of the volume, making it a perfect primer for those who want a first-person account of feminist perspectives from Latin America. Practically, the pocket-sized dimensions of the work and the urgency of its message lend to its political salience, as it can be easily transported and shared between organizers and readers as they go about their daily lives. 

       Relatedly, one of the primary strengths of this work is its focus on the stories of women facing the violence of patriarchy and power throughout the South American continent. This brief volume is written with an urgent rage against the injustices against women and sexual minorities, lending it a potent and long-lasting power. It is truly a manifesto in its concise language and desperate urgency. One cannot help but admire the courage of these women who take to the streets and speak out against the injustices they have faced by vulnerably sharing their stories and demanding systemic change. 

       This performance-directed dimension of the work speaks to the potential of protests to challenge interpersonal violence that is either passively or actively enabled by the state. The work is interspersed with the lyrics of the group’s performance pieces, emphasizing the role of art as a form of resistance against oppression. There is lyrical repetition of the text as it alternates between performance pieces and the tragic lived experiences of women in Chile and throughout Latin America. As such, the book itself takes on the feel of a performative protest piece meant to wash over you, rather than being detachedly dissected. 

       Many of the themes of injustices against women will resonate strongly with readers in the Global North as well, especially in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement in the United States, as awareness of sexual abuse has exponentially grown in the public consciousness. This work deftly connects the universal struggle against capitalism and patriarchy that unites women across the globe. As such, for English-speaking feminists, this volume serves as a fantastic bridge that highlights the shared suffering of women and what can be done to overcome these adversities.

       As such, perhaps the greatest impact of this work is its emphasis on the importance of collectivity. From the opening line -- “The experience of one is the experience of all” (ix) -- we see the particular transformed into a universal. This is the crux of their feminist framework, as they write, “Every time we share a personal story, we see in the us a feminist political stance -- that is, a necessary exercise of putting ourselves in the place of another, understanding personal experiences as collective life” (ix). This project of building a collective while remaining distinct in the experiences of the individual proves to be a powerful combination. By collecting the everyday experiences of women bravely facing a systemically misogynistic and violent state, the authors provide a unified front against these forces. 

       There is a collaborative beauty to their work, and it extends this collaboration to include the reader as well. The authors are clear and direct in their fiery prose, and one cannot help but be swept into the revolutionary fervor that they provoke. Righteous anger pervades the text, and it works to spark outrage at the current injustices that we face. Yet, it is also a deeply hopeful text, as it holds onto the promise of collective action and solidarity, as well as the revolutionary potential of mass demonstrations and art performances. 

Critique: 

       On the other hand, this work has some key weaknesses. While its short length lends to its accessibility, it also does not allow for a deep engagement with any kind of theory or deeper engagement with its subject matter. All in all, Set Fear on Fire utilizes a fairly standard feminist critique of patriarchy, applying it to the context of Latin America. While this certainly has its merits, the lack of theory or data also means that it doesn’t add too much to the current discourse and understanding of the intersection of patriarchy and capitalism. For those who are already familiar with feminist thought and are engaged in social action, there might not be too much new information. 

       Additionally, some of the feminist themes throughout the text can come off as either outdated or cliche. For example, there is a chapter on the emancipatory power of pleasure, in which the authors write, 

Pleasure should be universal. And even though some of us possess an organ whose only function is pleasure -- the clitoris -- pleasure can be felt all over the body, including the place that unites us all: the anus. The anus is pleasure. The clitoris is pleasure. But we rarely talk about them. We rarely speak of the democratizing potential of anal pleasure…How can we freely feel pleasure and satisfaction if we haven’t explored every nook of our bodies to know where and how we feel or don’t feel pleasure? In this, we need to become experts. Pleasure is an act of rebellion. (61-62, 64)

       The authors rightly decry the suppression of pleasure and sexuality as a form of social control, especially against women. They correctly state that the control of women’s bodies has been a historical fact across cultures and that one of the healthiest ways to reclaim bodily autonomy and ownership of pleasure is to think of it as a form of health and open lines of communication about sex and sexuality. For the authors, pleasure is a form of resistance, and thus, “taking responsibility for our own pleasure is to twist the arm of capitalism, patriarchy, and the status quo” (63). 

       This idea of sexual democracy as inherently emancipatory, I believe, is one that I find particularly unconvincing. Undoubtedly, discussions of sex and sexuality should not be a taboo that is simply repressed. We do need to keep open communication at the forefront of our discourses and practices of sex, contrary to the conservative instinct to simply sweep it under the rug. Decentering male pleasure and refocusing on female pleasure is a valid method of countering the dominant ideology of patriarchy. Yet, I find myself skeptical of the notion that free sex and the open pursuit of pleasure can serve as a radical challenge to the forces of capitalism. 

       This idea hearkens back to the emergence of second-wave feminism and the Hippie movement of the 60s, which failed to realize its revolutionary potential. Instead of subverting the existing social order, the reliance on pleasure as an avenue toward emancipation runs the risk of taking these supposedly transgressive activities and turning them into commodified experiences. Capitalism is nothing if not flexible, and it can easily transform seemingly subversive acts and reincorporate them within its hegemonic ideology. Thus, sexual freedom, when unfettered, can become its own binding and oppressive force.

       Additionally, sexual pleasure encompasses so much more than just genital stimulation and exploration, and the authors tend to universalize sexual pleasure despite the wide range of experiences and preferences that exist. Sex is buttressed by a range of symbolic and imaginary forces that comprise the category of sexuality. More than just physical touch, there is a wide range of mental and emotional experiences that make sex pleasurable. For some of us, the experience of anal sex is unpleasurable, even after we’ve openly explored it. For others, the clitoris is not as pleasurable as the nipple. Still, others of us are either asexual or wholly uncomfortable with sex. Some need emotional intimacy to have pleasurable sex, while others do not. There are myriad ways to attain sexual pleasure, and trying to form a universal out of any sexual experience (let alone anal pleasure), seems to be a fraught enterprise. Sex without sexuality is traumatic, and we must be attentive to the diversity of sex and sexuality. 

       Furthermore, one of the central themes of the work is the power of art to transform society. Performance pieces that act as a form of protest do indeed have transformative power, as they effectively mobilize participants both physically and emotionally as well as increase the visibility of a cause through gripping the attention of media apparatuses. Yet, I am also wary as to how these performative art pieces can be co-opted and neutralized by elite interests, as well as how specific demands can be diluted among a sea of emerging intersectional interests when translated across cultural and geospatial contexts. Unless these protests translate to actual policy changes that affect the material conditions of the average citizen, I remain cautious as to their efficacy in driving systemic change. 

Conclusion:

       Overall, Set Fear on Fire is a quick and powerful indictment of the violent forces of patriarchy and capitalism in Latin America. What it lacks in depth it more than makes up for it in exposing the reader to the realities of women who have suffered at the hands of an unjust state in Chile and beyond. While it might not add too much for those who are already deeply familiar with feminist theory and action, this work still serves as a passionate introductory primer for those who are beginning to explore feminism, especially in the Global South. 

       Here in the second decade of the 21st century, we are currently living in the wake of mass demonstrations against the deleterious effects of neoliberal capitalism. Mass mobilizations against injustices such as systemic racism and misogyny provide us with a small glimpse into the hidden potential for a radically different future. Every revolution is not only directed to realize a potential future but, if it succeeds, also redeems all past failed revolutions. This work serves as a loud and clear clarion call from the Global South to those across the world who want to fight for a better future. While the world has changed dramatically in the past five years since this book’s initial publication, many of its main points will continue to resonate with readers. While they will undoubtedly leave you angry, these pages are also full of hope for a brighter and more just tomorrow.