The 6 Coolest Things Said by Soldiers Before Killing People
#5. “Surrender? Your Grandmother Should Surrender, You Bastard!”
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The Situation:
For those of you unfamiliar with Colonel Eduardo Abaroa Hidalgo, picture Tony Montana from Scarface dressed like a Johnny Depp character.
Via Wikimedia Commons
The background is just an extreme closeup of Helena Bonham Carter.
Abaroa was a Bolivian superhero during the War of the Pacific between Chile, Bolivia and Peru. After a standoff with Chile at the Battle of Topater, an injured and outnumbered Abaroa was asked to surrender. According to the Bolivians’ story, he was out of ammo and nearly dead, but still refused to give up the fight. Abaroa responded, “Surrender? Your grandmother should surrender, you bastard!” And no, that phrase isn’t gaining something in translation. Even in Spanish, it means exactly what you think. Abaroa was surrounded and facing certain death, and with his last words he screamed, “Your mother!”
The Aftermath:
He died a martyr to his country and was commemorated with federal buildings, a national holiday and some seriously inappropriate stamps to put on your letters to grandma.
Via Colnect.com
“Guess where I’m sticking this musket!”
Maybe some of the Bolivian readers may find this post rather “offensive”? Maybe the wording or the implications and/or style of the person who put together these six cool things said at a time of war can cast a shadow over our national hero. However, we have to realize that in this XXI century, we must find ways so people do not forget about our history.
It is a fact that we were invaded by Chile in an unjust war and lost our sea-coast. It is a fact that we were outnumbered and had very little logistics to stop the invader. It is a fact that Eduardo Avaroa Hidalgo represents our Bolivian heroes. To ALL of them we must observe respect and honor their memory, no doubt about that.
Bolivian Thoughts in an Emerging World 