This powerful statement argues that staying quiet in the face of injustice is not neutral; it makes you part of the problem. It implies that silence allows harm to continue and is a form of betrayal, undermining justice and truth through inaction.
Quote by Marjorie Agosín: “Silence is complicity. To be silent is to betray.”
Silence is complicity. To be silent is to betray.
Insight
Historical Context
Written in solidarity with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who protested disappearances during Argentina's Dirty War, this quote underscored the moral imperative to speak out against human rights abuses, even under threat.
About the Author
Chilean-American poet, human rights activist, and professor whose work bears witness to the disappeared under Pinochet's Chile and to the lived experience of Jewish Latin American women. She has received the United Nations Leadership Award for Human Rights and the Gabriela Mistral Medal of Honor.
View all quotes by Marjorie Agosín