At the time Silo gave this speech, the Argentine military dictatorship then in power had forbidden all public gatherings in cities and urban areas. When asking where he would be allowed to speak, Silo was told to ‘go talk to the stones.’ Consequently, a desolate spot known as Punta de Vacas, high in the Andes on the border between Chile and Argentina, was chosen as the site for Silo's speech. Early on the morning of May 4, the authorities set up checkpoints on all roads leading to the site. There were machine-gun posts, military vehicles, and armed men stationed along the road, and everyone was required to show identification papers in order to pass through the checkpoints, which led to conflicts with some members o f the international press. Against the magnificent backdrop of the snow-covered Andes, Silo began speaking to an audience thus limited to some two hundred people. The day was cold and bright. By about noon, it was all over.