“It is shameful on the part of the Guatemalan government to make the international community believe it is promoting the Mayan culture, when it continues to develop an aggressive policy of appropriation of our natural resources. This manifests itself in hundreds of concessions and imposed mining projects, hydroelectric dams, oil extraction, monoculture crops for transnational companies, all in the name of false development as a method of domination and racism in Guatemala,” states Aniceto Morales, above (courtesy of MiMundo).

Much has been written about the recent end of the world, even among so-called serious media. At least, for them, it does constitute a useful distraction from the more serious issues confronting an increasinlgy fractious Guatemala. I’ve no doubt that it was a useful for the Guatemala Tourist Board in finding ways to bring visitors to the country. I hope those that did treated the locals with respect and found themselves wanting to help support social justice in Guatemala.

James Rodríguez has just published his latest photo-essay on MiMundo and it tells the story of the celebrations of the ending of the Oxlajuj Baktun in Zaculeu. Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

The piece is interestingly sub-headed ‘End of an Era, More of the Same’ and you can see the full article here.

Categories: Indigenous peoples