In Guatemala, safeguards against corruption, impunity, and state violence are being dismantled by the politicians, elites, and military and some fear the return of an authoritarian state. Giovanni Batz writes in NACLA on the 25th anniversary of the signing of… Read More ›
NACLA
In Guatemala, Ex-Paramilitaries Face Trial for Wartime Rape of Indigenous Women
Jo-Marie Burt and Paolo Estrada write in NACLA about the recently started trial of former members of the Civil Self-Defense Patrols (PAC), for the rape of Indigenous women during the internal armed conflict. The PAC were paramilitary groups created by… Read More ›
Guatemala Cracks Down on Q’eqchi’ Resistance in El Estor
In the latest episode of a lengthy saga of repression and resistance, Maya communities demanding to be consulted about a foreign-owned nickel mine in their territories now live under a state of siege. Vaclav Masek writes in NACLA on the… Read More ›
Guatemala’s National Strike Demands Structural Change
Giovanni Batz writes in NACLA about the latest protests in Guatemala which build on years of popular struggle and which deepen demands for a plurinational state. In the last decade, national protests throughout Guatemala have symbolized a growing anger and… Read More ›
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
August 30th is the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. We remember the estimated 45,000 people who were disappeared, according to the United Nations–sponsored Truth Clarification Commission (CEH), during the internal armed conflict (1960-1996) that took place in… Read More ›
Historical Memory in the Digital Age
In Guatemala, truthtellers and preservers of the past face renewed hostility. Digitization projects help safeguard the archives of state violence. Daniel Alvarado, Carlos Juárez, and Brie Gettleson write in NACLA about the importance of technology in the preservation of historical… Read More ›
“We Are Here by Force”: Maya Ixil Activists Fight for Asylum and Justice
The stories of two Guatemalan asylum seekers highlight the deep roots of forced migration from Central America and the U.S. role in the ongoing displacement. María Inés Taracena writes in NACLA about colonialism, resistance, violence, displacement, and migration affecting the… Read More ›
U.S. Policy Toward Central America Continues Legacy of Displacement
U.S.-sponsored militarization and neoliberal policies will not lead to structural changes in Guatemala and instead preserve the status quo that forces many to migrate. Gio B’atz’ (Giovanni Batz) writes in the NACLA website about poverty, oppression, and displacement as everyday… Read More ›
In Guatemala, Resignations are Not Enough
“Guatemalan democracy fails by design to meet the needs of the poor majority, creating a foothold for corrupt parties while draining the government of legitimacy”. Nicholas Copeland writes in NACLA Report about the recent wide-ranging civic demonstrations taking place in… Read More ›
Indigenous Guatemalan Journalist Faces Charges after Reporting on Protest
Iñigo Alexander writes in the NACLA Report website. The arrest of Maya K’iche’ journalist Anastasia Mejía exposes the Central American country’s ongoing assault on press freedom. On 22nd September, Maya K’iche’ journalist, Anastasia Mejía was detained by the National Police… Read More ›