Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the church steps at Santiago Atitlán
Santiago suffered greatly during the civil war, as the area was a hotbed of activity for
ORPA guerrillas, who established themselves in this strategic area between the highlands
and the Pacific Coast. The Guatemalan military established a base here and began system-
atically searching for guerrilla sympathizers, killing hundreds. As the civil war waned, the
military's presence became increasingly unnecessary, as was the case throughout much of
Guatemala, and villagers became increasingly resentful of its presence. The massacre of
12 unarmed villagers (including three children) in 1990 unleashed a flood of local and in-
ternational pressure to close the military garrison. A petition presented to the Guatemalan
government asking for the base's closure was soon granted.
More recently, Santiago made world headlines in October 2005 after a number of dev-
astating mudslides in the wake of Hurricane Stan left close to 1,000 victims. The neigh-
boring village of Panabaj was completely wiped out by the mudslides, and the scars can
still be seen on the mountainside. Many international organizations are still working in the
area and Santiago has become a popular center for volunteer activities in the tragedy's af-
termath.
