Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
More recently, Menchú's Rigoberta Menchú Tum Foundation presented
former accusations of torture, murder, and genocide in a Spanish court against
several prominent Guatemalan military officials for their role in the atrocities
during the civil war.The case centers around the firebombing ofthe Spanish em-
bassy, which killed Menchú's father, a prominent activist, after he and several
other protesters occupied the foreign government outpost. In 2006, the Spanish
courtissuedarrestwarrantsfortheaccused,includingEfraínRíosMonttandOs-
car Humberto Mejía Víctores, after a fruitless visit to Guatemala by a Spanish
judge to record eyewitness testimony. The accused presented injunctions pre-
venting their court summons and have also presented various appeals to prevent
the arrest warrants from being carried out. As is always the case in Guatemala
wheneverprominentfiguresareinvolved,theyhadsomehelpfromtechnicalities
that prevented the courts from issuing warrants for their arrest because of a sup-
posed mixup in the paperwork coming from Spain, which mysteriously left out
specific orders of apprehension for Ríos Montt and Mejía Víctores.
Menchú has also announced plans to form an indigenous political party to go
along with her presidential aspirations, though she ran as a candidate for the En-
cuentro Por Guatemala party in the 2007 presidential election.
GUATEMALA: FAST-FORWARD
For decades, intrepid travelers have come to Guatemala to experience this myth-
ical pocket paradise: a compact, diverse nation in the middle of the Americas
with 33 volcanoes, Lake Atitlán (“the most beautiful lake in the world”), steamy
jungles, ancient Mayan temples, and colorful indigenous villages.
The volcanoes are still here; the lake is still here; much of the steamy jungles
are still here, with their enigmatic ancient Mayan temples. However, the villages
of Guatemala's highlands are experiencing a major transition thanks to remit-
tance money sent back from Guatemalans working in the United States.
Whitewashedadobehouseswithterracotta-tiled roofsarebeingexchangedfor
concreteblockwallsandcorrugatedtinroofs.Electricity,indoorplumbing,rebar,
satellitedishes,asphalt,andconcretearejustsomeofthenewcomerstothesevil-
lages.
In one of my favorite, rather remote, highland villages, Chajul, young women
in traditional regalia blithely sip colas and chat on cell phones in Ixil Mayan.
Boys play soccer in the street wearing Beckham jerseys and Yankees baseball
caps, calling to each other in Ixil, Spanish, and English. In Sololá, speakers
broadcast evangelical radio shows that compete with hip-hop and rap coming
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search