A Very Busy Week

This week went by so quickly. Last Tuesday we did not have school because it was Guatemala's independence day. Since I have arrived in Guatemala there has been bombas going off and fiestas everyday. On Tuesday all the YAVs went into Antigua to watch the parades. Basically each school put a little performance together and they walked through the hot streets. We only stayed in Antigua for a couple of hours because, honestly, the parades were boring. San Juan del Obispo, the small town were I am living, had a very lively party with fun traditions. Families make up their own baskets of food and bring it to the central park and sell tamales, icecream, tostados, tacos, etc. The fiesta started with a man who made a speech. He talked about all the problems Guatemala is facing. He told the people of San Juan that even though they may not be facing the same problems as much of the country, they have a responsiblity to help solve the problems in their country. He also said the people need to be advocates for bringing peace to Guatemala and to the world. Even though Guatemala has a lot of problems, they still can't ignore the problems of the world. I have never heard a speech on the Fourth of July that highlights the problems of America. The Fourth is about celebrating how wonderful our country is and how far we have come. I feel it is really important to acknowledge what we have done, but what we still have to accomplish. We can celebrate our country but still make sure we are moving forward, which is what the man was trying to do. I heard about a special tradition in San Juan. They set up this huge pole and collect money and stick it to the top of the pole. All the young boys then try to climb this slick pole to the top to get the money. It could be very dangerous but no one has gotten hurt enough to stop the tradition. This year it was a 12 year old boy who won 300 quetzales. I unfortunatly missed out on the fun because I went home for dinner, but I heard about it the next day from my teacher.

Thursday we spent the afternoon in Guatemala City visiting an Immigration Organization. They mostly work with people immigrating to Guatemala, but I learned about why people immigrate in general and all the human rights violations that occur and how much people are taken advantage of.

Friday afternoon we went and had lunch with Corazon de la Mujer, or Heart of the Woman. Both times I visited Guatemala with Queens we visted this group of Mayan women, and everytime the visit is special and heart wrenching. The group is comprised of Mayan women from different indigenous groups. During La Violencia they were forced from their homes and relocated to Chimaltenago and found each other to try and cooperatively solve their problems and create better lives for their children. The women now have a weaving co-op and sell their products to different groups. Because I want this blog to focus on sharing the stories of the people I hae met, I am going to share the three stories that were shared with me yesterday.

Maria:
Maria's family fled from their home because the army was frequently coming into their pueblo and recruting men for the civilian patrols that carried out many of the atrocities during the war. Maria's mother-in-law was killed by the soliders when they fled and they were never able to collect her body in order to give her a funeral. They lived in the woods for two years eating roots, berries, and fruit. They would get their water from the streams and only had enough sustanance to survive. Today it is causing many people to have gastrointestinal problems and people are dying from those complications. During this time Maria's husband tried to find work in Guatemala City and then they all moved to Chimaltenago. This was very difficult at first because they did not speak Spanish well, they just spoke their indigenous language. People did not know their family, so they did not trust them nor did they want to give her husband a job. The army then told the Mayas that if they turned themselves in, they would be granted immunity and no longer targeted. Maria's family went and "turned themselves in" to the army but they were all rounded up and sent back to their pueblos were they army could monitor them better. Maria's family went back to Chimaltengo, where they still live today.

Bernardo
Bernado lived in Chichichicastengo before her family had to flee from the army. When they army came her entire village fled into the woods where they lived for two months. The army caught her sister, who was 8 months pregnant, and cut her stomach open while she was still alive. They mutilated to fetus of her baby and then cut her tounge out and tortured Bernardo's husband before they killed them. Many people died of hunger during those two months in the woods because there was no food they could eat, they only had water from the stream. Bernardo had a baby daughter at this time who would often cry because Bernardo was not able to generate enough milk to feed the baby. Many people told Bernardo to kill her daughter because they crying would give their location away to the military. Eventually Bernardo found her way to Chimaltenango and Heart of the Women, who helped her learn spanish and get established.

Maria Adelaida:
Maria was one year old when the army came to her pueblo. Her mother tied Adelaida to her back and in each of her hands she had one of her children. While they were fleeing Adelaida's father disappeared. One of Adelaida's siblings was also lost during the flee. Her mother managed to get her family to Chimaltenago, but was often unable to provide for her children. Adelaida only went to school until third grade because she was embarrassed that she was so much older than the other children and that she never had new clothes or new shoes. She dropped out of school and started working in a clothing factory so she could provide for herself and no longer be a burden on her family. When she was 17 she got married hoping her life would get easier. She married an alcholic and had two daughters with him. He was also killed by the military. Adelaida was left with two daughters to raise by herself so she had to move home. She started an herbal remedy business and decided she wanted to go work in the United States. She tried to find legal means of getting to the United States, but was cheated out of a lot of money by a con man taking advantage of people wanting to immigrate. By wanting to get ahead, Adelaida was pushed even further back by the system. Adelaida joined Corazon and was given a scholarship to finish school through the sixth grade and since has been able to travel around Guatemala and Central America with her herbal remedy business. She would like to continue with school, but she is also helping her daughters finish school. In Octuber she will be going to the United States to visit Queens and participate in the Guatemala reunion.

I think it is important to tell these women's stories because we should not pity them. They have powerful stories and are even stronger women. It is important to recognize that the United States played a huge role in the civil war in Guatemala. The United States sponsored a coup of a democratically elected president and then financed the army and provided them with torture training. While we are not directly responsible for the atrocities that happpened, we are responsible to our government, and must hold them accountable for the actions they engage in.

The women expressed sorrow that Guatemala has sent soldiers into the middle east because they know innocent families are experiencing the same things they went through. Every time I visit these women I am filled with different emotions. I have never really been a full advocate of non violence. I have always wanted to avoid it at all costs, but could understand why guerillas decide to resort to violence. One of my favorite theologians is Dietreich Bonhoffer, who was apart of an assisnation plot to kill Hitler. Lately, I have really been thinking about non-violence, and find myself moving towards the philosophy. I do not think there is any end that could justify the atrocities that happend to Heart of the Women, and hundreds of thousands of other Guatemalans. With violence and war there is so much suffering that can not be justified, ever.