I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t found the time or the energy to write. With impending training deadlines and projects due, I’ve been going a little crazy. Although, several occurrences, very representative of Guatemala so far, have happened in the past week, so - I’ve had plenty of things to mull over and have been eager to share them.
First, last week we were fortunate enough to get permission from the Peace Corps to visit Guatemala City (with chaperones of course), or Guate, as you would say to appear as less of a foreigner. (With blond curly hair and pale skin, it’s kind of a long shot as it is, but I’ve got to try :) ) Due to safety concerns, we were only allowed in to see the two obnoxiously large and modern malls, situated next door to each other and a few important landmarks. From the malls we took a taxi – forbidden to ride the public transportation within the city – to the US Embassy. After getting a good look at the façade of the building, we took a short walk to the hospital we patronize as volunteers. From there, we took another taxi directly back to the malls, where we had a classic Guatemalan lunch in, yes you guessed it, the food court. Most people ate, of all things, Taco Bell. I had a good laugh about that.
After the exciting trip to Guate on Monday of last week, we had a full day of training on Tuesday which entailed a technical session with David, the marketing trainer with impeccable, but pitchy English – a very funny combination if you’re ever lucky enough to hear it, a health session devoted entirely to, and I’m going to put this nicely, gastrointestinal concerns, a security advisory session regarding incident reporting and a video about the very recent internal conflict in Guatemala.
The war to which I’m referring ended – on paper – in 1996, which, to me, seems unfathomably recent. I’ve never witnessed a war first hand, (I’ll reserve all possible comments about George Bush’s War on Terror.) Quickly generating an interest in the subject, I borrowed a memoir titled “Searching for Everardo: A story of Love, War and the CIA in Guatemala.” To sum up the book, a middle aged human rights advocate fell in love with a Guerilla Commander in the volcanoes of Guatemala while interviewing female guerillas on their struggle (to write her other book, “Bridge of Courage”). The unlikely pair married and spent two short years together in and out of Guatemala, Mexico and Texas. When the commander returned to Guatemala to resume leadership of his troop of guerillas, he was captured and tortured for over a year before being confirmed dead by the Guatemalan Army. In the process of trying to find him and have him either released or confirmed dead, in a little over three years she staged one seven day hunger strike and then a longer one lasting 32 days outside the ministry of defense building in the capital - during which she receives very little support from the US and even less from Guatemala. Ultimately she received confirmation of his death and has since launched a foundation in his name benefiting guerillas and indigenous rights in general.
When my host dad, Jaime, saw that I was reading Searching for Everardo, asked me my own position on the war and U.S. Politics in general. I was embarrassed at how little I knew. He then went on to tell me that amidst the decades- long struggle of the civil war, his family, of K’aqchiquel indigenous descent, had an evacuation plan which was basically composed of a hole covered by a rug in the back yard in case of Army invasion. Scary, right?
It really puts things into perspective for me, being a guest in this country that has suffered such recent political, military and social conflict. I couldn’t possibly understand why the McDonalds is staffed with a shotgun-armed guard or why we’re not allowed on the public buses in the capital. So, I listen to Peace Corps –as much as I feel like I’m on a leash. Other than that, I make sure I’m home before dark and try to soak up as much as possible while I can.
Until next time..
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