The Guatemalan civil war is a topic that Robert and I are starting to know quite a bit about. It is one thing to read about the effects of war in a history class or see a news channel's perspective on the television, but we are living in the aftermath of an incredibly unjust and complicated civil war that affected thousands of people. And we have the opportunity to hear what those people think and feel about the war and Guatemala today, first hand. To read more about the war click here.
Two particular personal stories come to mind and I am having a hard time processing, or I guess believing, that humanity can be so raw and cruel. I feel like I need to pass on these stories, and be a voice for those who should be heard.
Story 1
This past Wednesday Bert and I ventured to an organization called Entre Mundos, a volunteer coordination hub, to hear a torture victim from the Civil War share his story. The conference was held in a modest courtyard, which is very common in the colonial-style buildings of historic zone 1. There were plastic chairs and wood benches placed around a "stage" where two stools and a table sat, which were for the speaker and his translator. The speaker, whose name was Pedro, looked like he was close to 80 years old, but, like many Guatemalans, he looked much older than he actually was. His face looked weathered as if he had spent many long days working on his land unshielded from the sun; he wore blue jeans, work boots, and an old-school green Celtics jacket. He looked kind and very timid.
We spent the next 2 hours listening to him retell his painful experience in great detail. There were times that he held his head in his hands as if he couldn't bear to spend another second reliving those moments. But, he always continued and it was difficult to hear what he had to say. He lived in a small indigenous village in the mountains of Guatemala. He was the coordinator of a large farming co-op and had no ties to either side of the civil war. It was common practice for the Guerrillas (the rebels) to demand food and shelter (among other things) at gun point and for the government to consider those who obliged the guerrillas' "requests" as conspirators. Many innocent people died at the hands of both sides not knowing what either of them were even fighting over. And many of those people happened to be indigenous.
One day the military came to his small village and demanded that he come with them. He didn't know why they chose him or where he was going. The tied him up, stripped him of his clothes, and threw him in the back of a military vehicle. That was the beginning of his torture. He endured rounds of beatings and interrogations; sometimes he went days without water or food. The military was convinced he was a rebel and wanted him to divulge his co-conspirators. But, he wasn't a rebel, and he refused to give up innocent persons' names. The beatings continued. They bit his ear, spit on him, and stabbed him with knives. Still, he endured. After months of this treatment, he was released and returned to his village. However, he did not feel safe and was not accepted by his neighbors. He left by foot to live in Mexico and left his property and family behind. He returned to Guatemala in 1998, but couldn't return to his land or village. He now lives in a village composed mostly of refugees from the war. And 8 years later, he still hasn't seen retribution (monetarily) from the government.
Story 2
During the war, my teacher joined an organization that worked to reestablish war-torn areas. Among many projects, they created schools and cultivated crops. Miriam worked there for two years before she realized that this "organization" was really a front for the guerrilla forces. After learning of this facade, she started to get to know some of the women in the village better. Many of them were living in the mountains hiding from the military. And among the many difficult decisions they had to make, they often had to choose between leaving the protection of the guerrillas to raise their children or to "dispose" of the children. Miriam said she knew many women who became pregnant and either had an abortion or smothered their child at birth in order to stay within the protected group.
Miriam continued to work teaching children Spanish lessons and found herself well known by the organization's top authorities. They recognized her commitment and talent and felt compelled to harness her skills for use in the war. She continually received pressure to leave the country to train in Cuba where, on her return, she could join the guerrilla forces. Miriam, at the time, had young children and used that as her defense against the training. Needless to say, she left the group shortly after the pressures became threatening.
These stories only begin to scratch the surface of the thousands of stories that exist in post-war Guatemala. I hope to learn more about the war and to continue to share those stories....
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