By Cali Cordeau and Nellie Campbell
After eating breakfast, we gathered to share our hopes, fears, and group norms, grounding ourselves before stepping into deeper conversations.
We were joined by BTS Guatemala Coordinator, Javier and Ingrid, who guided us through the historical and political realities of Guatemala. Javier began by explaining the structure of the government: three separate branches, executive, legislative, and judicial, each meant to function independently. Just because one political party holds power in one branch does not mean it controls them all. Yet in practice, he shared, the judicial system has long been influenced by elite landowning families and, at times, criminal organizations. This corruption has had real consequences, including the unjust criminalization of ordinary people.
We discussed the “Ten Years of Spring” (1944–1954), a period of democratic reform and hope that was ultimately cut short. Javier also spoke about the 106 days of peaceful Indigenous-led protests in September 2023, when communities mobilized in support of democracy. He emphasized that Guatemala lives in tension between two truths: its extraordinary beauty, cultural richness, and diversity, and the painful realities of violence, corruption, genocide, and forced disappearances. He challenged us not to see only the surface-level beauty as visitors, but to understand the deeper, more complex story of the country.
Ingrid then spoke about healthcare and identity. She explained that Guatemala operates within two healthcare systems: a public system that functions primarily in Spanish, and an ancestral Mayan system rooted in traditional medicine. The Mayan population represents 22 distinct languages, yet Indigenous languages are rarely incorporated into healthcare or judicial settings. Ingrid works as a translator in the United States for healthcare and legal systems, while also advocating for her community in Guatemala. She highlighted an important distinction: in the United States and Canada, Indigenous identity is often defined by blood quantum, whereas in Guatemala, identity is expressed through textiles and traditional dress, lineage, food, language, and community belonging. Her work centres on improving public health and breaking down language barriers so communities can access care safely and with dignity.
We also confronted the ongoing struggle over historical memory. The colonial state has often attempted to erase or minimize the genocide, and some Indigenous individuals deny it occurred, sometimes due to ties with those who were complicit. The past remains deeply present here.
Later in the afternoon, Maria led us on a tour of Guatemala City. Through historic streets and past landmarks, the cathedral, churches, the presidential house, and the national palace she shared stories from the Civil War and the years of disappearance. Her words gave weight to the buildings around us. At the cathedral, we stood before the names of 6,000 people who were killed or disappeared. Nearby were posters of the missing, including children as young as four years old. The stories were devastating, families torn apart, people shot in their homes, tortured, silenced.
Maria spoke with clarity, compassion, and deep knowledge. By the end of the day, we carried both grief and gratitude: grief for the lives lost and the injustices endured, and gratitude for those like Javier, Ingrid, and Maria who continue to tell the truth, preserve memory, and fight for a more just Guatemala.
It was a bold, heavy, and profoundly meaningful day.
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