Half Empty in Guatemala

In recent weeks and months, there seems to be a lot of good news coming out of Guatemala with respect to addressing crimes committed during the country's thirty-six year conflict.

We've had the arrests of former kaibiles in the United States and Canada. They may or may not be deported back to Guatemala to face justice.

On Friday, authorities arrested Retired Gen. Hector Mario Lopez. He was chief of staff of the Guatemalan military between 1982 and 1983 and one of the men responsible for carrying out a scorched earth campaign that killed tens of thousands. It took prosecutors nearly twenty minutes to read the names of the 317 victims for which he shall be tried. Legal proceedings are also moving forward in the case of the Panzos massacre. It's also possible that there will be more trials in Guatemala as the government recently opened 12,000 civil war era military files. 

These developments follow Guatemala's decision to compensate Jacobo Arbenz's family and to apologize to them and the nation for what was done in 1954. Sarah Chakrin also had a recent story on how the country plans to integrate lessons about Arbenz into the country's educational curriculum. 

Teaching about Arbenz and his pro-indigenous policies as relevant and heroic actions in schools represents a significant step toward redefining the meanings and values of a society still showing the scars of civil war and genocide. 

This public effort to right a wrong—to publicly honor a man once publicly disgraced—and to do so in schools, can potentially trigger an evolution of values that acknowledge and respect indigenous rights and help restore Arbenz’ legacy.  It can instill new values in a new generation and foster trust in state associations.  This kind of associational trust is a necessary condition for working toward social cohesion.

If you've read Daniel Wilkinson's Silence on the Mountain, you have a pretty good picture of how reluctant Guatemalans have been to talk about Arbenz. If you haven't, I highly recommend this book. I use it in my Central American Politics undergraduate seminar.

While Guatemala is making progress coming to grips with its past, the same cannot be said of its present. Here are this week's stories

In southern Mexico, a neglected frontier - 90% of South American cocaine goes through Guatemala and Mexico on its way to the US. See also A Dangerous Borderland.

Central American drug war, crime top agenda at regional summit - Guatemala is one of the region's most vulnerable countries and the one that the other Central American countries worry most about.

Mexican Gang Moves Into Guatemala - the Zetas are looking to set up a home in the Peten.

The Los Cocos massacre and the exoneration of Alfonso Portillo haven't helped. Most also expected a violent campaign season and recent events (See here, here, and here) are making that expectation a reality. The Office of the UN Human Rights Commissioner in Guatemala has rightfully condemned the violence. 

There is concern about the corruption of public officials, especially mayors. Similarly, there are also concerns with campaign finance. Most of the parties had agreed to open their lists of campaign contributors but that hasn't been the case. Then there's the likelihood that the representatives Guatemalans elect won't be with the same party midway through the next legislative period. 

Then there are the two leading presidential candidates. One thinks so little of the institution of marriage that she left her husband to marry her country. Even her sister has tried to prevent her from running. It's still not clear that she can run. Then there's the former military general with a checkered past. I don't know details about a smoking gun, but I imagine that both CICIG and those who brought the recent case against Mario Lopez will continue to investigate the general.

I don't want to end with a glass half empty, glass half full conclusion. Unfortunately, that means that I am going to have to go with the glass being half empty.