Guatemala: Mayans in the Midst
Aztecs. Incas. Mayans. Ancient peoples of Central and South America. In Guatemala, the ‘Mayans’ are still here: they are the descendants — and still carry the name — of those ancients, whose empire lasted from 2000 BCE to 900 AD. Wikipedia says: ‘The Maya civilization was a Mesoamerican civilization developed by the Maya peoples, and noted for its hieroglyphic script—the only known fully developed writing system of the pre-Columbian Americas—as well as for its art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical system. The Maya civilization developed in an area that encompasses southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador.’ We began our ‘Snapshots of Antigua’ tour at the port of Puerto Quetzal, in the Flatlands, then began our slow 5,000-foot climb to the Highlands, to the UNESCO city of Antigua, considered one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial cities in the Western hemisphere. For 200 years Antigua had been the capital of Spain’s Middle American colonies. The country’s first university was founded here in 1675, primarily for the study of religion. Cortez arrived in 1524, trading cotton for chocolate. But of course he was really looking for gold. What he found was jade. The clever Mayans let him see black and green jade but hid all the other, rarer colors. Soon came the missionaries — Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, Jesuits, and the mercenaries.
These magnificent churches date from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Those that have survived all the earthquakes. Guatemala lies above the juncture of three tectonic plates and sits among 37 volcanoes, three of them still active. Marco, our guide, said, ‘We are a shaky country.’
Climbing upward, we passed sugar cane fields being harvested — by hand. Only about 50% of the population attend high school, and it is the illiterate, uneducated people who work the cane fields. The average government wage for non-field workers is $400; cane cutters are paid based on how much they cut. Backbreaking, dangerous work: the fields are burned periodically to improve the crop — and to kill the snakes. After being cut and chopped by hand, the cane is sent to factories to be processed by machine. By law, sugar processors must add EIGHT vitamins to the processed sugar end product. Thus making sugar a health food?
Speaking of health: Guatemalan women have an unusually high rate of cancer due to the Mayan custom of doing all cooking over wood fires in their homes. Without proper ventilation, they’re exposed to carcinogens. Habitat for Humanity is working in the country to build houses that are healthier.
The colonial period lasted from 1524 until 1821— Guatemalans had been watching the rest of the world, seeing the French Revolution with its emphasis on human rights, the American Revolution, and uprisings in Argentina and Mexico. Again, Wikipedia: ‘Guatemala attained independence in 1821 as part of the Federal Republic of Central America, which dissolved in 1841. From the mid to late 19th century, Guatemala experienced chronic instability and civil strife. Beginning in the early 20th century, it was ruled by a series of dictators backed by the United Fruit Company and the United States government. In 1944, authoritarian leader Jorge Ubico was overthrown by a pro-democratic military coup, initiating a decade-long revolution that led to sweeping social and economic reforms. A U.S.-backed military coup in 1954 ended the revolution and installed a dictatorship. From 1960 to 1996, Guatemala endured a bloody civil war fought between the US-backed government and leftist rebels, including genocidal massacres of the Maya population perpetrated by the military. Since a United Nations-negotiated peace accord, Guatemala has witnessed both economic growth and successful democratic elections, though it continues to struggle with high rates of poverty, crime, drug trade, and instability.’
#
