The crime of defending a river: domination, racism, and structural violence in Guatemala

Historically, Maya People have been excluded from participating in decision- making processes in Guatemala. Over the last two centuries, the state has constrained the exercise of Maya peoples’ rights and denied their history (Martínez 2011), political organisation and practices (Guzmán 2016, Casolo 2020). This has been possible because the elite has built discourses that have made Maya People’s lives, practices, and resistances invisible. Moreover, the elite has created a racist ideology to cement its domination and increased the gap between Criollos, Mestizos (Guzmán 2016) and Maya people. As a result, the Maya People have been dispossessed of their land (Castellanos 1985, Acemoglu and Robinson 2012, Casolo 2020); besides, their knowledge and practices have been undervalued and made invisible (Guzmán 2016, Casolo 2020). RETRIEVED FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Author(s): Miguel Alejandro Saquimux Contreras
Date Published: 2022

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