Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America

 

Here we begin our journey to Guatemala.  Even better news is that the forecast in Guatemala City has changed from isolated thunderstorms to clear sunny skies, and I have a window seat!  For the past several weeks I've been studying up on Guatemala's civil war history and the legacy of Bishop Juan Gerardi.  I am ready to experience the rich Mayan culture firsthand, and to hear their stories, however painful or disturbing they might be.  I know that the people we meet and the things we learn will move us to share our experience with those we come home to.  I hope that our reflections on the things we encounter throughout this trip provide some useful insight into creative ways we can tell our story to others. 

As for now, I can't wait for the warm climate and the rich indigenous culture that is painted in bright colors all over the city walls and vibrant in the hearts of so much of Guatemala's population.  I'm certain that this will be a memory that will live on in all of us forever.  It will be a truly incredible experience.

- Jackie

We have now spent our first 24 hours together in Guatemala.  What a group!  We range in age from Jackie and Erica in their 20s to Fred and Frank, toward the other part of the age spectrum.  Four (except again Frank and Fred) know Spanish.  Some have been here many times.  For Jackie, this is her first experience in Guatemala.  We are all looking forward to our experiences.

After arriving at our guest house and resting, we walked down to the town square and the Cathedral.  The church is a relatively plain one, as Latin American churches go.  The pillars in front contain names of victims of torture, of execution, of massacres.  The weather was good and the square was active.

Then back to the hotel for dinner, reflection and bed for a full nights sleep.

The next morning (today) we were up early to go to the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala.  We initially met with Padre Horacio Castillo (hijo) and his wife, Pastor Amanda Olson de Castillo, who is a native of Minnesota.  Then we attended a church service.  After that we met with Padre Horacio Castillo who is the president of the church.  He told us the story of his life and his religious search which led him to Martin Luther's church.  He is a charismatic figure who exudes leadership.  He has obviously ruffled feathers in Guatemala.  He said there have been four attempts on his life.  He lives close to the edge and is both watchful and daring.

In all, it was a very good morning and noon (they gave us lunch and we bought some handi-crafts), returning to the hotel in the afternoon to look forward to more adventures in Guatemala.

- Frank

Today we left for Santa Cruz in Quiché.  We had a leisurely breakfast and walked to a bank to change money and looked for a chip for the group cell phone.  We were on our way to Santa Cruz in a van at 10:30.

The ride for me was a stream of consciousness - spectacular scenery of valleys and mountains contrasting with campesinos working bent over in the fields, men carrying huge sacks of oversized carrots on their backs, fields of cabbages and cauliflower, milpas with last year's harvested stalks of corn, the milpas taking up every inch of available space, colorful fruit and flowers being sold, shades of brown on the terraced hillside, furrows ready to be planted, beautiful children walking home from school, little girls in their trajes and ribbons in their hair.

We arrive in Santa Cruz and after many misdirections we find our hotel.  Gloria, a beautiful, bright young woman, torn from her country when she was eight years old and after many years in Chicago returning to her native land to work with the Acción Cultural Guatemalteca (ACG).

We walk to the ACG office and listen to Mateo, I think the Director, talk about the ACG and Guatemala.  The ACG works in 3 departments, including Quiche, and has 3 main programs: 1) youth development; 2) communication and human rights; and 3) women's microcredit ending.  ACG is going through a transition as its main funding has been reduced.  This funding has come from an organization in Ireland whose plan was to provide funding for 3 years, reducing it each year with the eventual goal of being self-sufficient - a difficult task in such a poor country.  But they (ACG) are looking at their options for funding.

The situation in Guatemala - presented by Mateo.  It is complex, a government that owes its existence to contributions from the big companies who in turn wield power in the government, distant villages that receive few services, a reparations program for victims of the war that doesn't work, narco-traffickers, maras, kidnappings, corn being used for ethanol leading to higher prices, free trade agreements that benefit only the wealthy and lead to the colonization of Central American countries, the negative impacts of U.S. policy, exploiting natural resources, re-militarization of the country, a corrupt government, privatization that leads to higher prices - what to do??  But  HAY ESPERANZA! - en la voz del pueblo.  [THERE IS HOPE - in the voice of the people].

Francisca talked about the micro-credit lending project in which loans of 500 to 1,000 Quetzales [Guatemalan currency] are made to women, a real success story.  They all pay back the loans, women are learning to value themselves - this is wonderful!  This is hard for the men, but change will come and is coming poco a poco [little by little].

- Sarah

We started the morning off with breakfast at Pollo Campero.  Evidently it is one of the only places nearby that serves breakfast and is open before 8 am.  In a country where it seems that everyone is up and moving by sunny 6 am, it is interesting that more places don't open earlier.  But our breakfast of eggs and frijoles and tortillas, or a few pancakes with syrup, was surprisingly good.

We then proceeded to ACG.  When we arrived Luis had already set up for the Mayan ceremony we were going to experience.  A beautiful arrangement of candles of 6 different colors (white, red, green, yellow, black, and blue) were arranged in a circle (wicks towards the center), along with other items including wood and chocolate.  Around the circle were red rose petals.  It was so beautiful! 

Once we began the ceremony, Luis lit a match and put it under the wicks in the center.  One by one they caught on fire and the candles melted by both the heat of their own flame, as well as the heat of the others.  It was amazing how quickly the fire spread, creating so much heat that the bars of chocolate began to sizzle, bubble, and then melt away.  We were each invited to pray or share a few words, especially related to our ancestors.  In the US we are so focused on the present, we rarely take time to think about those who have come before us.  It was moving to hear members of the group recall fond memories of grandparents or great-grandparents long deceased, and giving thanks for the wisdom of our elders.  What a wonderful experience and what an honor to be able to participate in it together.  Also interesting was the mix of traditional indigenous religion with Catholic Christianity.  Several Mayans ended the Mayan ceremony by crossing themselves!

Next stop: the Peace and Reconciliation committee of the Pastoral Social of Caritas.  What a great visit!  We met with 3 women - 1 is a sister from the US - and we learned not only about the REMHI report and its previous and continued role in society (both achievements and shortcomings), but also about their work with mental health.  They are doing amazing work to help people through the painful healing process to deal with all of the horrendous experiences of the armed conflict.  If only there were more people doing this same important work to fulfill the high demand and need...

In the afternoon we went to visit the women's micro-credit group of Las Palomas.  A group of 7 beautiful women shared with us their experiences with getting micro-credit loans from ACG and how they are using them to raise chickens or turkeys or buy a cow or to start a small store in their community...  It is truly incredible.  And most amazing of all is that no one has ever defaulted on their loan payments.  Of course there may be a month here or there when a family is in a difficult situation and needs to wait until the next month to make their payment, but it all ends up getting paid eventually.  Many of these women lost family members during the armed conflict...but this day they are timid, yet giggly, proud and in good spirits as we spend a bit of time sharing with them.   It is hard to imagine them as the targets of genocide.

To finish the day...fiesta time!  A wonderful evening at ACG full of eating, marimba music, singing, playing with the children, and dancing.  Truly a joyous way to wrap up our time in Quiché with our new friends.

- Erica

Today mostly consisted of traveling and eating, but even so there are several noteworthy moments.  We had a nice breakfast at a creperie (much better than Pollo Campero) and met Gloria and Santos afterwards so we could pack up and leave for Antigua.  We were able to spend some time in the market beforehand, and also stopped to shop and have lunch in Chichicastenango.  The markets were full of brightly colored quilts and produce and swarming with bees.  My favorite thing in Chichi and probably one of the top spiritual experiences of this trip was the white church in Chichi that overlooked the marketplace.  Gloria explained that it was supposedly built over a Mayan ruin and inside one can see the fusion of Mayan spirituality and Catholic theology.  There was a fire burning at the bottom of the steep steps to the church and a Mayan man burning incense and candles at the door.  We couldn't take pictures inside, but the scene was captivating.  There were ancient murals on dark wooden altars which probably told stories at one time but were blurred with age.  We heard that each of the small wooden altars lining the center between the pews were Mayan altars.  They were each full of glowing candles and votives and we all watched as a Mayan man (and/or Catholic) traveled down the aisle, past the altars on his knees, his head bowed in prayer.  It reminded me of a church I visited in Rome called the Church of the Holy Steps.  It was said that one of the saints (St. Catherine?) brought the original marble stairs that Jesus had climbed when confronting Pontius Pilate to this part of Rome and preserved them under wooden steps.  The faithful who came to visit the church had to climb the steps on their knees and say a prayer at each step.  Unlike churches in the US or in Rome, this one and others I've seen in Latin America was filled with bouquets of flowers.  Many were ivory, some bright and colorful.  I think many of us began to tear up as we sat in the pews reflecting on Guatemala's painful history and its amazing culture.

After doing some shopping and having a great lunch, we met up with Mateo, Albiona and Beatriz who joined us on our journey to Antigua.  The countryside was breathtaking and I realized it had been so long since I'd last seen mountains!

As we arrived in Antigua we settled into our hotel (which is beautiful except that it is home to a pajaro [bird] that says "hola...hola...hola" constantly).  Several of us went to meet a few of Martha's friends for coffee and then went to dinner at La Fonda, which had very good guacamole y chiles rellenos, but not very good micheladas.

We returned and reflected about what we had seen and learned thus far and left sorrow and joy.  Santos thanked us all for the love we have for Guatemala and its people and the work that we do to educate the world so that things might change.  Gloria told us how it took her several tries and many years to deal with her family's history, but, like another Guatemalan man we visited with earlier, she felt a strong force within her that compelled her to return to Guatemala and devote her life to making positive change, to preserving Mayan culture and spirituality and promoting peace and justice.

Tomorrow will be a powerful day as well, as we look deeper into the history of the armed conflict and effects of migration and CAFTA.

- Jackie

Un día largo [a long day], as they say.  A day filled with information, emotions, strong people and strong sights.  Our meetings began at the GAM - Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo [Mutual Support Group], where the walls are covered with posters and photos about the disappeared loved ones.  We heard about their work of searching for children (and adults) who were taken from their parents during the war, and even heard the story of one who was reunited with his family 20+ years later - not a dry eye in the house for that one, including those of Carmen who was telling the story. They also spoke of their efforts to pressure the government to carry out exhumations on clandestine cemeteries at massacre sights; and other efforts to bring those responsible for all this death and destruction to justice - if not in Guatemala, then in the Inter-American court.  The theme of impunity runs through it all.

Jonathan Moeller joined us for lunch, and showed us a copy of his new book, which is intended to be used in schools to teach students about the armed conflict.  It will be a great tool for teachers if it ever gets published and distributed.

After lunch we went to FAFG - the Forensic Anthropology Foundation.  Yes, this is where they take the remains that are exhumed from the massacre sites and carefully, seriously, respectfully examine and document them, fitting pieces of skulls back together in order to discover the trajectories of bullets, and piecing together arm bones, fingers, spines into human skeletons that reveal stories of unimaginable suffering.  The workers are thoughtful and professional, and committed to helping to bring dignity and healing to their people.  It's hard to say which image is the most powerful: the bones laid out so carefully on the examining tables?  Or the tiny pair of ragged pants, with vestiges of a woman's belt around the waste band?  Or the boxes and boxes stacked in the hallway, each marked with a date and place name, filled (I presume) with more bones to be examined and cataloged? Or the stacks of wooden coffins - some so small! - stacked on the front porch?

Next step - the center for migrants.  Father Abraham shared his story and his commitment to serving the needs of migrants who pass through Guatemala on their way to "el norte" [the north].  I think that place must feel like a wonderful healing oasis to the migrants.

After these strong experiences we were all worn out, and debated whether to go to the ceremony in honor of the victims of the conflict, to be held at the Cathedral.  Finally we decided to go for a short while - and we're so glad we did!  (or I am, anyway!).  In the area is front of the church that is surrounded by the pillars listing the names of the victims, they had set up several rows of plastic chairs and a small dais and podium.  The floor was covered with pine needles, in the Mayan fashion.  Most of the seats were filled when we got there, and we joined those crowding in on the sides.  An air of excitement and joy filled the crowd as many people greeted friends -  Sarah soon spotted some sisters she knows from her work in El Salvador, and we were all thrilled to see Rigoberta Menchu - wearing the Nobel Prize - in the front row.  Next to her our dear Samuel Ruiz took a seat - looking rather frail but much appreciated by Rigoberta.  I spoke to him briefly, and later Mateo took a moment to greet him and thank him for his support for the Guatemalans when they were in refuge in Chiapas.  Later Mateo thanked us for this opportunity, saying "I never imagined I would see Don Samuel again."  The commemoration ceremony was brief, featuring comments from Nedy Rodenas (head of ODHAG - Guatemalan Archbishop Human Rights Office) and an indigenous woman and an indigenous man, both of whom had lost family members in the violence.  These two each made strong statements asking why the government has not fulfilled its promises to pay reparations to the victims.  Then Rigoberta got up - her first job was to unveil a new name that has been added to the pillars: that of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera.  She gave a brief speech (a notable feature being her sunglassed security guard), and then it was over.  Before we went back to our waiting bus, Gloria was able to find the names of her family members on the pillars.

- Martha

Another full day and a very good one began with coffee and bread, pie or yogurt and granola of choice at a coffee bar overlooking the plaza.  A cool morning put us on our way early for a 9am meeting in Guatemala City with CONGCOOP - via a "gated middle class community."  Juan distributed xeroxed copies of a power point presentation on CAFTA and its effects.  Juan's presentation evoked a frank discussion of CAFTA and related food and economic issues.

We went from zone 4 Mixto to another world in Zone 14 for a meeting with the UN High Commission [for Human Rights] in Edificio Europlaza.  Mr. Andrés Sanchez was kind enough to accommodate our visit (after confusion over our rescheduled meeting time).  He elaborated on the UN mandate to observe the Guatemalan government and to make follow-up recommendations on the Human Rights situation.

Lunch was leisurely taken within the Europlaza, followed by a coffee break.

Our final meeting of the delegation was with Claudia Samayoa, Coordinator of the Protection Unit of Human Rights Defenders.  Claudia gave a brief history of the evolution and context of their work and went on to describe common citizen insecurity and the other types of violence such as sexual and domestic situations.  Atop this, human rights defenders become exposed to the local level powers' intolerance and corruption and find the structural problem of this local power feeling threatened.  In trying to make a local authority accountable, a power behind that power may become provoked and yield unexpected violence as a result (i.e. organized crime as a backlash).

Claudia described other patterns of violence and impunity and listed specifics.  Having done research on gangs, she outlined their history and distinctions in Guatemala and Central America.  In closing a full 2 hours with us, she explained background history of Victor Rivera.  All in all, very informative.

After this last lecture, Gloria and Santos left the group.  Earlier in the day Mateo had left after the CONGCOOP meeting. 

The ride back to Antigua gave us time to recap some of the day and to relax.  Our processing and lively discussions continued through supper in Antigua with good company and good food.

- Margaret

Today was the day to honor Juan Gerardi.  When we arrived at the Cathedral it was already almost full - of priests, nuns, norteamericanos [North Americans], indigenous, friars and photographers and videographers of every stripe.  At the opening many priests followed the cross, with many higher officials - the Archbishop (Cardinal?) of Guatemala, Bishop Rios Montt (the "monster's" brother) and Samuel Ruiz.  We had met Luki and she found some stools for us to place in front of a pillar to see most of the action.  This was good to for some of us, and the others were scattered through the church.   

The homily praised Bishop Gerardi's life and work.  The archbishop also gave a warning to those intellectual authors of the Bishop's killing - that the Church was continuing its investigation to find them and would not rest until that was accomplished.  The service was significant and emotional for all present.

After the Mass, the people began a procession, first around the Church and then toward the place where the Bishop lived and was killed.  There were stations of the Cross and memorials to the victims.  The GAM memorial contained photos of the disappeared.  Others also gave public witness to those who have not been found.

At the park in front of the parsonage, there was a gathering with drama, music and Mayan dancers.  The garage where the Bishop was slain was open, and a memorial had been built in that space.  Carnations, which had been given at the beginning of the march, were deposited at the memorial space.  It was all very moving.  Through the talks it was apparent that people were still angry that the government has not really answered the issues raised by the REMHI report. 

As we were about to leave, we observed a Mayan ceremony at the cross in front of the Church, so we stayed to observe.

After the trip back to Antigua, we had the rest of the afternoon for ourselves - shopping, internet, ice cream, sight seeing, resting, and everything else.

We went to supper, then to Erica and Jackie's room for a final group reflection.  We each offered something - passion fruit remembering Gloria and her contributions to us, photo of Beatriz, photo of Gerardi, poem - all attesting to the power of this week together.  We closed with the prayer from Archbishop Oscar Romero and retired for a very short night's sleep.

- Frank

Up at the crack of dawn (actually earlier) five of us set forth on our journey home (Erica stayed for a conference and then time in Costa Rica; Margaret stayed to visit friends and return home Monday).  We take home many memories and many inspirations.

- Frank