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Guatemala, though being a country of people swelled with national pride, is also quite diverse politically. I was in Guatemala for the last elections when as many as 16 different parties were represented. There may have been a few more but as I read, 16 of them were official. It was amazing to see the supporters of the many different groups there. What was also quite a change was to see and converse with those who are anti-capitalists and others who see the United States as an “enemy” politically speaking.
Among the academic community, there are quite a few who are outspoken with their socialist and communist ideology. Much of the media in Guatemala gives them a platform to express their views as well. While not all of Guatemala feels as the academic elite do, their views are often ascribed to the majority.
With the recent events in Cuba, a large spotlight has been cast on the island country. Guatemala has had a huge interest in the events there and how the Cubans are being treated by the world. Guatemala and Cuba have many ties that bind them together. From the military/political hero Che Guverra to the teams of Cuban doctors who tour Guatemala putting on free clinics, Cuba and Guatemala have a large amount of interaction.
Here is a post from the Prensa Latina about those who support Cuba’s position and are against the blockade the US has on Cuba. Definitely makes for interesting discussion.
Guatemalans for Cuban Revolution
Guatemala, Sep 4 (Prensa Latina) Bravery, authenticity and dignity of the Cuban people will ensure the Revolution’s survival for ever, despite US aggressions, said outstanding Guatemalan academic Jose Barnoya.Barnoya, physician, writer and one of signers of the document “Cuba’s Sovereignty Must Be Respected,” recalled that since he was a child, he was a great admirer of Jose Marti.
He says he has spent his life following the history and struggle of Cuba, harassed and blockaded by the Empire of the North.
Moreover, Marco Antonio Sagastume Gemmell, coordinator of the Human Rights master’s degree program at the San Carlos University, expressed gratitude for all the Cuban government and people have done for Guatemala and Central America.
Another signer of document, Alfonso Bauer Paiz said that President Fidel Castro is an example for the Americas and has demonstrated to the world that the block United States can be challenged.
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Even Nobel Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu cast a dark shadow on the United States as she denounced any efforts to cause change in Cuba during the sickness of Fidel Castro. Menchu is a potential candidate for the next elections in Guatemala and is very influential as an activist in bringing military criminals from the Guatemalan Civil War to justice.
