Guatemala: The Quiché Maya indigenous group and whether its situation is comparable to or distinguishable from the other indigenous groups in Guatemala, and whether there are reports of its mistreatment by government agents

The following information was provided by the Director of Inforpress Centroamericana, a press agency which publishes the bi-monthly publication Central America Report, in a 6 May 1998 telephone interview with the Research Directorate. The Director has lived in Guatemala since the 1980s.

In discussing the current mistreatment of the Quiché indigenous group, one must talk about the past because the present is linked to the past. During the height of the Guatemalan civil war in the late 1970s and 1980s, the Quichés were the victims of 80 per cent of the massacres perpetrated by the state security forces; 420 massacres were carried out against the Quiché in the highland areas of Guatemala, which includes Quiché and Huehuetenago departments. The Quiché was the worse hit of all the indigenous groups in Guatemala during the war and remains the most discriminated against because of its past. These highland departments were the most militarized during the war with military commissioners (comisionados) replacing municipal authorities and dictating overall development policy for the area. Despite the fact that these comisionados no longer control the area, the Guatemalan army is still present and has engaged in tactics of intimidation against the Quiché people. For example in 1996 and 1997, while members of the Recuperation of Historic Memory Project (REMHI), a Catholic Church-led truth commission, were attempting to gather testimonies on human rights violations from Quiché natives, the army organized its own "truth commission" process by meeting with community leaders. This tactic was a means to instil fear and insecurity among the people and to remind them that the army was still present in the area.

Another example is the municipal court trial of former military commissioner Noreiga in Quiché department last year. He had been tried for his alleged involvement in almost 100 cases of rape, disappearances, assassinations and extortion, but was released for lack of evidence. While witnesses testified against him, associates of Noreiga were taking down their names.

In a 6 May 1998 e-mail message to the Research Directorate, a Professor of Social Anthropology at the State University of New York at Albany and author of Rebels of Highland Guatemala: The Quiche-Mayas of Momostenango and Harvest of Violence: The Maya Indians and the Guatemalan Crisis stated the following:

The Quiche (K'ichee') are similar to other linguistic groups in Guatemala, and are a group only in statistical terms.  Through recent programs they are beginning to form a certain ethnic identity, but it is much weaker than the one of Mayas in general, or the local communities (Quichelenses). The situation for Mayas remains dangerous, despite the Peace Accords.  Santa Cruz del Quiche, for example, has a large military base, and when recently I met with some Mayas there we had to do it in secret for fear of repression by the army.  In some areas, such as Chimaltenango, assassinations have continued on a fairly regular basis, and in other communities politically motivated killings occur from time to time.  In Momostenango where I conducted research, not too long ago some hunters were hacked to death by local Mayas because they were misidentified as thieves who had robbed the public bus.  And, of course, recently a Bishop who prepared a report on Human Rights violations was killed; probably for political reasons.  The line between criminal and political violence is very thin at present, and the situation is tense for the Mayas.

The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illnois published a research paper on ethnicity in Guatemala which studied the differences in earnings and education among Guatemala's main ethnic groups: Quiché, Kakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam and "other" indigenous groups (22 Dec. 1997). The study bases its findings on Guatemala's 1989 household survey and states that "the Quiche and the 'other' indigenous groups experience very high levels of discrimination. In the case of the Quiche it would appear that low returns to schooling are responsible." Please consult the attached document for additional information on the study's methodology and findings.

For general information on the treatment of indigenous people in Guatemala, please consult GTM28707.E of 18 March 1998, and for information on the treatment of the Kekchi indigenous group, please consult GTM27575.E of 27 August 1997.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Director, Inforpress Centroamericana, Guatemala City. 6 May 1998. Telephone interview.

Professor of Social Anthropology, State University of New York, Albany. 6 May 1998. Letter sent by e-mail.

Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance [Chicago]. 22 December 1997. Harry Anthony Patrinos. "Differences in Education and Earnings Across Ethnic Groups in Guatemala; Includes Appendix; Native Americans: Then and Now." `(NEXIS)

Attachment

Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance [Chicago]. 22 December 1997. Harry Anthony Patrinos. "Differences in Education and Earnings Across Ethnic Groups in Guatemala; Includes Appendix; Native Americans: Then and Now." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Central America NewsPak [Austin, Tex.]. 1997-1998.

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. 1997-1998.

Cultural Survival Quarterly [Cambridge]. 1996-1998.

Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 1992.

Guatemala Human Rights Update [Washington]. 1997-1998.

Indexed Media Review: Guatemala. 1997-1998.

Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs [Miami]. 1997-1998.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1997-1998.

Latin American Regional Reports [London]. 1997-1998.

NACLA Report on the Americas [New York]. 1991-1998.

The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1989.

Unsucessful attempt to reach one oral source.

Electronic sources: IRB Databases, Global News Bank, Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database), World News Connection (WNC).