Political And Economic Effects Of The Mayan Civil War

Guatemala is the third-largest country in Central America and has the most successful economy in the region (Active Payroll) However, the country holds the position of having the second-highest poverty rate in the Americas (Borgen Project). Half of all people in Guatemala live in poverty, specifically in Indigenous communities where poverty rates have increased up to eighty percent ( Bermeo, Leblang, and Alverio 2). The cycle has only continued to worsen and becomes a more concerning problem. Guatemala has plummeted significantly because of its civil war which had devastating effects on its current political and economic system, the ever-growing concern of natural disasters, and social injustices facing the Indigenous community. Despair has

The Mayan peoples came and inhabited the land through their culture. However, despite them being the initial settlers of the country, their land was overtaken by the Spanish in the 1520s. Pedro de Alverado, a member of Hernan Cortes who had previously conquered Mexico, was sent to dominate the grounds (Central America). Through guerilla warfare, the Spanish colonised their land. Though they eventually gained independence in 1821, Guatemala continued to deal with conflict. Wage gaps and economic inequality between the wealthy and poor initiated conflict between the government and left-wing colonists. The Guatemalan Civil war began in 1960 that would last thirty-six years, overtaking the country and several parts of Central America, changing the structure of the

A population of over six million Mayan people lives in the country, or around thirty percent of the total population, and they experience significant racism and prejudice from both non-Indigenous people and the government. Stemming from internal racism that has plagued the country since its colonisation, Mayan communities have suffered immensely. During the Guatemalan Civil war, the military instituted “Operation Sophia” to specifically target the Mayan population. This attack eventually led to over 626 Indigenous communities being destroyed by conflict and 1.5 million Mayans being forcefully displaced (HMH). This attack among the community highlights the discrimination normalised by the government, which has instilled a more impactful division between the Indigenous and authority (Borgen Project). The issue of wealth disparity has impacted the Mayan community heavily. About eighty percent of this population lives in poverty, emphasising the issue of race and social standing being ultimately linked (Anywhere Guatemala). Guatemala has one of the lowest human development indexes compared to other sub-regions surrounding the country (Centre for Economic and Social Rights). Because the Indigenous population makes up a large portion of Guatemala's population and poverty rate, their community inevitably becomes