Searching for Justice in Guatemala
Antigua
Church in Antigua
The day after the forum is November 1st, Día de Todos los Santos (All Saints' Day, or Day of the Dead). It is a national holiday across Latin America, during which families visit graves with flowers to remember family and ancestors. The day is also marked by festive community and street celebrations. Since it is an official holiday, no meetings can be scheduled, and we head off to Antigua with Diana and Iliana for a day's rest.
Streets of Antigua
Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and much of the original colonial city has been preserved. It is also a centre for tourist activity in Guatemala, and many foreigners come to study Spanish here. Though it is not a traditional holiday in Guatemala, the strong expatriate presence means that we see many people dressed up for Hallowe'en when we arrive late on October 31st. There are many people strolling around downtown in the dark. This is the other Guatemala that tourists usually see, far from the histories of violence in places such as Huehuetenango. I can't help but compare this visit to my last one five years ago, just before I joined Inter Pares, where as a tourist, I moved through this other Guatemala without seeing the country that lay beneath.
| Reviewed July 31, 2009 |  |
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