Guatemala: National Fragmentation, Local Cohesion

Abstract

In this chapter, Argueta and Kurtenbach argue that current socio-environmental conflicts show high levels of continuity to historical struggles. Guatemala displays a high level of national fragmentation along lines of ethnicity, residence, and income. These patterns persist over time, but adapt to changing political contexts. Deep social inequality creates local cohesion among a wide range of social movements motivated by the threat to natural resources. The experience of violence, however, makes organization and mobilization of protest difficult beyond the local level. The state does little to redress existing social inequalities, instead answering resistance with repression. In this context, international development cooperation substituted for state social policies and empowered marginalized social groups.