This week marks the 13th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords in Guatemala. I remember the day we signed the accords.
I was 17 years old and we listened to it on my dad's short wave radio in Vermont. I remember my parents were so hopeful – like so many other Guatemalan people – that this would bring change. They cried hoping this would mark a new day for our country and improve the lives of our Maya people.
More than a decade later, 13 years to be exact, this dream has not been realized. In Guatemala, the crime has increased; children continue to die of hunger and from drug related crime. Our women continue to be raped and killed. There are no jobs and our lands are being stolen. This is not peace. Too many people died during the war, including some of my family members. Many more brothers and sisters continue to die today.
Today, the struggle continues. Out of tremendous patience and a fight without rest, we can bear the fruit of hope.
LINKS from Prensa Libre (in Spanish):
http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2009/diciembre/29/365397.html article
http://multimedia.prensalibre.com/youtube/?videocod=oo-mEtDFzBU youtube video
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