Wednesday, March 28, 2012
"What must it feel like getting to the capital city for the first time? What do the queqchis [indigenous tribe of Guatemala] think of our shadowless streets, of our grey colored progress, of the smell of shit of our city? I can't imagine the strength and conviction that is needed to walk during 8 days, 200 kilometers under the sun and/or rain with the naive hope of being heard and taken seriously. Those of us from the capital are so far away from the rural villagers that it's difficult for us to realize that they are the other side of this coin called Guatemala. One day we will understand that what happens to our brothers has a direct repercussion over our own lives. One day we will understand that we are all part of one whole. If they are not doing well, neither are we. I take my hat off at their conviction and the communal sentiment of the indigenous Guatemalans. I appreciate that I was born in this country where resistance and rebellion are still a reality. I, like the rural villagers who arrived in the capital yesterday, don't want a mine or cement factory around the corner from my home, I don't want them to contaminate the water from the rivers, or to blast the mountains, or to cut down the forests to plant one single product. I also do not agree with the mega projects that DON'T bring development to the communities and that only line the pockets of the same. I also dream of having my own piece of land where I can build a house and grow my food. I also dream of a country with social justice and in which human life is worth more than private property. And you guys?"
Photo caption: "My mother taught me to fight."
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