Essay Sample on Guatemala Internal Armed Conflict

Introduction

Guatemala's internal armed conflict was an example of the oppressed finding a chance to fight for their right, what was their agenda? The government, the rich and the military had taken the opportunity to oppress the poor. Guerrilla movement was one of the few hopes they had that gave them the platform to fight. They brought food from the poor and stored it in the rich and wealthy people's warehouses. What did the rich achieve from this?

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What was their main agenda? In the book "Paradise in ashes" by Mainz 2004, he lists six reasons why the indigenous people joined the war. First of all, it was at a time when the military had taken away their land. The villagers felt that they to fight back. The area to the people was their center of existence, and the grounds were an issue highly charged in Guatemala. The second reason was their ambition to prosper which lead to a more deep urge to change the structure as the land was not all they wanted but the government too needed to be replaced.

Where their other reasons? Had they tried finding a solution? The third reason was that peaceful means to force change had turned fruitless, and the war was the only way for the indigenous people. They were ready to die on the battlefield rather than sitting and watching the community being mistreated. The fourth reason was that the indigenous people had found a new understanding of liberation through the bible as underscored by the REMHI report, which provided moral underpinnings for the vision they had. The values lead to the elimination of self-interest, and the people got attracted to a democratic and equitable society.

The fifth reason why the indigenous people joined the war was as a result of escalated military terror attacks. The attacks made many people very frightened, but on the other hand, many indigenous people joined the strike. They entered the movement to take revenge and defend themselves from the brutal military. It felt safe to hold a gun at this time, and the campaign was more than willing to provide the weapons.

The sixth reason why the indigenous people joined the war was that their peers had entered the war. They thought of it as an adventure, and it was an adventure to them (Manz, 2004). They had the urge to fight the brutal military. The young were among the ones who joined due to peer pressure, and they saw their peers doing fine, so they were happy to participate. In conclusion, unity and support are all that the indigenous people needed amongst themselves. With an agreement, they can achieve high goals and ambitions. Did the rich care about indigenous people? Should the indigenous people let the rich control them negatively?

References

Manz, B. (2004). Paradise in ashes: A Guatemalan journey of courage, terror, and hope. Univ of California Press.https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OQ2cNpXElVwC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=the+war+finds+paradise+by+manz&ots=gyOVyFTUtw&sig=FwEcdmux5yOX5b9wj-vctH8UyYk&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=the%20war%20finds%20paradise%20by%20manz&f=false