Guatemala Civil War Story

To read the article that I just wrote about the story of a Guatemalan refugee who fled her war torn country to Costa Rica please follow this link, Guatemala 1980.

From the article:

“She spoke with a biting sincerity and curtness that were moving far beyond her words alone. She was a survivor, having witnessed the sharp end of life first hand. Now a professor at Long Island University’s Global College in Costa Rica, the woman who I will refer to only as La Profesora, once walked a teetering line between life and death.

Guatemala, 1980: The earth is scorched bare, smoldering ashes still burn hot upon what was once a vibrant village, and humanity turns an ill face away from the reign of terror that has spread over the land. 440 Indigenous villages have been razed to the ground, their inhabitants either killed or moved into internment camps; Guatemala City has become a war-zone, and the military police work with a precision the S.S. would be proud of. Guatemala is in the midst of a civil war between governmental forces and guerrilla organizations that lasted for 37 years, and claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, peasants, revolutionaries, soldiers, fathers, brothers, and friends. Throughout all of this, La Profesora was but a young university student tentatively stepping through this maze of kidnaping, murder, and terror.”

To read the full article go to Guatemala 1980

To read the full interview go to La Profesora Guatemala Refugee Interview

This article is set to be published by Cafe Abroad Magazine in April. Fifty more dollars in a traveler’s pocket can never be refused.

Writing for the bean money.

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Heredia, Costa Rica
February 19, 2008