This past Saturday I visited a community made up of 182 people called "Nuevo Amanecer" or "New Dawn."A community of former refugees that had to flee to Mexico to escape persecution, torture, or death. As I stated a few weeks ago the worst years of the civil war were in the early 1980´s. This is when the majority of the massacres occured and it was very dangerous to organize, assembly, or speak against the government. I got to hear the story of how this community formed and the story of a man named Don Pedro and his son, Amaro. Don Pedro was a leader in his community and of many cooperatives. He helped organize a campaign to request affordable and better prices for food and supplies (such as chemical fertilizer). Everyday necesities so people can survive. He was kidnapped and tortured for 15 days without food or water by the army. Upon his return, he and his famliy secretly and illegally fled to Mexico in fear of further harm or possible death. His wife and children had to carry his broken, bruised body to Mexico, because the torture made it impossible for him to walk. In Mexico the refugees faced several challenges. For one, Guatemala news spread the idea that those seeking asylum were wild, violent people and two since they didn´t have documentation so many children couldn´t attend school. The Catholic (Mexican) church played a significant role in helping families get documentation and helped families return to Guatemala 15 years later in July 1998. It took two 1/2 years to build the community Nuevo Amanecer. Don Pedro noted that the government has not responed to the needs of refugees, nor is there any political will to help the poor. The construction of the community and purchase of land was made possible by donations, the church, international support, and by "knocking door to door" in search of anyone that can assist. Nuevo Amanecer does produce its own honey and is trying to get a market and space to sell their product but has not yet done so. Honey is sold at the school and it is the best honey i have ever had. A jar cost 20Q or $2.60.
Don Pedro´s son, Amaro, was eight years old when he and his family left for Mexico. By age 10 he was learning about the political climate in his country and by age 20 Amaro returned to Guatemala to join the guerilla forces "ORPA" later to form the "URNG." These revolution groups made it a point not only to fight but to educate. So they were in the refugee camps in Mexico teaching people about the situation back home. Imagine the trama of seeing your father near death and having to leave your home. What were you doing at age 20?
Remember that from 1954 till mid 80s Guatemala was ruled by a serious of militant dictators. The guerilla forces formed as a direct response to the oppression, injustices, and genocide carried out by the government (which the U.S. supported and sent funding). The leaders of the guerilla forces were actually ex-military that did not agree witht the government. Amaro´s guerilla name was Ronald. He spoke of the hard times living in the mountains and in the woods. Men and woman worked together fighting, gathering food, hiking, and training. Times were very difficult during the four years Amaro lived in the mountains. Sometimes there was nothing to eat, they sleept on the ground with nothing but a tarp to layer the ground, if it rained they slept in their clothes soaking wet, they watched each other die and suffer with the vision of one day changing the state of the country. They had no pay or salary just the promise of change and hope of justice. Amaro made sure to point out that "a gun does not make a guerilla, a gun does not change a country..." so the revolutionary forces made sure to educate each other and the people. They taught each other how to read, write, they taught each other politics, history..so they knew who the are.. past, present, future. Amaro talked about responsibility. His responsibity to people, to humans, to his brothers and sisters. And this responsibility ignites his motivation to serve and to speak the truth about what happened here so that we don´t forget. He ended his story with a simple line "If only these mountains could speak because they have seen and lived the suffering of the war." Amaro often places his hand on his chest, right over his heart when he speaks and this is how I will remember him.
Hey, never knew what "mangroves" was until now. Check out the cool way the trees, roots, and shrubs grow.
