Writing Resources
Numerous cases of genocide have occurred throughout the history of the world that has brought devastation and destruction to countless communities homes and families Often times genocide was carried out by the government against a minority in the nation Genocide was officially declared an international crime in 1948 In the Central American country of Guatemala the government targeted the Mayan Indians indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica The Guatemalan genocide is one in which a native people who once prospered in their homeland became an impoverished and oppressed minority because of the hate and ignorance harbored by the spanish explorers that conquered the land Guatemala is a relatively small country in Central America just below Mexico This region was once the center of the ancient Mayan civilization As the age of exploration brought the Spanish conquest of Central America the native peoples were forced into a new economic system that relied heavily on slave labor a role filled by the Mayans Although Guatemala gained independence in 1821 it continued to be ruled by a series of military dictators aligned with the landed oligarchy CJA This made it easy for them to take advantage of the people and remain an influence on the nation s political economic and social matters The Mayans would be oppressed for so long it would become normal and the atmosphere for genocide would grow Political chaos and civil war in the 1960 s and 70 s only contributed to this atmosphere It became easier for extremist parties to gain influence and power in Guatemala Two main sides developed the right wing military dictatorship and the aggressive guerilla movement which launched a full scale civil war against the government CJA
