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Notes From Other Delegates

Reflections on the Guatemala Trip
Don Booth
July 12, 2000

At the end of February, I had my first trip to Central America - to Guatemala, with a delegation arranged by Witness for Peace. We spent several days in Guatemala City in introductory meetings with Mayan representatives and others, and then stayed in family homes in a returned-refugee community in southern Guatemala. My son David was with me, and I hope to show his photo-slides sometime soon.

A Guatemala City Presbyterian/Episcopal minister described the "total structural corruption" of the government and the resistance of the owning class to land reform and unions - and even to taxation, except for a presently expected 14% sales tax, which would further bleed the poor.

The poor people we saw and stayed with are beginning to organize and think together about their lives and their future. They have a long and immensely difficult path, but I am glad I can picture them as a hopeful part of the world's changing to a more friendly and peaceful planet.