Trip Schedule

May 5 - Guatemala City
May 6 - Guatemala City to El Estor
May 7 - El Estor
May 8 - El Estor to Rabinal
May 9 - Rabinal
May 10 - Rabinal to Río Negro
May 11 - Río Negro to Guatemala City
May 12 - Guatemala City to San Marcos
May 13 - San Miguel Ixtahuacán to Comitancillo
May 14 - Comitancillo to Antigua
May 15 - Antigua
May 16 - Guatemala City
May 17 - San Lucas Tolimán, Lake Atitlán
May 18 - Chimaltenango
May 19 - Chimaltenango to Antigua

GUATEMALA - MAY 2008

May 12 - Guatemala City to San Marcos

Travelling in such close quarters presents its own unique challenges.


I found it surprising that so many indigenous families were forced to make a living along the sides of the highways resulting from the sale of their once communally owned land to private enterprise. Children, dogs, and livestock were immediately alongside the highway. In Canada, we would never allow our children or pets to be in such close proximity of speeding vehicles, but in Guatemala this was commonplace.


Occupying much of the productive soils of the south western coast of Guatemala, one can see endless coffee and...


... palm oil plantations, two more examples of large foreign owned fincas.


Selling off much of Guatemala's productive land has forced indigenous campesinos to cultivate less desirable agricultural land in steeper topography.


In contrast to the arid regions of central Guatemala (i.e. Jutiapa, Río Negro, and Rabinal) the western highlands, near Quetzaltengo, are very humid with lush vegetation.
(Photo credit: JP Laplante)


Grahame introduces Goldcorp's Marlin Mine located in San Miguel Ixtahuacán, in the department of San Marcos.


Marlin Mine (central left in the photograph) occupies one of the highest areas in the region and seems to hover over the community. I am looking forward to tomorrow's mine tour.
(Photo credit: JP Laplante)


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Trip Overview

In May of 2008, Dr. Catherine Nolin of the University of Northern British Columbia (Prince George, British Columbia, Canada), along with several undergraduate and graduate students, went on a 2 week delegation led by Grahame Russell of Rights Action to Guatemala to meet with a number of indigenous Mayan communities and speak with them about their experiences. Issues explored included the genocide of the early 1980's and the environmental and human impacts resulting from land use changes due to Canadian mining development.

The trip itinerary involved travel throughout the country starting from 'la capitale' or Guatemala City. To read about each day's events, click on the location links provided. A complete map of the itinerary is available here.

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