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Although the Guatemalan Civil War ended more than two decades ago, its bloody legacy continues to resonate even today. In Silenced Communities, author Marcia Esparza offers an ethnographic account of the failed demilitarization of the rural militia in the town of Santo Tomás Chichicastenango following the conflict. Combining insights from postcolonialism, subaltern studies, and theories of internal colonialism, Esparza explores the remarkable resilience of ideologies and practices engendered in the context of the Cold War, demonstrating how the lingering effects of grassroots militarization affect indigenous communities that continue to struggle with inequality and marginalization.
List of contents
Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction: "My Soul is a Military Soul"
Chapter 1. The Methodological Crisis Revisited
Chapter 2. A Postcolonial Reenactment:The Cold War Civil Self-Defense Patrol System
Chapter 3. A Chameleonlike Army: Civic Action, a Postcolonial Strategy
Chapter 4. The Beheading of a Popular Maya Uprising in a “Red Community”
Chapter 5. Early Disbanding, Postwar Resistance and Na'tab'al (Memory)
Chapter 6. “Inverted Discourse:” Collaboration in “White Communities”
Chapter 7. Nationalistic Mythology Revival: Failure to Dismantle the Internal Enemy Myth
Chapter 8. A “Silence That Hurts:” Garrison Communities
Chapter 9. Militaristic Legacies: Lynching and La Cadena
Chapter 10. A Foreseen Aftermath: Decree 3-2014
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Marcia Esparza is an Associate Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. She has co-edited the books
State Violence and Genocide in Latin America (2009),
Legacies of State Violence and Transitional Justice in Latin America (2015), and
Remembering the Rescuers of Victims of Human Rights Crimes in Latin America (2016).
Summary
Although the Guatemalan Civil War ended more than two decades ago, its bloody legacy continues to resonate even today. In Silenced Communities, author Marcia Esparza offers an ethnographic account of the failed demilitarization of the rural militia in the town of Santo Tomás Chichicastenango following the conflict. Combining insights from postcolonialism, subaltern studies, and theories of internal colonialism, Esparza explores the remarkable resilience of ideologies and practices engendered in the context of the Cold War, demonstrating how the lingering effects of grassroots militarization affect indigenous communities that continue to struggle with inequality and marginalization.
Additional text
“By combining postcolonial theory, military sociology and genocide studies, Marcia Esparza gives those largely silenced communities in Guatemala a sympathetic voice.” · Jürgen Zimmerer, University of Hamburg
