Politics 2

Politics has come alive in Guatemala. In previous election years, the majority of the population had a sense of resignation that their task was to choose the least worst of a bad bunch, and that after the initial euphoria of victory, election promises would be forgotten and they would simply get more of the same.

This year, the involvement of a UN backed organisation working against impunity, has revealed two big corruption scandals at high levels of the government and the public sector. Arrests have been made, and investigations are ongoing. 

It kickstarted a series of peaceful manifestations which have galvanised the middle classes into action. A couple of friends have felt very emotional about the chance to protest. Knowing that one of my friends father was killed over 30 years ago, specifically for standing up for workers rights -- helps me to understand why. For many in the middle classes (only about 10% of the population), they have grown up with a sense that there is nothing they can do to influence the politics of Guatemala or its outworkings in everyday life. That has changed now - but it is very fragile. The BBC wrote a slightly overenthusiastic article about how peaceful protests have changed this violent country (http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-32882520). It is true that the protests have remained mostly peaceful -- but that hasn´t affected the normal violence that continues in every day life. 

The protests are calling for the Presidents resignation, although so far no specific charges have been brought against him. The Evangelical Alliance made a statement that the Presidents resignation would de-stabilize the country and called churches to respect authority (and assumed that that meant passivity and not protesting in the face of corruption). Amongst my friends, that brought about a florish of facebook statuses basically saying that the EA does not represent them. The EA seemed to have missed the point that although the protests are calling for resignation, that is not the only thing. The protests are much broader than that. They have encouraged ordinary citizens to properly evaluate the claims of Presidential candidates and political parties and call them to account. Groups have been painting over and cleaning up political propaganda which has been placed or painted illegally on rocks, trees, lamp posts. Whereas before it seemed like the political classes could get away with lies and manipulations, and financial corruption, without anyone calling them out, even when there was broad public knowledge of what was happening. Not any longer. The protests (involving up to 50,000 in the last one) seems to have awoken a generation to be actively involved in politics. They have brought diverse groups together with a common call for justice. Even the student union groups of the state university and the private universities, have joined together -- unthinkable only a few months ago. 

Last weekend, I went to a prayer event early one saturday morning. About 1500 people gathered in the main square where later that day, the protesters would also gather. This cross-denominational group (again  - that sort of unity would have been unheard of 6 months ago) came together simply to pray for justice in this country  - and that the protests would continue to be peaceful. In spite of what I would say was an unhelpful dose of patriotism mixed in with the event, it was a moving time to stand (and kneel) with others in prayer for this country. 

The protests continue  - as the corruption cases now move forward, and more revelations of dodgy dealings emerge every week. The protests started with a general anti-corruption theme. Now we are also beginning to see specific suggestions for reform (most importantly to electoral processes and the financing of political parties and campaigns). It´s going to be a very interesting few months, as we get closer to the elections in September.