The Passion of Guatemala
Space, Temporality, and the Politics of Truth and Resurrection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/post.v5i3.391Keywords:
Guatemala, Roman Catholicism, representation, Neoliberalism, space, progressAbstract
This article examines the Roman Catholic concepts, rhetoric, and images that have helped shape histories of progress in postwar Guatemala. The specific interest here is in the Roman Catholic Church’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission report and the progress narratives that this report helps to perpetuate. Titled Never Again (1998), the report documents Guatemala’s genocidal civil war by paralleling Guatemala’s passion to Christ’s passion. And while much of this article contributes to an ever-growing critique of progress narratives, of modernity itself, most compelling for this reflection are the spatial politics that appear as the Church’s progressive history proves increasingly uninformed (at best) and irrelevant (at worst).
References
Amnesty International. 2006. “Guatemala: No Protection, No Justice: Killings of Women in Guatemala.” Amnesty International: Working to Protect Human Rights Worldwide 34(19).
Butler, Judith. 2007. “Torture and the Ethics of Photography.” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 25(6): 951–966. http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/d2506jb
Canadian Red Cross. 2006. “Facts and Figures: Guatemala 2005.” http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=20507&tid=001. Accessed October 1, 2009.
CEH. 1999. “Memoria Del Silencio. Guatemala: Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico.” Guatemala City: Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico.
Coser, Lewis. 1977. Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Elwell, Frank. 2006. Macrosociology: Four Modern Theorists. Boulder: Paradigm.
Ferguson, James. 1999. Expectations of Modernity: Myths and Meanings of Urban Life on the Zambian Copperbelt. Berkeley: University of California Press.
García, María Cristina Fernández. 2004. “Lynching in Guatemala: Legacy of War and Impunity.” Cambridge: Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University.
Garrard-Burnett, Virginia. 1997. “Liberalism, Protestantism, and Indigenous Resistance in Guatemala, 1870–1920.” Latin American Perspectives 24(2): 35–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0094582X9702400203
Goldman, Francisco. 2007. The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? New York: Grove Press.
Invest in Guatemala. 2009. “Guía para el inversionista.” Guatemala City: Invest in Guatemala. http://www.investinguatemala.org/pdf/guia_del_inversionista.pdf. Accessed July 10, 2010.
———. 2010. “Exportaciones forestales por producto enero a diciembre 2008.” Guatemala City Invest in Guatemala. http://www.garbo.cc/clientes/invest/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=42. Accessed July 10, 2010.
KMPG. 2007. “Doing Business in Guatemala: Investment in Guatemala.” Guatemala: KMPG Consultores, S.A.
MINUGUA. 2002. “Los Linchamientos: Un Flagelo que Persiste.” Guatemala City: Misión de Verificación de las Naciones Unidas en Guatemala.
Moller, Jonathan. 2004. “Our Culture is our Resistance: Repression, Refuge and Healing in Guatemala.” http://www.jonathanmoller.org/portfolio1.htm. Accessed April 1, 2010.
Nelson, Diane. 2009. Reckoning: The Ends of War in Guatemala. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
O’Neill, Kevin Lewis. 2005. “Writing Guatemala’s Genocide: Christianity and Truth and Reconciliation Commissions.” The Journal for Genocide Research 7(3): 310–331.
———. 2010a. City of God: Christian Citizenship in Postwar Guatemala City. Berkeley: University of California Press.
———. 2010b. “The Reckless Will: Prison Chaplaincy and the Problem of Mara Salvatrucha.” Public Culture 22(1): 67–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1215/08992363-2009-016
———, and Kedron Thomas. 2011. Securing the City: Neoliberalism, Space, and Security in Postwar Guatemala. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Ortiz, Dianna. 2004. The Blindfold’s Eyes: My Journey from Torture to Truth. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press.
Painter, James. 2007. “Crime Dominates Guatemala Campaign.” British Broadcasting Company, May 10.
Peace Accords. 2006. “Guatemala Acuerdos de Paz para Todos.” Guatemala City: Editorial Piedra Santa.
Pew Forum. 2006. “Spirit and Power: A 10-Nation Survey of Pentecostals by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.” Washington, DC: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Prensa Libre. 2010a. “Identifican restos de mujer localizados en bulevar Vista Hermosa, June 28.” Prensa Libre.
———. 2010b. “Macabro hallazgo suma cuatro cabezas y dos cuerpos decapitados, June 10.” Prensa Libre.
REMHI. 1998. Guatemala, nunca más; Proyecto Interdiocesano de Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica, Volúmenes I, II, III, IV. Guatemala: Oficina de Derechos Humanos Arzobispado de Guatemala.
———. 1999. Guatemala, Never Again. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis.
Sanford, Victoria. 2008. “Femicide in Guatemala.” ReVista 7(2): 21–22.
Scarry, Elaine. 1985. The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World. New York: Oxford University Press.
Seelke, Clare Ribando. 2010. “Mérida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues.” Congressional Research Service Report 40135. January.
USAID. 2006. “Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment.” Office of Regional Sustainable Development. Washington, DC: Bureau for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs.
Wilson, Maya. 2009. Guatemala: Crime Capital of Central America. Washington, DC: Council on Hemispheric Affairs.
Butler, Judith. 2007. “Torture and the Ethics of Photography.” Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 25(6): 951–966. http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/d2506jb
Canadian Red Cross. 2006. “Facts and Figures: Guatemala 2005.” http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=20507&tid=001. Accessed October 1, 2009.
CEH. 1999. “Memoria Del Silencio. Guatemala: Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico.” Guatemala City: Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico.
Coser, Lewis. 1977. Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Elwell, Frank. 2006. Macrosociology: Four Modern Theorists. Boulder: Paradigm.
Ferguson, James. 1999. Expectations of Modernity: Myths and Meanings of Urban Life on the Zambian Copperbelt. Berkeley: University of California Press.
García, María Cristina Fernández. 2004. “Lynching in Guatemala: Legacy of War and Impunity.” Cambridge: Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University.
Garrard-Burnett, Virginia. 1997. “Liberalism, Protestantism, and Indigenous Resistance in Guatemala, 1870–1920.” Latin American Perspectives 24(2): 35–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0094582X9702400203
Goldman, Francisco. 2007. The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop? New York: Grove Press.
Invest in Guatemala. 2009. “Guía para el inversionista.” Guatemala City: Invest in Guatemala. http://www.investinguatemala.org/pdf/guia_del_inversionista.pdf. Accessed July 10, 2010.
———. 2010. “Exportaciones forestales por producto enero a diciembre 2008.” Guatemala City Invest in Guatemala. http://www.garbo.cc/clientes/invest/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=42. Accessed July 10, 2010.
KMPG. 2007. “Doing Business in Guatemala: Investment in Guatemala.” Guatemala: KMPG Consultores, S.A.
MINUGUA. 2002. “Los Linchamientos: Un Flagelo que Persiste.” Guatemala City: Misión de Verificación de las Naciones Unidas en Guatemala.
Moller, Jonathan. 2004. “Our Culture is our Resistance: Repression, Refuge and Healing in Guatemala.” http://www.jonathanmoller.org/portfolio1.htm. Accessed April 1, 2010.
Nelson, Diane. 2009. Reckoning: The Ends of War in Guatemala. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
O’Neill, Kevin Lewis. 2005. “Writing Guatemala’s Genocide: Christianity and Truth and Reconciliation Commissions.” The Journal for Genocide Research 7(3): 310–331.
———. 2010a. City of God: Christian Citizenship in Postwar Guatemala City. Berkeley: University of California Press.
———. 2010b. “The Reckless Will: Prison Chaplaincy and the Problem of Mara Salvatrucha.” Public Culture 22(1): 67–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1215/08992363-2009-016
———, and Kedron Thomas. 2011. Securing the City: Neoliberalism, Space, and Security in Postwar Guatemala. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Ortiz, Dianna. 2004. The Blindfold’s Eyes: My Journey from Torture to Truth. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press.
Painter, James. 2007. “Crime Dominates Guatemala Campaign.” British Broadcasting Company, May 10.
Peace Accords. 2006. “Guatemala Acuerdos de Paz para Todos.” Guatemala City: Editorial Piedra Santa.
Pew Forum. 2006. “Spirit and Power: A 10-Nation Survey of Pentecostals by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.” Washington, DC: The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Prensa Libre. 2010a. “Identifican restos de mujer localizados en bulevar Vista Hermosa, June 28.” Prensa Libre.
———. 2010b. “Macabro hallazgo suma cuatro cabezas y dos cuerpos decapitados, June 10.” Prensa Libre.
REMHI. 1998. Guatemala, nunca más; Proyecto Interdiocesano de Recuperación de la Memoria Histórica, Volúmenes I, II, III, IV. Guatemala: Oficina de Derechos Humanos Arzobispado de Guatemala.
———. 1999. Guatemala, Never Again. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis.
Sanford, Victoria. 2008. “Femicide in Guatemala.” ReVista 7(2): 21–22.
Scarry, Elaine. 1985. The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World. New York: Oxford University Press.
Seelke, Clare Ribando. 2010. “Mérida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues.” Congressional Research Service Report 40135. January.
USAID. 2006. “Central America and Mexico Gang Assessment.” Office of Regional Sustainable Development. Washington, DC: Bureau for Latin American and Caribbean Affairs.
Wilson, Maya. 2009. Guatemala: Crime Capital of Central America. Washington, DC: Council on Hemispheric Affairs.
Published
2011-12-22
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
O'Neill, K. L. (2011). The Passion of Guatemala: Space, Temporality, and the Politics of Truth and Resurrection. Postscripts: The Journal of Sacred Texts, Cultural Histories, and Contemporary Contexts, 5(3), 391-407. https://doi.org/10.1558/post.v5i3.391
