Explaining a Contradictory Record: The Case of Guatemala

Guatemala is not only one of the most unequal countries in the world, but one in which indigenous peoples (mostly of Mayan origin) have been historically marginalized. Until the second half of the twentieth century, they lived in semi-slave conditions, in the rural sector, and even today they have little influence on the process of economic and political decision-making. Indigenous peoples also suffered disproportionately from the civil war that afflicted the country for more than three decades; according to some estimates, more than 80 per cent of the victims of violence were indigenous.