Dr. Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj delivers talk on “One Hundred and Six Days of Resistance”
On Wednesday, March 27th, the Council on Latin American & Iberian Studies (CLAIS) at the Yale MacMillan Center invited Dr. Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj to give a lecture on the sociopolitical contexts that drove Guatemalan indigenous communities to lead a historic resistance against the nation's government—a resistance that lasted one hundred and six days.
Against the backdrop of Guatemala's tumultuous political landscape, characterized by corruption, organized crime, and a history of violence against Indigenous communities, the unexpected rise of Bernardo Arevalo, son of former president Juan Jose Arevalo, marked a pivotal moment in the country's democratic trajectory. Despite initial underestimations, Arevalo's progressive Semilla party secured a surprising victory in the 2023 presidential runoff, challenging the entrenched powers of corruption and impunity.
In her talk, Dr. Velásquez Nimatuj highlighted how Arevalo's ascent to power was met with fierce resistance from the corrupt political elite. However, his unexpected success galvanized Indigenous communities, who have long been marginalized and oppressed by successive governments. Recognizing the stakes of defending a fragile electoral democracy, Indigenous peoples mobilized in unprecedented numbers, staging nationwide protests and blockades. This powerful display of unity and determination demanded respect for the electoral process and accountability from state institutions, leaving a lasting impact on the nation's political landscape.
This mobilization was not merely a defense of a political candidate or process; it was a testament to the indomitable spirit and resilience of the indigenous communities. Rooted in a deep-seated desire for systemic change and justice, these communities, constituting 50% of the population, have historically borne the brunt of state violence, dispossession, and discrimination. From the colonial period to the present day, they have strategically engaged in resistance efforts to assert their rights and autonomy.
Polly Lauer, a doctoral candidate in Latin American History at Yale, remarked how "Dr. Velásquez Nimatuj gave an electric talk that offered incisive analysis of Guatemala's landmark 2023 presidential elections and the uncertain path to Bernardo Arévalo's inauguration in early 2024 that followed." For Lauer, whose interdisciplinary doctoral work examines the history of the oldest Maya K'iche' radio station in Guatemala, the talk provided an oft-overlooked yet necessary perspective on the political conflict: "While pundits in the media often focus on the candidate of Bernardo Arévalo himself, Dr. Velásquez Nimatuj revealed the influence and power of Indigenous organizing in protecting Guatemala's democracy from authoritarian regression," Lauer noted. "As a leading anthropologist, journalist, and educator, Dr. Velásquez Nimatuj demonstrated to the audience the need to think critically about how economics, politics, and cultures have interacted historically in order to understand the current political landscape of Guatemala."
For Dr. Velásquez Nimatuj, her work as a journalist, social anthropologist, and international spokeswoman is inextricable from her activism at the forefront of indigenous struggles: She is the first Maya-K'iche woman to earn a doctorate in Social Anthropology and spearheaded a judicial case that ruled racial discrimination illegal in Guatemala. Dr. Irma Alicia Velásquez Nimatuj is the author of Pueblos Indígenas, Estado y Lucha por Tierra en Guatemala (AVANCSO, 2008) and La pequeña burguesía indígena comercial de Guatemala: Desigualdades de clase, raza y género (AVANCSO-SERJUS, 2002).
By: Inês Forjaz de Lacerda, Department of Spanish and Portuguese (ines.lacerda@yale.edu)