Hardships: The Community Fights Back

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A group of people known as Ladinos (white and mixed Guatemalans who at this time held power in the Guatemalan economy) wanted more land to grow harvests on, and often times looked to the land of the Indigenous. In her book Crossing Borders, Rigoberta recalls a time in which the Ladinos brought contracts to the illiterate Quiché community and told lies about what was in them. The people unknowingly signed away their land, but were stubbornly reluctant in removing themselves for the landowners.

At this point, the community decided it was time to protect themselves and would set up look outs around the towns to warn of unwanted incomers. The 1980s then brought a rise in violence among the soldiers of the Ladinos and the Indigenous people. After the death of almost her entire family, Rigoberta became greatly involved in activities geared towards upsetting the Ladinos. They would often make bomb threats to company owners and then all the workers would have to leave early. Rigoberta and her fellow protesters would create barricades in the streets to purposely block the soldiers’ entrance to the town. Boycotting and vandalism were also common methods the group used.