Books
Dive deeper into Guatemalan topics with some of these thought-provoking books.
Rigoberta Menchu 1983
- I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala
Stephen Schlesinger 1982
- Bitter Fruit
Recounts in telling detail the CIA operation to overthrow the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954.
Peter Chapman 2007
- Bananas: How The United Fruit Company Shaped the World
Eduardo Galeano 1971
- Open Veins of Latin America
Javier Zamora 2022
- Solito
The journey of a 9-year old boy from El Salvador making his way towards the US.
Wendy A. Vogt 2018
- Lives in Transit: Violence and Intimacy on the Migrant Journey
Account on the journeys Central Americans take through Mexico.
Jason De León 2015
- The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail
A look into the crossing through the desert from Mexico into the US as the consequence of the program prevention through deterrence.
Jason De León 2024
- Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling
A look into the life of small-scale coyotes in Mexico.
Documentaries
Gain new perspectives with a variety of documentaries.
2015
- Burden of Peace
Following Guatemala’s first female Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz in her fight against impunity.
1983
- When the Mountains Tremble/Cuando Tiemblan las Montañas
About the armed conflict, narrated by Rigoberta Menchu.
2016
- Buscando a Oscar
About the search for justice in the devastating case of the Dos Erres massacre.
2015
- Voice Of A Mountain - Life After The 36 Year War In Guatemala
About Santa Anita, a community of ex-fighters in armed conflict and their modern cultivation of fair-trade coffee.
2018
About the notorious train on the migrant trail.
2020
- Immigration Nation
A look into the US immigration policies under the Trump administration when he was first president.
Movies
Watch some gripping movies set in Central America.
2019
- Tremors (Temblores)
When an evangelical father comes out, his family and community are left shattered, and an extremely repressive society is revealed.
2015
- Ixcanul
The parents of a 17-year-old girl arrange a marriage for her on the slopes of an active volcano in Guatemala. Though she would like to move abroad after her marriage, she soon has a cruel realization.
2019
- La Llorona
A psychological drama focused on a family tormented by the sins of the past. A social analysis of a country’s bloody past.
2004
- Voces Inocentes
A young boy, in an effort to have a normal childhood in 1980’s El Salvador, is caught up in a dramatic fight for his life as he desperately tries to avoid the war which is raging all around him.
1994
- La Hija del Puma
Chronicle of the dramatic situation of human rights in Guatemala, narrated by a young indigenous woman who witnessed a massacre that occurred in the Central American country.
Podcasts
Listen to captivating podcasts and learn something new.
2023
- Border Trilogy
Investigating the origins of the US border policy and the people whose lives were changed forever because of it.
2019
- The Mayan Collapse - Fall of Civilizations
Find out how the Classic Maya civilization grew up among unique environmental conditions and its collapse.
Articles
Read about a diverse range of topics.
Voluntourism and Responsible Tourism
Christina M. Argueta 2014
- Mending Guatemala’s Tourism Industry Through Private Regulation
Examining the negative environmental and cultural impacts of tourism in Guatemala, despite the country’s significant reliance on tourism revenue.
Mary Conran 2011
- They really love me! : Intimacy in Volunteer Tourism
Exploring how emotional connections and a sense of intimacy develop between volunteer tourists and local communities, and how these feelings can reinforce unequal power dynamics and personal gratification for volunteers, rather than mutual benefit.
Daniel A. Guttentag 2009
- The Possible Negative Impacts of Volunteer Tourism
Outlining the unintended consequences of volunteer tourism, such as dependency, displacement of local workers, cultural commodification, and reinforcement of power imbalances, calling for more critical approaches to volunteer programs.
Alexandra Coghlan & Margaret Gooch 2011
- Applying a Transformative Learning Framework to Volunteer Tourism
Exploring how volunteer tourism experiences can lead to deep personal change by using a transformative learning framework. The authors argue that when volunteers critically reflect on their assumptions and engage with different worldviews, they can develop a more ethical, socially-aware approach to global citizenship and responsible travel.
Human Rights, Justice & Impunity
- Amnesty International
On Amnesty International’s Guatemala page, you’ll find important information about human rights issues in the country; especially the targeting of human rights defenders, journalists, and anti-corruption figures.
- Human Rights Watch
Detailed reports on human rights issues in Guatemala, but also recent news publications.
- International Justice Monitor
Their reporting focuses on significant trials and efforts to address historical injustices, particularly those stemming from the armed conflict.
- Guatemala Human Rights Commission
GHRC provides reports and updates on human rights issues, focusing on Indigenous rights, land rights, (child) migration and violence against human rights defenders.
S.J. Wirken 2019
- International Interventions to Cope With Rule of Law Challenges in Latin America
Discussing structural challenges facing Guatemala mostly regarding the persistence of impunity. Interesting to read more about the intervention of CICIG from a law enforcement perspective.
Climate Change, Deforestation and Conservation
- Climate Trace
Website and data tool about greenhouse gas emissions using satellite technology, providing insights on local climate impacts and mitigation efforts.
- Third National Communication on Climate Change of Guatemala
Governmental report that provides information on the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, climate vulnerability, adaptation strategies, and mitigation actions.
- The Nature Conservancy
Project that offers information about conservation efforts in Guatemala, particularly in areas such as biodiversity, forest preservation, and sustainable agriculture.
- Global Forest Watch
Data on a variety of climate related topics.
Julie Hermesse 2008
- Analysis of Cosmology, Praxis and Historical Inequalities in the Construction of Socionatural Disaster in the Mam Guatemalan Altiplano
Examining the mechanisms of inequality that perpetuate vulnerability to extreme natural disasters.
Data and Statistics
Check out recent statistics and reports.
- The World Bank
On the World Bank’s Guatemala page, you’ll find clear, reliable information about the country’s economy, social issues, and environment.
- INGUAT
On INGUAT’s statistics page you can find official data about tourism in Guatemala, such as how many people visit the country, where they come from, how they travel, and how much money tourism brings in.
2022
- UN Tourism Report
A report that focuses on the impact of tourism in Guatemala (very much business based).
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