Silenced Communities

Although the Guatemalan Civil War ended more than two decades ago, its bloody legacy continues to resonate even today. In Silenced Communities, author Marcia Esparza offers an ethnographic account of the failed demilitarization of the rural militia in the town of Santo Tomás Chichicastenango following the conflict. Combining insights from postcolonialism, subaltern studies, and theories of internal colonialism, Esparza explores the remarkable resilience of ideologies and practices engendered in the context of the Cold War, demonstrating how the lingering effects of grassroots militarization affect indigenous communities that continue to struggle with inequality and marginalization.

Although the Guatemalan Civil War ended more than two decades ago, its bloody legacy continues to resonate even today. In Silenced Communities, author Marcia Esparza offers an ethnographic account of the failed demilitarization of the rural militia in the town of Santo Tomás Chichicastenango following the conflict. Combining insights from postcolonialism, subaltern studies, and theories of internal colonialism, Esparza explores the remarkable resilience of ideologies and practices engendered in the context of the Cold War, demonstrating how the lingering effects of grassroots militarization affect indigenous communities that continue to struggle with inequality and marginalization.

Illustrations
Acknowledgments

Introduction: "My Soul is a Military Soul"

Chapter 1. The Methodological Crisis Revisited
Chapter 2. A Postcolonial Reenactment:The Cold War Civil Self-Defense Patrol System  
Chapter 3. A Chameleonlike Army: Civic Action, a Postcolonial Strategy
Chapter 4. The Beheading of a Popular Maya Uprising in a “Red Community”
Chapter 5. Early Disbanding, Postwar Resistance and Na'tab'al (Memory)
Chapter 6. “Inverted Discourse:” Collaboration in “White Communities”
Chapter 7. Nationalistic Mythology Revival: Failure to Dismantle the Internal Enemy Myth
Chapter 8. A “Silence That Hurts:” Garrison  Communities
Chapter 9. Militaristic Legacies: Lynching and La Cadena
Chapter 10. A Foreseen Aftermath: Decree 3-2014

Appendix

Bibliography
Index