Guatemala Archives Page 4: Santiago Atitlan, on the edge of Lake Atitlan suffered tremendously during the Guatemalan civil war. A favorite priest, Father Stan Rother, of Oklahoma, was...

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Guatemala Archives Page 4

Dec 19, 2013 06:42:26 #

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Santiago Atitlan, on the edge of Lake Atitlan suffered tremendously during the Guatemalan civil war. A favorite priest, Father Stan Rother, of Oklahoma, was gunned down in his rectory by soldiers from the nearby garrison. Although outrages and massacres were blamed on each side, one episode was clear: a large group of citizens of Santiago Atitlan marched to the army garrison to protest mistreatment by the soldiers. When these unarmed men, women and children approached the garrison, they were fired upon, killing eleven. Because a town across the lake is an international tourist destination, travelers and reporters showed up at sunrise to photograph the bodies of the men, women, and children lying at the front gates of the garrison. An international outcry ensued, and the army pulled out of this area. Several years afterward I participated in a human rights delegation and attended a solemn four-day celebration honoring the victims of this massacre. The optimism of the citizens of Santiago Atitlan was palpable as they looked forward to a better future.
Earlier I explained how the matriarchs of SA wear coronas or crowns, made of long strips of woven fabric wrapped around their heads.

Catholic Mass in Santiago Atitlan