Thirty-six years of civil war in Guatemala brought the deaths of over 200,000 people, most of them from Indigenous Nations. In the wake of an amnesty signed in 1996, those who took part in armed struggle against the Guatemalan dictatorship were finally able to return to their lives.
It was at this time that one hundred and sixty people, a diverse group of Quiche, Q’eqchi, Mam, Ladino (mixed Spanish and indigenous) and others decided to continue to struggle by creating a self-sustaining agricultural cooperative; a community that could serve as a just and peaceful model for Guatemalan People.
Almost two years later, the group officially formed the Nuevo Horizonte Cooperative, in El Peten, Guatemala.
When they arrived first arrived in Peten the land was barren and inhospitable. It was previously owned by a cattle rancher who had turned much of the land into pasture. They effectively had to build the new community from the ground–up. And that they did.
After carefully studying the land they began to grow crops and reforest the land. They also started start cattle, chicken, and fish farms to sustain the families. Over time, they also created their own infrastructure (eg. school, medical clinic, grocery store, bakery, dental clinic, daycare, etc.); and began to engage in a number of projects such as participatory ecotourism–a model whereby tourists learn about the land and are encouraged to participate in the community during their stay.
Today, Nuevo Horizonte has become a symbol of alternative resistance around the world. Now over 400 in number, they are a living example that shows us it’s readily possible to build an inclusive and just society with little more than a collective will to actually do it.
The following 14-minute video is the first of a two-part documentary about the Nuevo Horizonte cooperative.
{{Realplayer}}
- You can watch the flash version here.
- If you’d like to learn more about the Nuevo Horizonte, you can contact the (Canadian-based) Guatemala Community Network, info@gcnetwork.ca
