Guatemala 2009

Before going to Latin America, the group had discussions about the classical "machismo" influence that transcends almost every aspect of Latin American culture. While we were in Guatemala, however, a completely new view was presented to us: instead of women playing a secondary role in human rights activism and injustices in their own communities, they were the ones fighting both mentally and physically against the societal forces attempting to negatively alter their lives.

On February 27th, Jeanne Hey spoke about the past and current economic situation of Latin America. Essentially, the industrialized countries, including the United States and Europe, are caught in a constant pattern of unequal trade with unindustrialized countries, including much of Latin America. In order for the developed countries to continue producing finished goods, they must be able to find reliable sources for raw goods; a role that countries like Guatemala play very well.