Hoy fue un buen día para nosotros: la Ley de Adopciones fue aprobada en el Congreso, por unanimidad (aunque hubo diputados ausentes).
Afortunadamente, después de años y años, las adopciones de niños y niñas guatemaltecas van a dejar de ser un negocio. Finalmente, los niños y niñas guatemaltecas en las casas hogar del Estado que esperan y esperan ser adoptados van a dejar de esperar. La Ley de Adopciones elimina la segunda vía de adopciones en Guatemala (prácticamente la única vía utilizada hasta ahora), es decir, la tramitación notarial.
Y es que no pocos abogados guatemaltecos convirtieron las adopciones en un gran negocio, lo que representaba un verdadero problema, pues los niños y niñas adoptados a través de ellos no eran los niños y niñas en orfanatos públicos, sino niños y niñas de origen incierto, comprados en ocasiones, y obtenidos de quién sabe qué otra manera.
Me imagino que se espera, a través de esta ley, tener un mayor control del origen y de la legalidad de las adopciones y, al mismo tiempo, prevenir y evitar el robo o compra de bebés, no poco común entre la población más necesitada (y vulnerable, claro) de Guatemala.
Que esta ley haya sido aprobada es muy bueno para Guatemala, pero espero que no sólo represente la eliminación del "negocio de las adopciones" en el país, sino que también conlleve la agilización y mayor eficiencia de las adopciones a través del Estado. Porque sino, lo único que provocará es una disminución en el número de adopciones, y eso no es lo que se busca, pues Guatemala cuenta con muchos niños y niñas necesitados de familias que los deseen y que tengan la capacidad de ofrecerles una buena vida. Eso no es ningún secreto. Sin embargo, las oportunidades de una mejor vida deben de obtenerlas de la manera correcta. Eso no debe de ser cuestionado.

La otra razón por la que este fue un muy buen día para Guatemala, es porque hoy estuvo acá Mohammed Yunus, promoviendo el programa de microcréditos para combatir la pobreza. Los "bancos de los pobres" promovidos por M. Yunus han dado grandes resultados en varios países en desarrollo, y me parece que podrían funcionar aquí también. En los últimos años un banco nacional llamado "Banrural" ha crecido increíblemente. Su clave: accesibilidad. A diferencia del resto de los bancos en Guatemala, cuenta con agencias en lugares considerablemente aislados, siendo accesible a la mayor parte de la población. El crecimiento de este banco es un factor que posibilita el programa de microcréditos en Guatemala. El problema con el momento de la visita de M. Yunus al país es que estamos a punto de cambiar de gobierno. Espero, de cualquier manera, que la genialidad de este Premio Nobel de la Paz se mantenga en las cabezas de todos los guatemaltecos y guatemaltecas, y que nos encarguemos de recordárselo al próximo gobierno, si fuese necesario.

Buenas noches.

Los guatemaltecos y guatemaltecas decidimos, en la primera vuelta electoral, que los dos candidatos más adecuados para la presidencia de nuestro país en el período 2008-2012 eran Álvaro Colom y Otto Pérez Molina. Resulta, de cualquier manera, curioso. El momento de la decisión final se acerca, y lo que se percibe es una indecisión generalizada. Me pregunto, como tantas veces, ¿cómo llegamos acá?

En mi picasa web album 2a vuelta electoral 2007:un callejón sin salida incluyo unas fotos que tomé en la URL, Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales. Las fotos deberían de reflejar lo que opinan futuros politólogos e internacionalistas.

Los comentarios no son sólo reflejo de una juventud desesperanzada que hace chiste de su propia realidad para evadirla, sino que también ponen en evidencia una sociedad racista, homofóbica y resignada.

Racista, en cuanto a su mención del partido de Rigoberta Menchú, Encuentro por Guatemala. El dibujo de una mujer rodeada de vegetales y con una canasta en la cabeza no es exactamente fiel a la imagen real Premio Nobel de La Paz.

Homofóbica en cuanto al comentario que se hace de aquellos que voten por la UNE.

Resignada en cuanto a la ironía y naturaleza de los comentarios en general. No son precisamente constructivos ni razonados.

La verdad es que nadie sabe lo que le espera a Guatemala para los próximos cuatro años. Una cosa es segura: es responsabilidad de todos y todas.

History seems to be trying to say something, only...those who can hear it won't listen and the rest of us are just helpless. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but it seems like Thomas Hobbes was right after all.

I've been thinking and seeing Guatemala through history lenses. And what I fear might be the truth beneath it all might apply to all societies through out human history. This is not a good thing.

It would seem like we've progressed (human kind). It would seem like we've changed. And then there's that famous quote "those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it". And there are soooooo many history books and essays and articles and testimonies and movies and web pages and and and...so many ways to learn and understand history. So many people have tried to...sooo many. But still: history continues to repeat itself. So I guess we haven't been "able to learn it".

I'm going to use Marx's historical-perspective not because I agree with his political views but because I think that most people would agree that he did a great job at analyzing human history: let's say there was primitive Communism (???), and then slavery, feudalism and capitalism. I find it clear that these are three different systems, but I worry that they have the same essence.

I just read a book by Juan José Arévalo. It's called "The Shark and the Sardines". I realize that it is ideologicalized (what isn't???) but it's still a very strong book. Tough, because it states something that I must admit to believe. The world is ran by a small number of hyper-powerful people/families. This is the essence of history: concentration of power, only it is so concentrated now that it makes it hard to believe anything can change. Robert Michels said: "all forms of organization, regardless of how democratic or autocratic they may be at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop into oligarchies. The reasons for this are the technical indispensability of leadership, the tendency of the leaders to organize themselves and to consolidate their interests; the gratitude of the led towards the leaders, and the general immobility and passivity of the masses"... and of course, the human nature, which hasn't proven to be all that great, in general. But then again there's always this amazing people who change the world by love, like Mother Theresa, Mahatma Ghandi or Nelson Mandela. But have they REALLY changed the world, or just filled up our empty hope-tanks?

I feel so helpless. I don't have enough power to know the truth about anything that goes on in the world today. I have to settle for what the newspapers want me to believe. And it's frustrating to think that it isn't "the system" but ourselves, our human nature, to blame for the world's reality. Can this be true??? I won't ever lose hope, but I wish I could know how high I should set it. What world is really possible??? I know we can do much better. But how??? What can I DO???

P.S. I'm not in this mood just out of the blues: this week I read a lot on Guatemala's twentieth century history, went to a forum today on the 36 year-long Guatemalan internal conflict and saw an interesting movie I recommend: "Un mundo maravilloso", directed by Luis Estrada. Of course, the movie is a bit exaggerated, but it certainly has a point.

I have to go to sleep. Good night.

I was driving home tonight after my last class, it was around ten. The traffic was awful, as it is almost every day now. At almost any hour. It was raining...since last night. I felt so tired and just wanted to be home, and then, I noticed my car's tank was empty. I thought: "God!- at this time and hour I can't fill it up"... I felt terrified and that made me feel stupid. But the truth is, it isn't stupid: people get killed everyday over cell phones and laptops, at day and at night. And that is just unacceptable. I want to be free. Shouldn't the criminals be captive and the honest people be free? It seems like it works the other way around this days... it shouldn't.

Guatemala. General elections. September 9th, 2007.

Polls indicate that the two leading candidates are the left-wing candidate Álvaro Colom (UNE) with around 21 per cent, followed by the right-wing Gral. Otto Pérez Molina (PP), with aprox. 12 per cent.

I don't even know how to explain how ridiculous this is. Just watch the videos. You'll get it.






Yep.

Hoy es un día feliz, un día de celebración;
hoy cumple 80 años la reina de mi corazón.

Y estoy de verdad muy muy muy feliz!!!

Mmm...justice. It's such a beautiful word to hear and it even feels good to say it, but what does it really mean? It's a very vague concept. Justice isn't universal. Maybe in some matters it is (or at least it should be), but no...not really.

I don't know how to live day by day- I mean... like everyone, I struggle to be happy, to have a productive life, to follow whatever lifestyle feels right in the search of happiness. Small things, beautiful moments...make me believe -for a few seconds- that life is simple, and that it should be that way. But when I open my eyes to the world, to my country, all of that seems stupid and I feel selfish.

I can't (and I don't think anyone can) understand justice. I don't understand rights either. Sometimes it seems like they're contradictory. I don't think the world would be better off without them though. We need them, even if they're not perfect. Everyone has rights, right? Some rights you're born with and some you acquire. It seems logical that the first are more important than the second...but then again, not true. "Every human life is worth the same": NOT- it should, but in real life, it doesn't. We see it everywhere, everyday. Money, that's what really defines your life's worth. Your money, your nationality, your ethnic identity, your religion, your political views, your sexual orientation...

Guatemala is a country of contrast. It's been like this for centuries. Maybe since always. The human, social and civic rights of peasants and indigenous people have been walked on for so long that it has become "normal" to the eyes of millions of witnesses. I include myself.

When I saw this video on youtube I was able to finally place images to a very common event in my country. Evictions. It's a very complex subject...even my own dad has had to evict people from my family's property and I feel somehow guilty and very confused at the same time. If a land belongs to someone, that's it. Right? But it hasn't always belonged to that someone. It had to be bought. From who? Who owned it before?

I think the major actor to blame is the government. Politicians (not all of them, but sadly a lot of them) are corrupt and want power not to help people, not to help the country, but to help themselves get rich (or richer).

A lot of mistakes have been done, a lot of land was sold without considering the people who had been working and living from that land. Who's to say they don't have the right to own that land? What are you supposed to do when you have nowhere to live? No land to work? No way to feed your family?

Those are things the government should think of before selling the land and granting mining exploitation licenses to big national or international companies. There's nothing wrong with mining when it's done the right way. No corruption, respecting safety measures, no polluting, no violating labour and human rights, etc... but isn't the government supposed to protect its people and make sure everything's done the right way?

Those Guatemalans who are poor , ignorant, peasants, indigenous (mayas, xinkas, garifunas...) and socially excluded (gay, prostitutes, beggars, etc.) are completely defenseless. They're alone. Completely alone.

There's a lot of work to do. Guatemala will be a more equal, safe and properous country when we learn to work together... for us.

Realizing it's you facing the whole world,
understanding you're alone even if you're not,
and feeling strong enough to handle it
is the greatest gift of all.