Confronting Guatemala’s Violent Past And Fragile Peace

When surrealism meets reality, its whimsical sparks lead to an absurd turn of events that can make real circumstances even more tangible in all their tragic-comical unfolding. As Colombian writer and novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez once said, “Surrealism runs through the streets. Surrealism comes from the reality of Latin America.” That surrealism which is woven through Latin American literature and culture in the last century can easily help describe the troublesome circumstances of present day Guatemala. In his subtle, profound photo essay and self-published book, Chukel, which depicts the unbearable consequences of the civil war and genocide that devastated Guatemala’s social fabric and ravaged Mayan communities over the course of three decades, Italian photographer Daniele Volpe has captured the astonishing contradictions and sometimes nonsensical aspects of everyday life in San Gaspar Chajul, Santa Maria Nebaj and San Juan Cotzal, the three main municipalities of El Quiche, which were most affected by the atrocities inflicted on the Mayan Ixil Communities. As he describes some of the scenes he has photographed in the last three years, Volpe refers to that surrealism mentioned by Marquez that Latin America posses: An indigenous woman of Mayan ancestry holds high the mortar shell of a bomb once deployed by the army to target the “internal enemy,” and now used by the community as a chiming bell to invite people to congregate.

BING NEWS:
  • Guatemalan and Salvadoran forces arrive in Haiti to join fight against violent gangs
    Security forces from Guatemala and El Salvador arrived in Haiti on Friday to reinforce a multinational mission tasked with tackling the country’s rampant gang violence, the Haitian National Police ...
    01/3/2025 - 7:17 am | View Link
  • More

 

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

More News