Jennifer Harbury Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American republics. It was the center of the great Mayan civilization. The country was conquered by Spain in 1524 and remained a colony for more than three centuries. A pivotal event in its modern history was the 1954 CIA- sponsored coup which overthrew its democratically elected President Jacobo Arbenz. Since then - Guatemala has become a charnel house. It has endured a wave of tyranny and terror in which hundreds of thousands have been killed. The indigenous Mayans in particular have suffered. However - despite tremendous odds - popular-based organizations resist the military and the oligarchy. (audio cassette - 60 minutes - 1994) Jennifer Harbury is an attorney from Texas. She has lived and worked with human rights activists - peasants and Mayan villagers in Guatemala. She worked with members of the US Congress and the Organization of American States to locate her husband and 35 other members of the Guatemalan resistance believed to be held by the military. She is the author of Bridge of Courage and Searching for Everardo.
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