San Jose, October 15, 1992
Dear Friends,
This letter is to inform you that we have in our hands an exten-
sive interview with Rigoberta Menchu Tum, the Guatemalan indigenous
woman who today won the Nobel Peace Prize of 1992.
This journalistic work, carried out in Mexico City in September
of the current year, is part of a campaign being carried out by our
organization to promote her candidacy.
The interview reveals this fighter's thoughts on the 500th anni-
versary, the human rights situation in her country, the suffering
of the indigenous peoples and other topics of interest.
We hope that you will take advantage of this unique situation,
made possible by the Nobel Peace prize, and the commemoration of the
500th anniversary, and that you will be able to facilitate the publi-
cation of this interview in newspapers and magazines with widespread
circulation in your various countries.
The interview may be used at your discretion, in whole or in
part on the condition that you quote the source, CODEHUCA.
For more information please contatc Anders Riis-Hansen.
With great respect and esteem,
Silvia Porras Anders Riis-Hansen
General Coordination Journalist
Interview with Rigoberta Menchu Tum, indigenous candidate
for the Nobel Peace Prize
Five Hundred Years of Sacrifice Before the Alien Gods.
- For me, to celebrate the twelfth of October is the absolute ex-
pression of triumphism, occupation and presumptuousness, and I think
that history will remember those that celebrate it.
- The struggle of the indigenous did not begin in 1992, and it will
not end in 1992; it is simply an occasion to take advantage of the
international attention.
- We are not myths of the past, ruins in the jungle, or zoos. We
are people and we want to be respected, not to be victims of intole-
rance and racism.
"It is said that our indigenous ancestors, Mayas and Aztecs,
made human sacrifices to their gods. It occurs to me to ask: How
many humans have been sacrificed to the gods of Capital in the last
five hundred years?"
The Guatemalan indigenous woman, Rigoberta Menchu, lowers her
eyes and continues, pausing often, in the same ironic tone:
"Today the governments of Latin America should be ashamed of
not having exterminated the indigenous, at the end of the twentieth
century, because we exist at the end of this century. We are not
myths of the past, ruins in the jungle, or zoos. We are people and
we want to be respected, not to be victims of intolerance and ra-
cism."
It is September, 1992. Five hundred years after the immense
sailing ships of Christopher Colombus cut through the waters between
America and Europe. Five hundred years of butchery. Five hundred
years of extermination and complete marginalization.
The bad conscience of the white man may be seen now more than
ever. Everything seems to indicate that he is going to take advan-
tage of this occasion to put some salve on the open wound.
On October 16, 1992, the Committee of the Nobel Peace Prize will
reveal whether, for the first time in its history, it will grant the
Prize to an indigenous candidate. An indigenous woman, whos eyes
have born witness to cruelest actions in human memory. At twenty
years of age, Rigoberta Menchu had already lost her father, her mot-
her and a brother as a result of the indiscriminate violence exerci-
sed by the armed forces of Guatemala. Her father, Vicente Menchu,
along with other indigenous, was burned alive by the army when he
participated in the peaceful takeover of the Spanish embassy. The
embassy was taken over in hopes of calling attention to the plunde-
ring of land suffered by the indigenous and to the military presence
in the community.
A few months later, her mother became yet another victim of the
repression. She was kidnapped, raped, tortured for several days and
exhibited publicly in her community.
Rigoberta was seventeen years old when she decided to learn to
speak Spanish. Since then, words have been her weapon in the unti-
ring defense of the rights of her people. The extent of the love
that the indigenous, victims of repression, terror and war, have for
her is equaled only by the hate of the government and the army, to
whom she has always been a thorn in the side.
For two hours, the Commission for the Defense of Human Rights
in Central America, (CODEHUCA) had the chance to carry out an inter-
view with the 33 year old candidate, Rigoberta Menchu. In a frank
conversation with our journalist, Anders Riis-Hansen, she spoke of
the 500th anniversary and of her country, where military dictators-
hips and repression have kept her from living since 1981. Guatemala,
with nine million inhabitants, is a nation that has not yet felt the
soft breezes of peace that have touched other countries of the Cen-
tral American region. It is a country in which the extermination
of the indigenous peoples continues to be a reality.
During the last thirty years, this country has been torn by a
civil war that, to date, has left more than 100,000 dead and 30,000
disappeared. The vast majority of these victims have been indigenous
peasants.
Different military dictators and civilian governments have ca-
rried out a military campaign against the guerrilla, resulting in
militarization without precedent on the American continent. More
than half a million men from the civilian population are now under
arms in the so-called Civil Defense Patrols. These are patrols orga-
nized by the armed forces. According to Castro's spokesmen, partici-
pation in the patrols is voluntary. However, human rights organiza-
tions have provided numerous testimonies and proofs that the indige-
nous are obliged to participate and to carry out army orders. Thou-
sands of Rigoberta Menchu's countrymen are buried in clandestine
graves, executed without trial by the Civil Patrols.
Anders Riis-Hansen:
What began your struggle for the defense of the indigenous and
human rights?
Rigoberta Menchu:
I was born in a family where Papa struggled for 22 years for
the piece of land where we were born. Mama, as a midwife, attended
90% of the pregnant women, sick people and malnurished children.
Because of her role as a healer and a midwife, she believed in our
Mayan gods. I would trade any prize in the world to know that my
Papa and mother had returned. They helped me to determine my life.
In addition, I have a brother in a clandestine cemetary with his
three children and his wife. Someday, I would like him to have a
dignified grave in the land where Papa dreamed that we would be bu-
ried.
Moreover, I have met so many people that are not alive today;
it is in their memory that one lives.
Q: There is a great difference between the hard and humble life
that you lived in Guatemala and the life that you live now, visiting
presidents and famous governors. Are you afraid that you will lose
your link to the people of Guatemala?
A: Of course, for a woman who never spoke Spanish and never had
the opportunity to do more than cut cotton on the large plantations,
there are definitely many moments when one feels strange. But lose
the links, no. I think that if one's role doesn't correspond to what
one says, if one's life doesn't correspond to what one preaches, if
one is not true to one's people, someone else will come as a substi-
tute.
Q: On the twelfth of October, a great number of countries will
celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. Do you
see this as an insult to the indigenous people?
A: We have seen repeated occupations of our land, long lines of
colonists have arrived, and they remain today. For me, to celebrate
the twelfth of October is the absolute expression of triumphism,
occupation and presumptuousness, and I think that anyone who has
mature and responsible politics should not celebrate it. History
will remember those that celebrate it.
On the other hand, the 500th anniversary has opened a lot of
space in international forums. With respect to this, I am deeply
gladdened that 1993 has been delcared the International Year of Indi-
genous Peoples by the United Nations. It is the first year we have
had in five hundred years. This is thanks to the struggle of many
untitled, unnamed indigenous brothers who, without understanding
international law, patiently walked the corridors asking for some
time. Thanks to them this international year has been declared.
In addition, I think that the current situation has generated
an understanding of the cultural diversity of America. We were the
first to talk about cultural diversity, the need to respect the Maya
and the environment.
Q: What do you think the indigenous should do to commemorate the
twelfth of October?
A: Why only the indigenous? It is a date that represents the cul-
tural plurality in America. It is an issue of indigenous, blacks,
mestizos, all the races of the continent. Our struggle should not
be one of races. If it were, we would continue to be racist. These
are very backward ideas of humanity.
Now, the twelfth of October is a special date, but I don't be-
lieve that it will change the situation very much. The struggle of
the indigenous didn't begin in 1992, and it will not end in 1992;
it is simply an occasion to take advantage of the international at-
tention.
Q: The last country of the continent abolished slavery more than
one hundred years ago. How is repression and racism expressed today?
A: For example, in the case of my country, Guatemala, 65% of the
inhabitants are indigenous. The constitution speaks of protection
for the indigenous. Who authorized a minority to protect an immense
majority? It is not only political, cultural and economic marginali-
zation, it is an attempt against the dignity of the majority of the
population. The human being is to be respected and defended, not
protected like a bird or a river.
Racism in our countries is a fact in that the indian is not
allowed to be a politician or aspire to being head of state. It has
reached the point that 99% of the indigenous women have not gone to
school. The indigenous are condemned to live in a situation designed
to exterminate them. They receive a pittance of a salary, they neit-
her speak nor write the language, politics dictates their situation.
Is this slavery? I don't know what it's called. It is not the same
as before because we are in modern times.
Q: Do you personally feel the effects of racism?
A: Definitely. During the last summit in San Jose in Portugal,
with all the Central American Presidents present, the Guatemalan
delegation threatened to leave the summit if I entered the main ses-
sion to present a document on the development of Guatemala.
It was inconceivable to them that an indigenous woman, self
taught, born to a humble family in the mountains, who ate roots and
leaves, didn't go to school and who has no professional title would
appear there. It was the greatest shame. The racists won't stand
for the presence of a person who is not of their race and convic-
tions.
Q: The whole region has seen a pacification process in the last
few years. However, in Guatemala the internal war continues. Why
has the situation been prolonged in your country?
A: In my opinion, peace has not come to America, to Nicaragua, or
to El Salvador. A hungry people is a people without peace. If the
demands of the people are not met, what kind of peace are we talking
about?
Q: At least a certain amount of demilitarization has been achieved
in El Salvador and Nicaragua, but the war and the strong military
presence is still going on in Guatemala. Why?
A: On the one hand, because the problems in America have developed
differently in the past five hundred years.
On the other hand, because the indigenous in Guatemala were
never taken into account, despite the fact that 80% of the victims
of repression and impunity are indigenous people. In addition, it
is a country with 23 different languages, plus Spanish.
Q: How do you explain the fact that the war in Guatemala has never
gotten the same amount of attention as the wars in El Salvador and
Nicaragua?
A: One of the reasons is racism itself. We don't have means of
communication in our hands. The media and politics have never allo-
wed our people to speak through them. The absolute marginalization
of the indigenous peoples is a fact, as is sophisticated militariza-
tion. These have been the most significant ingredients in the silent
war.
Q: What is the greatest obstacle to achieving peace in Guatemala?
A: The problem in Guatemala is that there is no solution to the
issue of human rights. The problem is militarization, it is the
injust distribution of wealth. It is intolerance of the indigenous,
it is discrimination and marginalization.
If concrete means to resolve what has been generated by the con-
flict are not sought, I don't think that the war will end.
I deeply believe that the solution to this armed conflict lies
in concrete approaches to human rights and the dignity of indigenous
peoples. It is the responsibility of all those implicated in Guate-
mala, perhaps also of the international community. It must be said
that the international community has given many blank checks for the
killing of our people.
Q: In your opinion, how can the international community contribute
to peace in Guatemala?
A: The inaction of the international community towards Guatemala
is injustifiable. The community should play an active role with
concrete measures and sanctions imposed, as was the case in South
Africa, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Cuba and Haiti. Why for us no? Why lega-
lize death in one place and somewhere else no? This is clear in our
memories.
Q: Many of your countrymen speak of a culture of violence and death
in Guatemala. Do you share this interpretation?
A: The culture of death is imposed by economic and political inte-
rests, the arrogance of power, corruption. I blame the first world
for having taken our riches for so many years. I am speaking of the
superpowers that dominate the life of the world. More concretely,
the World Bank, the IMF. Those that have caused and tolerated the
death of our people, those responsible for the plundering of the
third world. Silence is also part of repression.
If our people are the issue, tranquility and peace have always
been most sacred to us. Violence and repression are so incompatable
with the peaceful face of the Guatemalan people that it is a perma-
nent shock to discover the two faces of Guatemala.
Q: What do you think of the guerrilla? Do you defend their goals?
A: If I were a guerrilla, you wouldn't see me in this office. To
me, the guerrilla is a reality that faces us. There are confronta-
tions every day. It is a clear fact that, despite the existance of
Civil Defense Patrols with 600 or 800 thousand men under arms, the
guerrilla exists. I have always said that the dialogue initiated
by the guerrilla and the government two years ago in Oslo is the
correct path.
Q: The guerrilla of your country is also among the sectors that
support your candidacy for the Nobel Prize. Doesn't that compromise
your candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize?
A: If the United Nations doesn't lose credibility by negotiating
with the Guatemalan revolutionaries and the army, I don't see a con-
tradiction, and I don't see how I could lose credibility. I would
be more worried the day that the army supported my candidacy.
Q: The last time you visited Guatemala, in July 1992, there were
three attempts on your life. Do you hold Serrano responsible for
your security?
A: I hold the whole war responsible. I hold the army and impunity
responsible. What has ruled in Guatemala for many years is impunity,
which means a lack of initiative by the chief of state to pass sen-
tence on those responsible. I condemn the impunity and the system
governed by Serrano. Impunity should be condemned in any corner of
the world.
Q: Do you fear for your life when you visit Guatemala?
A: Not only in Guatemala, but everywhere. Our lives are no longer
our own; they can take them away any time.
The Mayas, our grandparents, always said; every human being
occupies a small piece of time. Time itself is much longer, and
because of this they always said that we must care for this earth
while we are on it because it will be part of our children and the
children of our grandchildren. They know that life is short, that
it can end so soon, and that if one gets lost on the way, others will
come to take their place.
Q: Do you believe that a Nobel Prize can contribute to peace in
Guatemala?
A: I believe that it has already contributed a lot. We have broken
the silence around Guatemala. We have entered into the governmental
tribune and we have been able to demand that there be no more blank
checks for the governments that violate human rights.
I want to make it very clear as well that we can not change our
reasoning, nor can we soften the name of the reality which we are
living. It would be treasonous to dignity, and it will never happen,
prize or no.
The gap between rich and poor must be eliminated, or we will
continue to be the example of conflict in America.