The man who brought the danger to the village: Representations of the armed conflict in Guatemala from a local perspective

In 1999, The Commission for Historical Clarification published its report o n violent conflict and violations of human rights in Guatemala between the 1970s and the signing of the peace accord in 1996 Focusing on a municipalit y in the Mayan highland, the article aims at showing how the conflict was u nderstood from the inside of the rural communities affected, how divisions within them were radically deepened by the conflict, and in what forms Gove rnment and army repression was experienced. The battle over cultural resour ces featured prominently in the confrontation, and symbolic violence was us ed extensively to give intimidation more powerful impact. It is shown how - in the period following the 1996 peace accord - popular cultural space has been used to contest the ways in which memories of violence may be represe nted The development of a particular religious festival is discussed to sho w how local hegemonies of power are seeking consolidation through the silen cing of popular cultural challenges.