The Last Colonial Massacre: Latin America in the Cold War, Updated Edition

Great read. Dr. Grandin is both knowledgeable and concise. The depth of research and cohesiveness throughout this book is impeccable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to understand the effects of Latin America and the Cold war.

Truth

Many books discuss the violence and political turmoil in Guatemala. What Grandin has done is add a wonderfully distinctive and long-overdue Mayan voice to a terrible history.He describes the May 29, 1978 massacre of approximately 100 Q'eqchi' Indians in Panzos, Alta Verapaz. Grandin profiles a number of Q'eqchi' throughout his book culminating in Mama Maquin, the Q'eqchi' woman leader who was killed attempting to deliver a letter of protest to the local governmental authorities in Panzos.Grandin lays the foundation for the 1978 massacre by going back to the critical events of the 1950s Arbenz adminstration. He describes how the Q'eqchi' were increasingly dispossessed of their land, going from 97 Q'eqchi' in 1888 owning fincas, or large plantations, to just 9 in 1930 and then dropping to none in 1949. (p. 26) After World War I, German immigrants to the Alta Verapaz acquired more and more land. Grandin notes: "Swastikas hung from municipal buildings and flew above German plantations." (pages 24-25.)Perhaps the gem of Grandin's book is a quotation from a portion of Arbenz's sole campaign stop to the Alta Verapaz during the election of 1950. The speech was translated into Q'eqchi' word for word as it was given by Arbenz. Here is an excerpt:"From the time when Alta Verapaz was populated by only the brave Q'eqchi' race until this moment...from the exploitation of the conquistadores' whip to the infamous exploitation of the plantation onwers...they have taken your property, your liberties, your rights...Alta Verapaz workers are the most exploited in all the country. The struggle of the reactionaries, of these 'friends of order' who scowl at us on the street, is to impose this regime on the whole republic. We, in contrast, want to destroy this system. It is not only agrarian reform that will resolve the problem. We need to treat Indians justly..with respect like human beings. We promise you better houses and a better salary. We promise you a little more justice." (p. 44.)Arbenz won the election and instituted land reform that placed hundereds of thousands of acres of previously fallow land in the hands of Mayans. He was deposed in a CIA-sponsored coup in 1954. Grandin shows how that tragic loss of democracy led to the Panzos massacre in 1978, which set the fuse for the explosion of the long-simmering guerilla war and the genocidal military campaign in 1982 of President Rios Montt, who was praised at time by Ronald Reagan as getting a "bum rap" on human rights and being a man of "great integrity."Grandin's book for the first time tells the story of the Q'eqchi' and their quest for justice. Kudos to him.

Although the book contains an abundance of information on an important topic within the broader scope of Cold War and Latin American history, the book's somewhat disjointed organization makes it more of a challenge to follow that it would otherwise need to be. I've rarely read a more informed discussion of the events in Guatemala, and Grandin presents difficult information with sensitivity and without a strident tone. He relates the complexities the Cold War caused for nations attempting to emerge from colonialism, a topic that needs more discussion.However, my students found him miserably difficult to follow, primarily because he jumps around in time, backtracking and sidestepping in a manner that creates a sense of immersion, but not the clarity that the book could have had. The chain of events may not have been perfectly clear, but in a way it captures the essence of the compression of memory he describes. The events do gain a sense of jumbled timelessness that intensifies the numbing sense of horror the book conveys.I benefited from some familiarity with Mayan culture and religion before reading the book, but for the average undergraduate, more explanation of Mayan beliefs and culture would have given more depth to Grandin's assertion that communism melded with aspects of their beliefs. He says it, and I can see it, but he does not demonstrate it.For all that the book has flaws, it is still worth reading, but expect an impressionistic, flowing narrative that may be a challenge at times, since the reader needs to retain facts in mind to connect them later.

I found myself wanting to put this book down a lot and did not understand why the author was focusing on the things he did. I must say I was mistaken. Most of the other posters mention the Mayans, but it must be added into consideration the role of the PGT in their aiding the indigenous in applying for land titles through legal channels despite repression. There isn't a lot of contemporary history in this book as I feel the author focuses his efforts on one community and its history of relation to the state.I can't stress enough, that if you're unfamiliar with the region, this will be a tough read. However, it is well done. If one is so inclined the same publisher put out a book by Neil Harvey The Chiapas Rebellion. Chiapas is the state of Mexico next door to Guatemala so many of the ethic and land ownership problems are similar and parallel each other through the 20th century. Worth the money, but don't be discouraged if you don't get why the author treats the topics he does, they are relevant in that many criticize the left in a blanket fashion during the Cold War to justify their worldviews. The PGT and the struggles of the Mayans in this corner of Central America and the treatment of them by Grandin refute those assertions.

Thank you