Guatemalan Presidential Debate Focuses On (What Else?)
Immigration
In light of the 40 violent deaths involving candidates, activists and political leaders since the Guatemalan campaign for president started this spring, last night’s bullet-free debate was considered a breath of fresh air. The hot air spouted by the top 5 candidates, on the other hand, focused on how to reduce the nation’s crime rate and violence… as well as a lil’ something else we Americans might be familiar with:
They also addressed concerns about the illegal migration of Guatemalans to the United States, with two candidates calling the migrants “heroes.”
You wanna break off a piece of that rhetoric? Take it away, left-of-center National Union of Hope candidate, Álvaro Colom!
Colom said the migrants to the United States were “true heroes who go there to work, not to bother anyone; they go there in search of a dream.”
Brown immigrants here have been barking up that tree for decades, buddy, so good luck with all that.
The real highlight was the attendance of street vendor Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu, who—aside from calling the Guatemalan government “an embarrassment” for not negotiating better living conditions for her countrymen in the States—showed up wearing the most pre-Columbian in Mayan chic. (That’s her in the middle.) You go, girl.
Crime, immigration issues dominate Guatemala debate [CNN]
Image [CNN]
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Alex Alvarez
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Daniel Mauser
I don’t know if this piece of news is not comment-worthy or if I’m just the first one commenting, just want to let you know that aside your lack of real facts concerning Guatemalan politics and current elections, your comments on Menchu’s dress code are nothing but ignorant. I know you guys at gawker like to be witty and all, I’m a loyal kotakuite, but sometimes you just come off as tasteless and ingnorant sons ‘o bitches (yes, I’m gutemalan)
Posted by Carlos Rodas | August 31, 2007
Touchy Touchy, Mr. Rodas.
Neither the post nor the site are trying to cover Guatemalan politics. I happened to watch the debate last night, and from an American perspective, it WAS odd to see the candidates refer to Guatemalan nationals who have immigrated to the US as heroes. As for Rigoberta Menchu, she sported a customary Quiche Mayan dress which is pretty much all the above post says.
Posted by Daniel Mauser | August 31, 2007
We have to stick together and help Mr. Mauser see the light. Really, implying a Nobel Prize winning Latina looks like a street vendor betrays a lot of hate and ignorance on his part, and I would expect a lot more from someone who is Latino. Does Mr. Mauser know 40% of Guatemalans dress like Ms Menchu and refuse to concede to European conquest by wearing traditional costumes and speaking their native tongue. They are our heritage. Without them, we do not have an identity apart from whatever caricature Hollywood wants to assign to us. And yes, I’m half Salvadoran and half Guatemalan. Arriba los Latinos!
Disregard all of the above if Mauser is a gringo. In that case, I don’t care what his hillbilly ass thinks.
Posted by elcid66 | September 01, 2007
El cid66,
If you carefully read the article above, you will see no one is implying Rigoberta Menchu looks like a street vendor. If you click on the crossed out street vendor link you will see it ties back to a story of someone who did confuse her for one.
Thanks for voicing your opinion, it just happens that you jumped the gun on this one.
Posted by Daniel Mauser | September 03, 2007