Guatemala's 'Silent Holocaust' and the long search for justice | Under the Shadow, Ep 3

In the third episode of Under the Shadow, host Michael Fox visits a memorial for the disappeared on the outskirts of the Guatemalan town of San Juan Comalapa. Then, he walks back in time to the 1980s, into the country’s genocide of Indigenous peoples-and the overwhelming support for the violence that came from the United States and then-President Ronald Reagan in the name of fighting the so-called “communist threat.”
Between 1962-1996, 200,000 Guatemalans were killed and 45,000 were forcibly disappeared. For the majority of families, the whereabouts of those lost loved ones are still unknown, even decades after security forces abducted them. Most of the victims of the conflict were Indigenous. Most of the perpetrators were members of government forces.
Later in the episode, we walk back to present day and look ahead to the upcoming inauguration of new Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, the son of the country’s first democratic president, who will be sworn in on January 14, 2024.
Under the Shadow is a new investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time to tell the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened-a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.
Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America).
Link to episode page and transcript: therealnews.com/guatemalas-si...
Edited by Heather Gies and Maximillian Alvarez.
Sound design by Gustavo Türck.
Theme music by Monte Perdido.
Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Many thanks to filmmaker Pamela Yates for allowing us to use clips of her award winning documentary When the Mountains Tremble in this podcast. Her Guatemala documentaries are being rereleased this year. You can find out more at skylight.is/.
Support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at
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[@gummo3873]

Now here's a subject that we don't ever see/hear ANYONE talking about. Excellent work on this REAL News. 👍🏻

[@childkillers_shouldve_NoState]

Z❤

[@djdarksidejungle559]

you do but operation condor isnt as well known as much as it should be really but it was a big one operatyion condor all this and iran contra and all resat of it was all operation condor really

[@DS-tz4lk]

TY so much for this absolutely critical content. So many victims of so much genocide deserve the recognition you are giving them and you couldn’t deserve more thanks and praise for this ongoing. 🙏🏽

[@childkillers_shouldve_NoState]

That's so sad to hear

[@ES350gitgapped]

I've found the "disappearance" term unsettling since learning about the Guatemalan genocide. They say the fate of each victim of disappearance could be unique and so there must have been a variety of horrible fates included in the umbrella term. We might as well say they got 250k people.

[@Perspectiveon]

What comes with dictatorships... So needed told these days. Kudos for the bravery and work exposing what involved government officials try to silence.

[@thegoddessdiana9185]

One of the radio stations of the Pacifica Network, KPFK, used to discuss the disappearances in Guatemala and also El Salvador quite a lot during the 1980's. Once, in Spring, 1988, they specifically mentioned an active volcano, Pacaya, which is on the flight path to Guatemala City. The host who was doing the program described how during night flights into the city, the pilot would dim the cabin lights and the volcano would be pointed out to the passengers as a point of interest with its lava flows glowing red in the darkness. She (the host of the program) mentioned that Pacaya received many of the disappeared who were dropped into the crater from helicopters on so-called "doorless flights". It was said that the same thing was done in places like El Salvador and also Nicaragua under the Somozas during the Central American Civil Wars as there are many volcanoes in Central America. Stories highlighting these horrors were often heard on this radio station.

[@Willy_Tepes]

Democracy has been exposed as a scam, and it has destroyed our once beautiful world. Anything they claim about dictatorships is without legitimacy.

[@Turdfergusen382]

This is a great series

[@cheri238]

Thank you so much for this series, Michael Fox. There have documentaries filmed on these crimes.

[@miriamschiro8585]

Wow 😮I didn’t know that about Guatemala 😥

[@blakealfaro1739]

Great podcast, I really wish there was video recording, though you do a good job of describing the scenery, it makes me wish I could see what you’re describing.

[@mabelbormu9108]

Why IS there no visuals?

[@Amp497]

Why no video? Is this because of youtube?

[@rolfsautter4186]

Of course they have a good relation with the US

[@virgilcaine3291]

How edgy. It's almost like we're pals having a conversation. It's the background noise that does it for me.

[@BigFists2024]

There’s lots of middle easterners in Guatemala

[@JohnHunterPlayerr]

There are also a lot of cia Americans .

[@Willy_Tepes]

The non-Arab type is the worst..

[@explorerofunknownworlddept6232]

​@@Willy_Tepesincluding Africans & Asians?

[@Willy_Tepes]

Not allowed to say anything anymore. We are in 1984.@@explorerofunknownworlddept6232

[@explorerofunknownworlddept6232]

​@@Willy_Tepesyes, 《animal farm》in《1984》.

[@mabelbormu9108]

You are not shiwing anything

[@wyattabbott5961]

What did the USA benefit by training and turning a blind eye ?

[@Andre-wf8cb]

A under populated area

[@danielalvarez-galan3702]

Access to Guatemalan capital, our capitalists started opening sweatshops down their on mass. Before that we just controlled their agricultural production via the United Fruit company.

[@explorerofunknownworlddept6232]

"turning a blind eye"? R y kidding?