Comments on: Rigoberta Menchú for President

By: rigo

rigo — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:26:11 +0000

i know this is and old post but…

as a Guatemalan person… it makes me sad to hear you talking about our “issues” in such an erroneous way, i do comprehend that all you see is the tip of the iceberg and this is only from a very media perspective created to make way to their own ends.

if you want to know why Rigoberta Menchu lost. The best thing i can say to you is read the comment that *Mario* wrote (because its exactly why we as Guatemalans freely went and didn’t vote fore her)

“Menchú should again be more than commended for standing up in the face of continued injustice. Indigenous Guatemalans deserve infinitely better. This woman needs outside monetary support. She, more than any other candidate for western political office, would greatly benefit from our donations. Guatemala has found a voice in Rigoberta”

She is one of the most rich persons in Guatemala “greatly” benefiting from your donations; her only job is to maintain the image of a desperate situation so some Non Governmental Organization can keep asking for help and of course YOUR SO MUCH APRECIATED DONATIONS… open your eyes guatemala people did not discriminate her for her race or gender; she lost because here we are very tired of her lies.

sorry for my bad english.

By: José María Magaña Juárez Sign | La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo

José María Magaña Juárez Sign | La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 05:58:24 +0000

[...] just showing a sign can be considered a political act. Today’s photo about one particular architect’s sign falls under the political act [...]

By: dude

dude — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:52:35 +0000

She is a liar and should be ashamed of it. I would never vote for a liar. I know certain things did happen to the indigenous, but you are all voting for a liar if you vote fore her!

By: The Guatemalan Flag Should be This Blue...

The Guatemalan Flag Should be This Blue... — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:13:55 +0000

[...] Mayan Vote Slideshow Side Note: Back in July 17th, I described why Rigoberta Menchú’s candidacy was an impossible mission and listed some of the reasons. The New York Times published a recent slide show entitled The Mayan [...]

By: Mario

Mario — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:30:37 +0000

Menchú should again be more than commended for standing up in the face of continued injustice. Indigenous Guatemalans deserve infinitely better. This woman needs outside monetary support. She, more than any other candidate for western political office, would greatly benefit from our donations. Guatemala has found a voice in Rigoberta.

By: One Way

One Way — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:51:09 +0000

Great shot, and great piece of stencil-art. Menchu is one of my heroines… everyone should read her book. I didn’t know she was running for president until I saw this on your site (most British media unfortunately carries very little news from Latin America)

By: ale

ale — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:01:06 +0000

I have been toying with the idea that Rigoberta’s candidacy for this term is important not because she believes she can win this time, but because the next elections will coincide with the onset of the new Maya era according to the Maya calendar. So, imagine a Maya woman running to become president in 2012! Pretty powerful, no?

By: Manolo

Manolo — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 02:04:12 +0000

Pues unless I take a colazo to Guate I won’t be able to vote in the next elections. Would I vote for Menchú for president? I might surprise a few by saying this, but probably I would. I for sure would take a better look to all the candidates’ platforms. By the way, I read recently in elPeriodico an interview with the candidate from the URNG/MAIZ (URNG is the former guerrilla group now a leftist political party) stating that they are the only real left in this next elections.
But what do I know about voting… last time I did it in Guate I voted for Berger in the first round and for Portillo in the second… next thing I did was board a plane to Canada… and probably the elected president was within my top 20 reasons for doing so.

By: Chachi

Chachi — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 00:53:21 +0000

I hhave not the chance to hear her speech as a candidate, pero me parece una persona muy interesante y profundamente admirable.

By: Herbasio

Herbasio — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 02:37:25 +0000

Yo si votaria por ella…. Y lo estoy considerando seriamente…

By: Cate

Cate — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:53:59 +0000

Wonderful image and very interesting to learn a bit about what is taking place in your country. Even in the United States, we can’t seem to get a woman president!

Sometimes I think what is important is that we make our voices heard, and that is what Menchu is doing. I would vote for her!

By: Vero

Vero — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:46:42 +0000

Allow me to reveal a little something about myself: I am a hispanic woman with mainly leftist ideas. That said, I look forward to the day when a qualified indigenous woman is a candidate for the presidency not only because she is an indigenous leftist woman but also for her effective leadership. I cannot say much about the candidates for president because I don’t know much about them. I can however say that the futile effort of Rigoberta Menchu to become president is admirable because someone has to start paving the way for the future Presidenta.

On a side note, the U.S. election and the Guatemalan election will have interesting results since the President elected will to a certain extent give us insight into each country. If Hillary wins could that mean that we are ready for a woman president but not a black president? If Obama wins will that say we are ready for a black president but not a woman president? Or maybe a white man will take the white house for another four years, revealing that as a nation the U.S. is not as progressive as we claim to be.

In Guatemala, I believe it is as Rudy says: it is impossible that Rigoberta Menchu, a woman, indigenous, and a leftist, will be president. Who knows how long it will be before Guatemala see’s a female, a leftist or an indigenous person, let alone one that embodies all three. The Guatemalan people do not necessarily hide their views on minorities and women as well as the Estado Unidenses.

By: Claudia

Claudia — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 13:48:50 +0000

muy interesante Rudy. I don’t know where I stand; what do you think about all the people and articles saying she lied about a lot of things? Is that propaganda? I am not there so it’s hard to judge; I personally think she is very courageous to make that attempt in a country where I know first hand that being indigenous is viewed as offensive. I respect her a lot (from the articles I’ve read) All the atrocities commited and the ones we know about are just the tip of the iceberg. What about all the ones we don’t and never will know about? There is NO democracy in Guatemala – it simply seems that way. . .then again, look at the prize (sarcasm) we got here in the U.S. – I hate to be a pessimist but even if she won, fair and square – she’d never live to see it with the way things work down there. But there is hope and hope is the first step.

By: Pedp

Pedp — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:23:27 +0000

An arresting image for all sorts of reasons... Planet Earth Daily Photo.

By: Jerry T

Jerry T — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 02:41:55 +0000

Interesting questions, Rudy, and good for thought. As for voting for a woman, yes I would vote for a woman. We women can do anything we set our minds too! As for an indigenous person, absolutely. What I have observed about the indigenous people of Guatemala is that they are hard-working and very resourceful. If I understood the issues on the left and right in Guatemala, I could answer better whether I would vote for a person on the left. Generally in the US, I tend to vote very conservatively, but a change is definately needed in Guatemalan government. The oppression of the indigenous people stresses me. I think like an American, and believe all people are create equal. OK, enough of my views. I need to research more about this person. I did go to her website, but my Spanish is almost non-existent, so I did not gain much info.