A QUICHE WOMAN FROM AN ALDEA OF SAN Miguel Uspantan, Rigoberta Menchu lived a harsh, peasant life until a little over a decade ago. Then her father burned to death in the Spanish Embassy when the police stormed it.to break up a peasant occupation. Shortly afterwards, the military kidnapped and killed her mother and a brother. A little later, she watched another brother tortured and killed. She fled Guatemala in 1981. nexilOinMexino, shebecame an activist in the Guatema lan struggle. She also became a symbol of that struggle, due largely to a narrative of her life, IRigoberta Menchzi, which became an international bestseller. She returned to Guate-mala briefly in 1986. When she returned again in 1988, she was arrested and had to apply for government amnesty as a guerrilla before being released. In 1992, her homecoming was a little different. When, Rigoberta Menchti was first nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the Serrano government, hoping to lessen her chances, proposed a candidate of its own, ElisaMolinade Stahl, an upper-class Ladina who was considered a more suitable choice. The government and the military steadfastly opposed Menchd’s candidacy, complaining that she was part of a group of people who defamed Guatemala from outside and could not be honored in Guatemala. They said she was linked to the guerrillas and didn’t symbolize peace. As support for Menchti’s candidacy grew, within Guate-mala, these actions demonstrated how removed the military and much of the government were from the prevailing mood in the country. Three of Guatemala’s four major newspapers backed her; numerous cabinet members and opposition politicians also gave her public support. Every popular and labor organization publicized their support for her candidacy. As it became clear that she was one of the favorites to win the prize, the government began to lighten its tone, saying only thatthey couldn’t support one candidate because there were two Gua-temalans in the running. WhenRigobertaMenchiThnally ariivedinGuatemaladays before the prize was to be announced, she was met by joyous crowds and great expectations. Everywhere she went in Gtia-temalashewas surroundedby supporters andfollowers. Amidst the flood of congratulations from within and outside of the country when it was announced that she had won, the govern ment said it had never milly opposed her candidacy. Even the military said that its.spokesperson had only been speaking personally not for the institution, when he opposed her It s hard to say what the prize means for Guatemala in concrete terms Menchu said the money will go into a fund bearing’her father’s name, which will be used to further the political struggle of Maya and popular sectors in Guatemala. Her success, coupled with the intense organizing around the Quintcentenmal will no doubt spur on increased activity in the popular sectors It will assist in struggles against impu nity, and will be an important goad to forge aheadiN the peace negotiations. Its greatest effect will perhaps be to push along the passage of Conventidn 169-an accord prOposed by the International Labor Organization that grants a series of rights and recognitions to tiative groups-and to reshape the country’s political and social organizations to better reflect ‘ the real Guatemala.
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