环球英语 — 486：Guatemala
Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Marina Santee,
Voice 2
And I’m Steve Myersco. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
In today’s Spotlight we are looking at one particular country. It is the country with the largest population in Central America. But the average length of life for someone in this country is the lowest in the area. In the late twentieth century war and violence troubled the country. But the rich history of this nation stretches back over two thousand years. The country is Guatemala.
Voice 2
For 36 years, Guatemala was at war. This war still lives in the memory of many people in the country today. The war was between different groups in the country. This civil war finally ended in 1996. One person still suffering from it effects is Don Andres. His daughters disappeared during the civil war. In 2008, two students from Haverford College in the United States met Don Andres. They wrote about the terrible discovery of Don Andres’s missing daughters.
Voice 3
‘Don Andres was digging in the ground. As the soil broke up, a piece of green cloth appeared. The 82 year old man stopped and began to cry. And so did we... The tears of Don Andres represented 25 years of sadness. He had not known where his daughters were for all those years. Knowing about his country’s history, he was sure they were dead. The same was true of his nine month old grandson... As we dug up the three bodies, our hearts bled for Don Andres. But after thinking, we understood that this was not just one single tragic event. There are five hundred thousand people like Don Andres.’
Voice 1
A report by the United Nations estimates that 200,000 people were killed during the Guatemalan Civil war. Violent groups took many of these people and hid their bodies. In Guatemala the name for these missing people is 'Los Desaparecidos', Spanish for ‘the disappeared ones’. Some people, like Don Andres, are only now discovering the bodies of their family. Other 'disappeared ones’ may never be found.
Voice 2
There are a number of groups working in Guatemala trying to bring more peace to the country. One such group works to ensure that the people who disappeared during the war are not forgotten. The group’s short name is HIJOS. In full, their name means Sons and Daughters for Identity and Justice, against Forgetfulness and Silence. They want the authorities to recognise the human rights crimes that happened during the war. They also want to keep the memory of the disappeared ones in people’s minds.
Voice 1
One of the many other organisation working in Guatemala is the YMCA. This Christian organisation works all over the world. In August two thousand and eight, three young YMCA workers in Guatemala were killed. They were beaten and shot. The workers from the YMCA had been working with young people at risk of joining criminal gangs.
Voice 2
Much of today’s violence in Guatemala is caused by these criminal gangs. These are groups of criminals fighting against each other. Often they are involved in the trade of illegal drugs. The drugs trade is a big problem for Guatemala. Illegal drugs are transported through Guatemala from South America to the United States. One such drug is cocaine. Experts estimate that 75 percent of the cocaine illegally imported into the United States passes through Guatemala.
Voice 1
Another problem facing Guatemala is the lack of equality in the country. People living in country areas are generally a lot poorer than the people living in the cities. Much of Guatemala’s money does not reach the people who need it.
Voice 2
Guatemala does have its problems. But many people choose to visit the country on holiday. About one and a half million [1,500,000] people visit the country each year. Many come for the country’s amazing cultural history and environment. The country has beautiful coasts, rainforests, mountains and volcanoes.
Voice 1
Some of the most popular places to visit are the ancient Mayan ruins. The Mayan people have lived here for over two thousand years. They built huge stone cities and temples. At the time they were a very successful nation. However this successful kingdom mysteriously ended around one thousand years ago. But much of their culture still remains in the Native American people living in the area today.
Voice 2
Guatemala has a lot to offer to holiday visitors. But many are discouraged from going because of the problems in the country. In recent years, Guatemala has been the victim of some terrible weather.
Voice 1
Storms and wet weather can bring serious trouble for Guatemala. Every year people are killed by landslides. These happen when wet land falls down a hill. Dozens of people are hit or buried by these landslides every year. The weather was particularly bad in 2005. In this year a huge storm, a hurricane, hit the country. Hurricane Stan killed up to two thousand people. It affected about one and a half a million people. Many were made homeless. The hurricane also caused millions of dollars' worth of damage in the country.
Voice 2
In November 2007 Guatemala elected a new President - Alvaro Colom. He argued that the answer to the problem of violence in Guatemala is to reduce poverty. Colom also said he wanted to get rid of dishonest judges and policemen. The President spoke to a group called Strategic Media about the hopes for his country. He said,
Voice 4
‘Guatemala is a special country. Together we share 108,000 square kilometres. This is shared between 23 different people groups with 23 cultures. Each has its own hopes and ideas for the country... I have faith that there are going to be important changes in the future. We have to get the job done with what we have, even if it takes a while and at times seems too difficult.’
Voice 1
Change is what many people in Guatemala want. And many of them are working to make sure it happens. The country has suffered a lot over recent years. It has been troubled by war and violence and attacked by the weather. But hope still remains that the success once experienced by the ancient Mayan kingdom, may once again return to the land.
