As i was leaving #hivefest Mexico, i was reading about the political issues that i was coming home to in Guatemala. I saw that a protest was being scheduled for Monday, the day i arrived. A true peoples protest, in support of President-elect Bernardo Arevalo. A landslide victory in August, saw a country prepared to actually believe a president. Arevalo ran and won on anti corruption platform, with a message of raising the standard of living for all Guatemalans and not just the rich.
Having lived in Guatemala for many years, I’m used to protest stopping traffic, typically they go throughout the day and by night fall they end. So i was imagining arrival and bouncing around Guatemala City doing some shopping and catching up with a friend… with the idea to then head back to Lake Atitlan at nightfall.
Lol, well this was no normal protest.
My ideas of an open road to head home to my dear family, was misjudged. As i arrived to a still blocked Highway 1, the highway that will take you all the way to Alaska if you keep driving on it. Well at 8:00 at night there was no sign of the road being let open. Just before midnight it was clear they would not open the road. So after many hours of being stuck me and many other drivers managed to make a U-turn.
After no sleep on a red eye, i drove a back way into the Volcanic Crater lake known as Atitlan. I arrived home at 3:30 am, 4 1/2 hours shy of 48 hours awake.
A Sleep Hangover Tuesday morning found me realizing that the same road i had gotten in via, was now closed as well. The peoples protest was gathering strength.
Like a snowball the momentum continued day by day. Country wide blockades got bigger and bigger, by Wednesday there was no route in or out of lake Atitlan. Then the entire country was blocked on all main and not so main roads. The people demanding their president not be stripped of his overwhelming victory. Corrupt judges and politician are currently scrabbling to stay in power and saying votes were falsified and that the entire party (Semia) was an illegal party. A pathetic farce that is some how a sign of the times where the trumps of the world can just say, ‘no the election was rigged’.
”The people of Guatemala said “FUCK THAT”
As of tonight Friday, the entire country is still completely shut down. The people demand the resignations of 3 corrupt public servants. Today, 48 hours was given for those resignations to happen or else Monday….from Walmart to every corner store would be shut. A complete commercial and transit shutdown of the country.
Guatemalans said, coup d’état this you rich fucks, we are going to stop all money flowing until you give us our president.
I have never first hand experienced anything as powerful as what is taking place in Guatemala right now. I feel so much pride toward the Guatemalan people.
There doenst seem to be a lot of news about what’s happening. I’ll link an article below in case anyone is interested.
Lol, my intention was to come home and edit all my #hivefest videos… but i came home to a coup d’état instead.
Whoot - hope the people win against the money.
Thanks @detlev i hope so too! Yesterday was a big day for the people, the military and police were sent up to open the roads and were overwhelmed and outnumbered by the people and the blockades stayed in tact country wide.
Though the current administration seems unbudging, so i think this means the country is in for the long haul. 🤦🏻♂️
Hoping for speedy victory of the peeps, so tourism can get back to normal and we can put this beer Saturday onboarding into action at the cafe!
Power to the people!
I hope the people get the president they voted for, the president they were promised and the decrease in corruption (and the poverty it causes) that they deserve.
Crazy stuff to return home to thought m8. I hope you're well and enjoyed hivefest 🙂
Cheers @raj808 yeah, I'm hoping that too! Yeah Hivefest was great, and it completely distracted me from being aware of what was brewing in Guatemala, it was a big surprise arriving home to these harsh realities. My tourist season had just started ramping up as is normal for October, i lost tons to canceled reservations so far. It will all be worth it if the peeps win...so I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞
Hope things are well for you to M8, strange days are upon us!
Wild shit man
It really is. Today is day 6 of country wide lock down.
It all reminds me of the start of the pandemic.
Weather is great though, swam and played all day with the kids. 🤣
Holy shit, hopefully there is a great outcome. Fuck the government.
Glad you're having a good time with the family! Stay safe man
Nice one
This look really intense. I hope it isn't becoming worse after 2 months