Democratization in Guatemala 1985-1999

Guatemala, the most populous and potencially the richest country in Central America happened from geopolitical reasons to be the center stage for the cold war battles in the region. After a brief ten years of democracy after the World War II, long era of military regimes followed. From the 1960, leftist guerrila movement operated in the country with the purpose of throwing over the incumbent governments. Given the length of the contest, officially called the internal armed confrontation, that had spread accross decades, both military governments and insurgents were forced to adapt to changing international situation. At the beginning of the 1980s, the Army decided the war cannot be won unless the major cause of the gerilla fight is not eliminated. This cause being one of the most extremely unequal societies in the hemisphere, the reformist part of the brass challenged guatemalan traditional landed oligarchy as to make them give up a small fraction of their hefty income to finance development in the rest of the society. The oligarchy refused, causing this part of the Army to act on their own. Headed during the first phase by Gen. Rios Montt, young officers got rid of the existing old type of oligarchy-friendly cliqué and seized the power and government. With the prelude of very bloody contrainsurgent..