Preparing a campaign to protest violence against women. Photo by Karen Eliot

Killing them Brutally

by Susmita Paruchuri

One woman’s quest to publicize femicide in Central America — through hip-hop   The Mayan women and girls of Guatemala in their traditional clothing bring vibrant color to the streets....

Western companies, especially fast food companies, were shockingly ubiquitous, and have been able to dominate the market by making a case for their cultural supremacy. Photo by Nour El Hoda Seleem

Colonizing through Cuisine

by Nour El Hoda Seleem

What an average Big Mac Meal costs. Western franchises reinforce the global north’s supremacy, with overpriced fare that many in the post-colonial world cannot afford.   I was in a van with 10...

Guatemalans are Dangerous

by Monica Sainz

…And other myths about a misunderstood country The Guatemala I envisioned was impoverished, dirty, antisocial and sad. After a gruesome 36-year civil war between the government and leftist...

Children in rural guatemala. Photo courtesy of Roots and Wings International vis Flickrcc

Why Are These Poor, Oppressed People So Happy?

by Mary Ellen Cagnassola

Eddie Fernández, editor of Diario de Centro America, seems resigned as he ponders the circumstances of his native Guatemala, where he has worked as a journalist for more than 20 years. “It’s...