Hidden Hunger - Guatemala

[bineivanit]

Envanje.strong words! but true......

[bineivanit]

If u give! money, car , food, what ever you give to someone poor, u give to ur self.god will remember u and repay you.:)

[Sachse009]

Just two questions to all commentators of this video during the last weeks: Has anyone donated money for the hungry and dying children in Guatemala? Has anyone asked friends and other people to do so?

FIRST we have to help. Then we can discuss about changing the entire world!

[KronprinzAdam]

We can locate Australia in a map or tell how many world wars there have been, and we can write your language as well. I do not know, where are the morons that you speak of. Capitalist and socialist radicals are also in your country. Our society was greatly damaged by the Cold War, due to the weapons and training that CIA and Cuba sent, so people could kill themselves in a nonsense war. But in your society, there also more options...like the KKK or the American N@zi Party or some idiotic sect

[KronprinzAdam]

We can explain also why "America" is a continent and not a country. Because german cartographers named the continent honoring Americo Vespucci, italian explorer. Their maps soon become standard. Our countries were great...until US interventionism disgraced them (Ask in Latin America who WILLIAM WALKER was). We never closed the doors to US americans, they were always welcome. Nice people, but the governments have been terrible with us.

[KronprinzAdam]

Social help, but for widows, orphans, kinds and mothers in trouble.

1. The first world want us to believe and buy their products, raised by corporate multinationals. Expensive and tasteless.

2. Cleptocracy is the best definition of our political problem.

3. European radicals wanto to make us to believe, that the problem is a marxist one, to be solved by revolution and do away with the church and the upper classes. Does weapons will help these kids? Surely not, they will kill them thereafter

[KronprinzAdam]

4. Racists want us to believe, that the problem is because the people is too catholic, too lazy, too agrarian and too latino. But for sure, they would use the people as cheap labor if the opportunity is given. (US need another LINCOLN)

This people are hard workers when motivated, authentic "hombres de maiz" (people from corn), natural born merchants and agricultors and many are part of a tribe.check a guatemalan market and see...) They need education, health, peace and some social justice.

[envanje]

I saw the vids you suggested and I think they confirm how I tried to describe the peasants emotional connection on the soil all over the world. I travelled a lot in so called 3th world countries and everywhere I liked their food. next month I'll be in Ecuador eating casuela mmmm.

May I suggest one of my favourite movies connected with a clash of cultures as well as characters,

youtube : the royal hunt of the sun

location : Cajamarca - Peru

date : 1532

hope you'll like it.

[KronprinzAdam]

Thank you Evanje, and I'm happy to hear that you checked the videos and that you have "discovered" the 3rd world. They are just agrarian societies with many traditions and lots of friendly people, but nevertheless with some problems. Extreme poverty can be depressing in some cases. But anyway, there is healthy, "bio" food that people can cook, with spices and products directly from the rainforest. Chocolate, pop-corn, chewing gum, tabasco chili, everything came from the jungle...

[KronprinzAdam]

The kind of connection you told from peasants I think is the one that I have learned in Guatemala. Nature is a cycle of birth and decay, so the peasants try to take advantage of this cycle, pray for rains and fertility and produce food (corn, beans), which is stored for the future or exchanged. Mayas poetically declared that the gods made the people from the very corn dough, so now is part of their bodies. Andeans had potatoes, Celts had wheat and rye, Asians had rice, and so on...

[lulaare]

One of the biggest problem or THE problem Guatemala has is Corruption. The people running the goverment should focus most of their energy on starvation and creating programs to feed the children. But they really do not care, they are the ones who are rich, the ones who have private security.

This "video" is off, because you can't compare the city with the rural towns. It is just dumb, in any country of the world, there is a huge difference.

[envanje]

Yes, kleptocracy has overtaken democracy, but not only in Guatemaly, it's all over the world.

[envanje]

The world is fighting corruption by the way to allow what was formerly forbidden. Strange way I must say, I'm not happy with that.

[KronprinzAdam]

I agree with your basic points. Cerezo, Portillo, Serrano, have you heard of these presidents?

[KronprinzAdam]

People from the "so called" first world. The maya people they you see here developed a calendar and a system which depend of rains and year seasons, to raise maiz and corn crops. They do not eat frozen pizzas or Mcdonalds.

Due to GLOBAL WARMING, the calendar and agrarian dates are now useless, because weather had changes drastically. Hunger? A result from climatic changes, in which Europe and Asia have the greatest responsitibility of all.

[envanje]

Campesinos living in the outback are too proud to ask for governmental help. When they cannot sustain themselves anymore they see themselves as failing and deserving their destiny. This way of thinking is not only Guatemalan but exists all around the globe. A farmer sees the earth as "the one and only God" and when he would not do so, he would be a bad farmer. Civilisation though is dealing with such thoughts and is dealing with the earth as well. May God have mercy on our souls.

[KronprinzAdam]

Weather. Everything depends on weather and climatic conditions. Don't be surprise if in the prayers of the peasants to God, they pray for...rains. But if a global warming, created in Europe and Asia brings dramatical weather conditions, wha to do then?

[seapox]

If you can't feed yourself you should have no right to bring a child into this world who has to suffer because of the lack of foresight. Yes, these people are not well eduacated but they knew before they had kids this was a possibility. Common sense is lacking here. I blame the parents.

[envanje]

@seapox

You are an idiot !

[KronprinzAdam]

If we think in this way, only rich people could bear children. This is not the case, education is the key. These parents, with a better education would have better chances to succeed and raise their families better. The conditions were not different from rural Prussia, Austria or Russia before Industrial Revolution, or even the fields of England. But these countries improved through education.

[envanje]

Better to educate the educated class to the knowledge that wealth should be equaly shared.

[KronprinzAdam]

I really haven't understood what you mean.

1. To educate the "educated class" so the Government invest more money in a decentralized way....

2. To dissasemble the capital of the educated class and to share it by force...

Many cooperative models in Guatemala have been already succesful for some farmers. People can be educated to be more productive if they associate with each other. Without any trace of political ideologies.

[KronprinzAdam]

Like in USA?

[KronprinzAdam]

Old families have had 10-12 kids, but in not so good conditions, and this is also an enourmous load for the mother. It was common before, in USA, Europe 19th century, but families reduced to 2-3 kids, which is more modern and healthy for the woman. Basic food is really not highly expensive in Guatemala compared with Europe, so I think a smaller, integrated family with good education and a health system, can do it well and live happy.

[saki01248]

What's the mater no onetalk about politics in Guatemala,if that was the commie country,regular anticommies would b all over this,with "oh communism is so bad",but it's not.,c'mon "conservative democrats where r they? oh they r on that square guarded by guys with machine guns.Great exsample how liberal economy capitalism works,rich own everything and poore die of hunger.Fashist hypcrites.

[KronprinzAdam]

From where does the international corporations come from? From Guatemala City? Facists? Of course NOT!! We have nothing to do with that ideology.

[KronprinzAdam]

The only fascist in Guatemala is a crazy mesianic general called Efrain Rios Montt, which uses a hand with 3 raised fingers ("I do not lie, I do not steal, I do not abuse") which is a symbol used previously by n@zis when making oaths to Hitler ("One Imperium, One People, One Leader"). The guy graduates in...School of Americas, where he learned how to raze civilian villages to the ground and bury people into common ditches. Castillo Armas? I think he was just a mercenary...

[Sachse009]

One of the greatest privileges of human beings is being able to speak. But confronted with this video we should stop talking and start acting! So please donate against the hunger crisis in Guatemala! For example at the UN World Food Program! Yesterday I saw a news report about hungry children in Guatemala. Some of them died the night after!! A lot of things went wrong in Guatemala in the past. This continues: A small upper class owns almost everthing. But knowing this does not help the children!

[KronprinzAdam]

These small class has economical power and own the industry, but these classes exist almost in every country: basically administrators. But they create also jobs for many people. But the children need health, and later good education and security and stability. There is no other choice.

[mrg00ddude]

just keep buying sweat shop clothes dicks

[conrump]

i was jut in Guatemala for the whole summer vacation and i didnt really see that much poverty but maybe it was because i spent most of my time in the capital city

[Sachse009]

Conrump, you are right. The 500 Indians, who already died because of hunger, lived in the country, far away from the capital.

[KronprinzAdam]

A part of the capital city is modern, full with shopping malls and so on. Another part is middle class, full with small stores. And another part (if you check in your embassy information, they give the number of the zones in which you should "not" enter) is either poor (slums) or dangerous with "mara" gangs.

[conrump]

dude i know i was born in Guatemala and pretty much all my aunts and uncles and cousins live there i go to guatemala every 2 or 3 years and when i went in the summer i didn't see much poverty i mean sure the people aren't rich but most of them aren't dying of hunger i think they tend to over exaggerate the whole situation but that's just my personal opinion

[KronprinzAdam]

I'm glad to hear that!! Some people improved their situation through hard work (many took the risk to come into USA and later built new houses), and others had the chance of buying cars or trucks or rising vegetables. But still, there is some part of the population who has almost nothing, poor crops, poor lands or live in slums. In some cases in Western Guatemala, the parents have wheat and corn to eat but the kids look thin and skinny.

[KronprinzAdam]

In Northern and Eastern Guatemala, it was this year a tragedy: somehow crops didn't made and people started to starve, but I think there have to be, social problems behind this. I cannot explain, it you travel east to Camotán and Jocotán, you imagine somekind of African Death Valley. But it is NOT!! I saw a beautiful landscape there with impressive "Sierra de las Minas", plenty of cows and crystal rivers. These towns are just beside tropical Copán in Honduras...

[KronprinzAdam]

...taking from El Rancho in the direction of Chiquimula, (some kilometers before Esquipulas, there is a crossroad that takes to "El Florido" border) which takes to Camotán and you can easily spend some time in nearby Honduras in Copan Ruinas, looking the ancients maya buildings, red parrots, sun and tropical weather...

[conrump]

whatever all i know is i love my country

[cholotara]

Kwashiorkor, and we have more than enough. There is no God

[adepsa]

it's sad, but i'd worry more for the middle class instead of the poor, they are lost anyways.

[mclaren450]

Mexico's little brother

[KronprinzAdam]

The big one is made of California, Texas and New Mexico

[NetinMaster]

Governments in Guatemala have been doing the same thing since I can remember... giving away food among the poor so they can get easy votes for the next period.... always talking the same old commi bollix about how oppressed and discriminated this people were since the spanish occupation and how the society owes them big time! - at the same time they keep them ignorant so they are easy to manipulate... I personally think that everyone has the chance to improve as long as the prejudices are...

[NetinMaster]

left aside and the idea of a society that owes them is replaced for the fact that they don't need charity but the knowledge and skill to get better opportunities. Confronting the classes have taken us to the shit hole we are now though I have native friends that have overcame this social barrier with only the belief of being as good as anyone and the will to prove it!

[KronprinzAdam]

Governments gave things like fertilizers, "machetes" or cheap farm tools. Some presidents like Portillo tried to give breakfasts and bonuses. 500 years ago, there was in the land brave tribes, quichés, mames, cackchiqueles, but they were fighting each other. Spanish divided them and conquered one by one. Then dissasembled them (they had some teocratic and aristocratic rulers, which were brought into submission) and converted them into catholicism.

[envanje]

I appreciate your knowledge. Survival of mankind is a cultural issue and much can be learned from tribal life. Global warming is a result from changing tradition into industrialisation and capitalism so the latter is not the solution though it more or less reached the status of the new religion. The division between haves and have nots will allways result in a fight between these for keeping eachother at a distance. This troubles our visions and consumes too much of our mental energy.

[KronprinzAdam]

Ultracapitalism and huge food corporations are not precisely the solution that I think. I think in productivity and cooperation. Trade was highly developed in Guatemala even before spaniards came, so agriculture and forest products were highly appreciated, so native guatemalans still have traditional trade routes and markets. Improve and diversify these markets, and people will improve their condition. These are the "hombres de maiz". Put them in a collective farm, and you will kill their souls

[lapiz1969]

life is not fair!!!!

I fail to see what the problem is to work at a MC or Walmart!!! not enough money? long hours? many people without a job would rather work for a walmart than to remain jobless.

You as a US citizen have option: move to another state, start ur own biz, work for walmart while going back to school and improve ur degree, lear how to cut hair, become a mechanic, etc...

The economy is fucked thanks to Bush and Obama... eventually it will improve, good luck

[jesusninjapants]

i dont know if that is some desparate attempt at black humor, but what an aweful tasteless thing to say. I am from the U.S., i know of how corrupt plantations in guatemala, owned by US firms, and maintained through buying politicians are intimately responsible for hunger in guatemala. You should not be proud, you should be ashamed that the U.S. willingly allows corruption to cause such massive starvation and malnutrition so that bannannas at YOUR local super market can be 10C cheaper per pound

[lapiz1969]

The US does not own any more plantations in Guatemala. The government is corrupt and inept, they have president Colom only interested in collecting taxes while pillaging everything they can.

This is a problem created by politicians only interested in their back pockets.

[KronprinzAdam]

LIER!! Type eveerwhere in Internet, the connection between DEL MONTE, MORALES, BANDEGUA, CHIQUITA and you will find an US american corporation. But it is easy to blame the government. Corrupt and Ïnept? I think this describes Bush very well. Politicians interested in their back pockets. Oil.

[envanje]

Don't know who provoced your anger but it reminds me how many times I used the same words "it is easy to blame the government".

[KronprinzAdam]

I'm sorry, but it makes me angry, when people deny the connections between first world and multinational corporations. Guatemala and nearby countries have been called "Banana Republics" for those things. Check "We feed the world" movie and " Agribusiness & Hunger in the 3rd World" and "An economy based in peanuts" here in you tube. Food is a problem and migration is another huge problem, but both issues have a common root: lack of opportunities in rural areas.

[lapiz1969]

Lier?

Forget about the ancient past!!! what about today's politicians?

[KronprinzAdam]

I searched in Internet and found a connection between "Bandegua" (the banana corporation in Morales, Izabal) and US multinational "Del Monte". Same story. Today's politicians? Not perfect, there is corruption. But this exists everywhere. Bush, Bin Laden and their oil connection. Irak and Afganisthan, if you look then in a map, they are making a sandwich with Iran in the middle.

[lapiz1969]

I am not denying something that happened 50 years ago. I am stating something happening TODAY. You need to update ur info. The Cohen's, Alejos, Dalton, and Valdez are today's "corporations" pulling the strings of yet another corrupt and incompetent government doing nothing for the vast majority of citizens. Do not spin it around, don't care about Bush or his inept and incompetent successor, does nothing for those poor GT families. where is my "lie" now? u r either demagogue or clueless.

[KronprinzAdam]

I'm not talking about UFCO, I'm talking about MODERN DAY Bandegua and modern day "Del Monte". Multinational corporations based in USA. Look in Internet!!! The others I think must be local national corporations. They can be controlled by local laws, if it is the case. But if we do a complain against an US american multinational, we got another full-scale invasion!! And by the way, why you have the right to critizice our politicians, and I cannot criticize yours?

[lapiz1969]

I have already wasted enough time with you!!!

You are entitled to your own opinions and have the right to believe in whatever fairy tale you want without providing evidence or facts.

Just bare in mind, camotan is not in a banana growing region, so I have no clue how Darth Bandegua is responsible for their hunger... don't bother explaining it to me.

You are deluded!!! I never said u could not criticize our politicians, be my guest, but the one that mentioned US politicians first was YOU.

[KronprinzAdam]

Sorry Lapiz1969, I really sorry if I commented the topic very ardently and at the end I was not very polite. There is some connection (truly) between Bandegua and Del Monte, it seems there has been some trouble with workers, but I cannot link it to Camotan. The trouble in Camotan and Jocotan seems to be (although it is not easy to state what the problem really is), social problems together with drought and bad crops.

[KronprinzAdam]

There are multinationals, some from mining and some others for agricultural products. There have been already some clashes rather violent from the mining companies against local peasants due to land disputes. (Peasants claim the land is from theim but companies have better lawyers). I have nothing against corporate multinationals (whenever they do not become monopolies), but small and medium agricultors also have the right to commercialize and export their products and improve their incomes.

[KronprinzAdam]

But if they eventually displace away the peasants out of the markets, food will become very scarce and expensive. The peasants produce good quality in most cases, (if clean water is available) but multinationals play with chemicals, genetics, hybrids, and produce always 2 or 3 types of insipid things and sell them very expensive in US and european markets. In any case, we want this people, to remain productive and do not become unemployed, or even worst, poor and hungry.

[KronprinzAdam]

The people of the poorest towns really need immediate help, but we have to think also in their future. In some cases, local politicians turned democracy into cleptocracy, but now I have the feeling, it also happens in other parts of the world.

[mess4opana]

yea pretty funny. you know whats funnier?? i live in the us, and i starve on a regular basis. i live in an extremely rich part of the world. and i have to watch all the rich people go by, while im hungry enough to beg. ROFL!!!!!! yay fat Amerika!!

[mess4opana]

I don't expect anything for free. Believe me I worked my ass off until I got laid off. I did my job well and I have a degree, however, I can't get a job EVEN @ Walmart. pretty pathetic I must admit, and now I'm partially disabled, so I am back in school. Now amIdoingItrite?

[lapiz1969]

stop wasting money on a computer and internet hook up. Use it instead to but food....better yet, go out and work!!! no excuses now, there are 12 million illegals earning money even without proper documents.... if you are a citizen, you have a huge advantage over them.

[mosniper831]

Yes but those "illegal's" get payed less than the legal worker would get and for example let say someone works at walmart for and get 80 dollars , now let say the "illegal" one works the same time he/she would only get 25 to 30 dollars with the reason being is that their not going to ask for a fair wage becuase what if the manger call immigration control enforcement. But you are right there no reason why people should refuse to work at places like walmart, a job that pays is a job that pays.

[mess4opana]

Yea, life isn't fair. I had a single parent who died of a neurological disorder, before I left home. I too, am partially disabled. I don't have any family to support me. Currently I have been lucky enough to be adopted by a hispanic immigrant family that let me use the internet for free. I have applied at McDs & Walmart, & too many others. I have an AA degree & am going to college full-time. I got to eat today :) - but what about tomorrow?! You seem to know it all - what do I do next?

[lapiz1969]

Get creative, that is all I can say. I lost both parents when I was 18 I have been on my own since. My cousins had it much, much easier, but if life gives you lemons, make lemonade!!! I still have to strugle everyday..... and I do not have all the answers, but I never complain.

good luck

[jesusninjapants]

you stance could be considered admirable, but consider what kind of a society will come out of such an individualist approach to life... if everyone had this fend for yourself attitude what would life be like?

I say we can do better, that its right and just to demand that government supply security(food, housing, healthcare, ect.) for its citizens, and i want to live in a society where people are not ok with having a fellow human living in hunger or starvation.

[lapiz1969]

You need to understand historically how the current and past governments work in Guatemala.... corruption is their sport. They are only interested in making money for themselves... even that hypocrite "socialdemocrat" of vice president they have.... the president and the rest dont give a damn about those starving children.... they already voted them in... they are on their own. We all have problems of our own to be helping people that have more children they can support. life is a bitch

[jesusninjapants]

Thats an oversimplification. Guatemala has recently emerged from a 30 year civil war. It will take time, patience, targeted development, and prudent investment to significantly change the situation in guatemala. To suggest that the government simply doesnt care is naive. One problem at a time as usually all a government is capable of; and yes, corruption is certainly an issue as well. have some hope, change and progress can start anywhere, even with an exchange of ideas.

[lapiz1969]

Recently? that was in 1996!! I am currently in Guatemala for work, I have spent too many years living here, so do not tell me I am "naive" when I see with my own eyes what politicians are doing. Sure, the list u gave is a good blue print, doubfull if u think x president will follow it. There is a need for a new system that weeds out the worst of them. Some are working in proreforma, I agree, exchanging ideas is a good thing.. but an accurate assessment of the situation is also important.

[KronprinzAdam]

This is also true. Thank's god we came out from this long-lasting cold-war conflict (36 years of low-intensity war, but during 1979-1983, there was heavy combat in some jungle areas). We have a democracy now, things are improving slowly, but we have to do a lot for health, education and security. We are not lazy people, many guatemalans are hard-workers, creative people, just we need opportunities.

[Iamgandhiful]

I bought a new laptop after 2 months just because the other one wasnt fast enough. now I have a monster with a 1GB graphic card and I'm proud that I've, according to you, "wasted" 3000$.

boycotting electronics wont feed the poor. where do people get this idea? india, 45% of the people are malnourished. china, only 5% of the people are malnourished because people like me buy their stuff and make them rich.

and of course I often donate to Concern worldwide, Cambodian children's fund.

[lapiz1969]

I am libertarian!!! your answer was for someone else, or yu totally did not understand what I meant.

I have never said boycotting anything would be a good answer..... the only crap I personally boycott is anything made in china!!! they sell garbage, I try to find always something made anywhere else... butthat is me, the rest can do what ever the hell they want.

[mess4opana]

hey donate your old laptop to me! im in california! (although it wasn't specific in your post that this purchase was recent) you would be helping very much in a charitable way. i would then find 5 people who need warm coats and illl give them the coats for free.

[KronprinzAdam]

Then how do you have access to Internet and computers?

[mess4opana]

my original post was directed @ an ignorant comment, now removed. MY POINT: poverty isn't a problem in some far away place where we cant see or touch it. its right here, right in front of all of us. if you had bothered to read previous comments you would know - I am using my adoptive family's computer and internet. i act as a maid and nanny in return for room and board. I was just released from a 2 week hospital stay I realized that I AM better off than most. & complaining was never my intent.

[KronprinzAdam]

I see the situation, people had high wages in the first world but there's also unemployment and global crisis. In the 3rd world, people had lower salaries and there's also unemployment and sub-employement, but some of them do minijobs, work in copyshops, sell things from door to door, woman prepare tacos to sell outside or do jobs as nannies or service maidens to earn extra money. But the poorest ones do really suffer. But there's a global crisis...everywhere.

[KronprinzAdam]

Some of this people risk themselves as migrants and when they arrive in to USA they discover it is not precisely Disneyland...and they have to work hard and do cheap labor!!! I hope everything will go better for all of us and I wish good luck to you also.

[envanje]

Lechaim, let's make this world a happy place to live for all of us !

[lapiz1969]

not for long asshole!!! you have Obama now fucking up your economy. Gooooo debt & deficit for the sake of ideological dogma.

What an stupid comment you made.

[EVITPOF]

Sure - a tragedy, but one problem is that in this catholic country contraception is not encouraged!

If birth rate doesnt go down the problem will get bigger!

It is surely not enough to blame the "super rich" with their "armed guards."

I been in Guatemala and educated people there have as much right to their life style then we do in the west!

[envanje]

How can one be educated while watching this starvation and doïng nothing. The people you are talking about may have all university degrees but they are not educated at all. The nazis were probably more kind to their neighbours then the rich Guatemalans or Americans are.

And go fuck yourself with you Christian Dior perfume !

[KronprinzAdam]

N@zis were @ssholes with all ethnical minorities of East Europe, their ideologist, "race ministers" and death squads tried to enslave Poland, they kidnapped children and tried to erase their culture and their educated people. They attacked other groups like gipsies and jews, and wanted to move on ucranians and white russians. Why?

[KronprinzAdam]

So what should we do? Change our religion, or improve the education of the people so they can read how to use a condom? France, Spain, Italy and South Germany are catholic countries, and it seem they do not have these problems.

[briggs9187]

one of the biggest issues that I have seen is that people have kids and can not support them...how can you feed 4-5 kids when the parents can barely feed them selves....definitely education is needed here by their own country

[dackjaniels555]

Meanwhile... America gets fat.

[quickcivicmp]

its all about american greed... unfortunately

[shenzishenzi]

Isnt this a repost? Still, its unbelievable!!! Half of ALL children in Guatemala suffer malnutrition??

[KronprinzAdam]

It is SAD when you see all the fruits, vegetables, meat and products that the land produces. Melons, watermelons, avocados, chilies, cacao, poultry, corn, potatoes, beans, lentils, peas and chickpeas, squash, pumpkins, and if your sons have malnutrition, you buy cheap "Incaparina" which is a cereal power to feed them, you ask why? why? Education.

[Sylar785]

1st