Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1949- (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
7 boxes
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Following the CIA-backed military coup which removed the reformist government of Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 Guatemala endured thirty years of military rule, characterised by a tragic spiral of human rights abuses and the growth of guerilla insurgencies, both reinforcing the other. By 1982 the revolutionary groups had merged into the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) and it was with this organisation that the civilian government elected in 1984 began negotiations in 1987. Despite various peace agreements and elections violence, abuse and poverty have remained endemic in Guatemala, with army leaders such as General Efrain Rios Montt still not having been brought to face trial. The majority of the materials held here date from the era of military rule and reflect the concerns of NGOs and local groups regarding human rights, poverty, the indigenous peoples, and the need for development. In addition there are materials from guerilla organisations and from Church groups, though the amount of actual party political material is limited.
Archival history
The majority of the materials held in the political archives of the Library Institute of Latin American Studies originate from the Contemporary Archive on Latin America (CALA), a documentation and research centre on Latin America which donated its holdings upon its closure in 1981. This core collection has continued to be supplemented by further donations and by materials acquired through the visits of Institute staff and their contacts to the relevant countries.
GB 3032 EL 320 PAM 1949- Collection (Fonds) 7 boxes Institute for the Study of the Americas
Following the CIA-backed military coup which removed the reformist government of Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 Guatemala endured thirty years of military rule, characterised by a tragic spiral of human rights abuses and the growth of guerilla insurgencies, both reinforcing the other. By 1982 the revolutionary groups had merged into the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) and it was with this organisation that the civilian government elected in 1984 began negotiations in 1987. Despite various peace agreements and elections violence, abuse and poverty have remained endemic in Guatemala, with army leaders such as General Efrain Rios Montt still not having been brought to face trial. The majority of the materials held here date from the era of military rule and reflect the concerns of NGOs and local groups regarding human rights, poverty, the indigenous peoples, and the need for development. In addition there are materials from guerilla organisations and from Church groups, though the amount of actual party political material is limited.
The majority of the materials held in the political archives of the Library Institute of Latin American Studies originate from the Contemporary Archive on Latin America (CALA), a documentation and research centre on Latin America which donated its holdings upon its closure in 1981. This core collection has continued to be supplemented by further donations and by materials acquired through the visits of Institute staff and their contacts to the relevant countries.
Institute for the Study of the Americas
Calendar, annuals, pamphlets, magazines, reports, bulletins, newspaper advertisements, journals, declarations, and conference reports, 1949 onwards issued by 500 Años de Resistencia Indígena y Popular, Americas Watch Committee (U.S.), Amnesty International, Asociación Centroamericana de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos, Asociación de Servicios Integrados para el Desarrollo de Centro América, Association Guatemala Infomation Recherche, Banco National de la Vivienda (Guatemala), Brigada de Solidaridad "Farabundo Martí", British Parliamentary Human Rights Group, Catholic Church, Centre tricontinental (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium), Centro de Desarrollo Integral, Centro Victor Sanabria, Colectivo de Solidaridad con el Pueblo de Guatemala, Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala, Comité de Unidad Campesina (Guatemala), Comité Guatemalteco de Lucha por la Paz, Comité Guatemalteco de Unidad Patriótica, Comité pro Justicia y Paz de Guatemala, Comunidad Educativa de Centroamerica, Comunidades de Población en Resistencia (Guatemala), Consejo de Comunidades Etnicas Runujel Junam (Guatemala), Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, Consejo Nacional de Paz y Solidaridad, Coordinadora Nacional de Viudas de Guatemala, Coordinadora Nacional Indígena y Campesina (Guatemala), Democratic Front against Repression of Guatemala(FDCR), Ejército Guerrillero de los Pobres (Guatemala), Frente Democrático Contra la Represión, Frente Popular 31 de enero, Fuerzas Armadas Rebeldes (Guatemala), Fundación de Ayuda al Pueblo Indígena, Green Alternative Political Group (GRAEL), Guatemalan Human Rights Commission, Iglesia Guatemalteca en el Exilio, INFORPRESS Centroamericana, Institute for Food and Development Policy (Oakland, Calif.), Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America , International Association of Democratic Lawyers, International Conference of Solidarity with the people of Guatemala, INTERTECT (Firm), Jornadas por la vida y la paz, Juventad "92", Majawil Q'ij, Oficina de Asesoría y Consultoría Educativa (Guatemala), Oficina de Educación (Guatemala), One Sky, Organización del Pueblo en Armas, Oxfam, Pax Christi, Permanent People's Tribunal, School of Living, Solidarity Committee with Central America, South Texas Aid to Refugees, Trade Union Support for Guatemala, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Tribunal Permanente de los Pueblos (1983 : Madrid), Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca, United Nations Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities, United States Agency for International Development, United States Department of State, United States Embassy (Guatemala), World Bank, World Council of Churches.
Further accruals are expected, some in electronic form.
Randomly within boxes (at present)
Open for reference purposes to all researchers and postgraduate students.
Copies can usually be obtained - apply to library staff.
Mainly Spanish and English, some French.
Records at item level on library catalogue (SASCAT)
See also Political Pamphlet material for the rest of Latin America, as well as related material in the library's main classified sequence, all held in the ILAS library.
Description compiled by Daniel Millum, Political Archives Project Officer at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and the Institute for the Study of the Americas.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Created 01/02/2005 AIM25 Agrarian structure Agricultural economics Amnesty International Asociación Centroamericana de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos Asociación de Servicios Integrados para el Desarrollo de Centro América Association Guatemala Infomation Recherche British Parliamentary Human Rights Group Central America Christians Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala Comité de Unidad Campesina (Guatemala) Comité Guatemalteco de Lucha por la Paz Comité Guatemalteco de Unidad Patriótica Comité pro Justicia y Paz de Guatemala Comunidad Educativa de Centroamerica Comunidades de Población en Resistencia (Guatemala) Consejo de Comunidades Etnicas Runujel Junam (Guatemala) Ethnic groups Guatemala Guatemalan Human Rights Commission Guerilla activities Human rights Indigenous populations Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America International Association of Democratic Lawyers Land economics Land reform Organización del Pueblo en Armas Oxfam Political movements Political science Politics Religious groups Solidarity Committee with Central America South Texas Aid to Refugees Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca United Nations Commission on Human Rights United Nations Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities United States Agency for International Development US Department of State World Bank World Council of Churches
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Institute for the Study of the Americas
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Calendar, annuals, pamphlets, magazines, reports, bulletins, newspaper advertisements, journals, declarations, and conference reports, 1949 onwards issued by 500 Años de Resistencia Indígena y Popular, Americas Watch Committee (U.S.), Amnesty International, Asociación Centroamericana de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos, Asociación de Servicios Integrados para el Desarrollo de Centro América, Association Guatemala Infomation Recherche, Banco National de la Vivienda (Guatemala), Brigada de Solidaridad "Farabundo Martí", British Parliamentary Human Rights Group, Catholic Church, Centre tricontinental (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium), Centro de Desarrollo Integral, Centro Victor Sanabria, Colectivo de Solidaridad con el Pueblo de Guatemala, Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Guatemala, Comité de Unidad Campesina (Guatemala), Comité Guatemalteco de Lucha por la Paz, Comité Guatemalteco de Unidad Patriótica, Comité pro Justicia y Paz de Guatemala, Comunidad Educativa de Centroamerica, Comunidades de Población en Resistencia (Guatemala), Consejo de Comunidades Etnicas Runujel Junam (Guatemala), Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, Consejo Nacional de Paz y Solidaridad, Coordinadora Nacional de Viudas de Guatemala, Coordinadora Nacional Indígena y Campesina (Guatemala), Democratic Front against Repression of Guatemala(FDCR), Ejército Guerrillero de los Pobres (Guatemala), Frente Democrático Contra la Represión, Frente Popular 31 de enero, Fuerzas Armadas Rebeldes (Guatemala), Fundación de Ayuda al Pueblo Indígena, Green Alternative Political Group (GRAEL), Guatemalan Human Rights Commission, Iglesia Guatemalteca en el Exilio, INFORPRESS Centroamericana, Institute for Food and Development Policy (Oakland, Calif.), Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America , International Association of Democratic Lawyers, International Conference of Solidarity with the people of Guatemala, INTERTECT (Firm), Jornadas por la vida y la paz, Juventad "92", Majawil Q'ij, Oficina de Asesoría y Consultoría Educativa (Guatemala), Oficina de Educación (Guatemala), One Sky, Organización del Pueblo en Armas, Oxfam, Pax Christi, Permanent People's Tribunal, School of Living, Solidarity Committee with Central America, South Texas Aid to Refugees, Trade Union Support for Guatemala, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Tribunal Permanente de los Pueblos (1983 : Madrid), Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca, United Nations Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities, United States Agency for International Development, United States Department of State, United States Embassy (Guatemala), World Bank, World Council of Churches.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
Further accruals are expected, some in electronic form.
System of arrangement
Randomly within boxes (at present)
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open for reference purposes to all researchers and postgraduate students.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies can usually be obtained - apply to library staff.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
Mainly Spanish and English, some French.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
See also Political Pamphlet material for the rest of Latin America, as well as related material in the library's main classified sequence, all held in the ILAS library.
Finding aids
Records at item level on library catalogue (SASCAT)
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Agricultural economics » Land economics » Agrarian structure
- Agricultural economics
- Religious groups » Christians
- Ethnic groups
- Human rights
- Agricultural economics » Land economics
- Agricultural economics » Land economics » Agrarian structure » Land reform
- Political movements
- Political science
- Political science » Politics
- Religious groups
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English