Maya Community in Quetzaltenango Dept. Armed Conflict and Peace Process Background to the armed conflict which began early 1960s were the unequal distribution of the wealth and land, and the resulting poverty, as well as lack of democratic institutions and impunity. The conflict claimed at least over 100,000 lives and resulted in 43,000 refugees, at the most conservative estimate, who fled to the neighboring countries. However, the Truth Commission is not mandanted to name names of the perpetrators, let alone prosecuting them.
Impunity is still one of the biggest obstables to peace in Guatemala.
The negotiations did not proceed smoothly, however, and the talks were often stalled during the period between 1991 and 1993 by the army and right wing forces resistant to the peace process. In January 1994, the negotiation was resumed with the signing of the Framework Agreement, and in March 1994, the first agreement on the substantial item of talks, the Agreement on Human Rights, was signed. It does not, however, have the power beyond making recommendations to the governments as to the improvement of human rights in the country. The implementation of the Peace Agreements, however, has been slow. The reports points out that one problem affecting the implementation of the Peace Agreements is that they have practically not been disseminated among Guatemalans which were not directly involved in the peace process.