Poor subsistence farmers and agricultural laborers suffered the most from the violence. We cannot and should not forget, but we must forgive. The most controversial point in the agreement concerns an amnesty for crimes committed as part of the struggle. Both the army and the guerrillas committed torture and carried out bloody massacres. Although the law does not protect those who committed crimes against humanity, the mechanisms for punishing those found guilty are not clearly spelled out.
Healing can only come when the perpetrators recognize their guilt and ask forgiveness.
One of the key contributions to the ongoing peace process may come from evangelicals, according to Mario Ovalle, president of the Central American Evangelical Churches, one of the country's largest denominations. Nevertheless, the Roman Catholic church retains a dominant influence on Guatemalan society. Yet advocates of liberation theology, a leftist ideology with a following among Catholic priests and lay workers, remain a stronghold within Latin America. In the meantime, evangelicals are moving to secure their standing in the Guatemalan mainstream without compromising their evangelistic outreach. Evangelicals actively participated in efforts such as the National Reconciliation Commission, which sought to bring diverse sectors together in a broad dialogue.