This work to strengthen the judiciary has not been effective, say many Guatemalans. Cases such as Myrna Mack's, are, in a sense, just the tip of the iceberg. The issue these cases represent runs deeper, as the name of the Law of National Reconciliation suggests. It was time for the war to end. And yet the divisions, hatred and fear are so ingrained that reconciliation is still just a word.
Reconciliation means the settling of differences, restoring harmony, a coming together of society.
In a predominantly agrarian society where two percent of the population still owns 70 percent of the land, true reconciliation seems a distant dream, and not a primary concern of those who hold power nationally and internationally. The day after the peace signing, Rigoberta Menchu, Mayan activist and 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner, invited journalists and representatives from both sides of the conflict on a trip to the interior. The soldiers who came, including the Defense Minister, all wore uniforms of the Kaibil, the army's elite, most bloodthirsty unit. Aside from addressing the people who came to listen, talking about what peace meant and how Guatemala was changing, the rebel leaders and soldiers spent a lot of time embracing, talking about battles fought, and visions shared for Guatemala's future. But it was not all hugs and smiles.