René
and Danilo dreamed of a country where all
children would have the opportunity to play,
grow up healthy, study, and laugh; a country
where all people would have the opportunity
to work, to have a house, and to live a
dignified life. Their clarity of thought
led them to openly identify with the struggle
of the Guatemalan people for liberty and
justice against the great inequalities and
injustices that exist in this country. For
this reason the security forces captured
René and Danilo, tortured them and
killed them.
As a result
of international pressure, the Guatemalan
government was forced to investigate this
political crime. The police chief of the
Department of Quetzaltenango and five police
officers were arrested and sentenced to
thirty years in prison. For the first time
in the sad history of this country, members
of the government's security forces were
convicted of a political crime.
Despite
a great deal of evidence against the six
police officers, however, they were released
two years later for the supposed lack of
evidence. A thorough investigation to identify
and capture the intellectual authors of
the crime was never conducted. René
and Danilo are part of a generation of students
who endured a brutal struggle for freedom
and justice in Guatemala.
In 1988
Guatemala was still a country at war, racking
up a huge number of human rights violations
and creating fear among the populace owing
to the violent reprisals and threats made
against those who struggled for a more equal
society (a peace agreement was signed between
the government and the guerrilla forces
in December, 1996). The collective and staff
of PLQE dedicated themselves to educating
their students, who come from all over the
world, about the political situation in
their country. Since the beginning, the collective and staff of PLQE have dedicated themselves to educating
their students, who come from all over the world, about the political situation in their country. Profits from
the school support human rights organizations, projects, and rural communities struggling to improve their
situation and improve the lives of poor Guatemalans.
| Proyecto Lingüistico Quetzalteco de Español |
Click here to read about the Mountain School
The Mountain School Fund Raising Website
Proyecto Lingüístico Quetzalteco de Español (PLQE) is located in the highland city of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Quetzaltenango (more commonly called Xela, pronounced "Shay-la") is Guatemala's second largest city and is located in the heart of the Sierra Madre mountains, 2,330 meters (7,652 feet) above sea level. The Santa Maria volcano (3,772 meters tall) watches over the town. Days are warm and breezy, and evenings are cool, becoming chilly during the winter months between December and February.
Queltzaltenango is characterized by colonial-era buildings, quiet parks, plazas, open-air markets, and narrow stone-paved streets. It is the home of four universities, several technical schools, a sports complex, and a municipal arts theater, as well as several Latin American poets, painters, and writers. The Quetzaltecos, or residents of Quetzaltenango, who are a warm, friendly people, provide unlimited opportunities for students to pratice their Spanish.
PLQE is located in Zona 1, on 5a Calle, a short walk from the Parque Central. In Zona 1, there are numerous restaurants, bars, cafes and internet centers--in short, everything you need to relax, meet people, and stay in touch with your friends and family back home. There are two alternative cinemas in town which feature a range of English and Spanish language movies. Further out of the center are two larger markets, and even a few shopping malls and mainstream movie theatres.
There are plenty of things to do within easy reach of Quetzaltenango. Perhaps the most famous destination--and deservedly so--are the Fuentes Georginas, a wonderfully relaxing set of volcanic hotsprings set in a mountainous rainforest. Those who want to soak longer than an afternoon may stay the night in one of the bungalows near the hotsprings. Zunil, a town at the foothills of the volcano that feeds the Georginas, is famous for its devotion to the Mayan/Catholic deity Maximon, or San Simon, who spends a year at a time in local homes, receiving gifts of alcohol, cigarettes and lit candles in exchange for favors. The town also features a woman-run weaving cooperative. On the other side of Quetzaltenango is the pueblo of Salcaja, renowned for its textile production and for its Cathedral, the oldest in Guatemala. A bit further off is the Laguna de Chicabal, a beautiful nature reserve and lake nestled in temperate forests. Apart from these commonly visited sites, PLQE also arranges weekly trips to places of cultural and social interest, such as the community radio station in Santiago de Atitlan, or centers of traditional medicine located in outlying villages.
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