The National Coalition of Indigenous and Peasants (CONIC) declared Guatemala’s celebration of independence on September 15 to be an insult to Maya groups. The director of CONIC, Justo Mendoza, said that in the 182 years since Guatemala received their independence from Spain, the Maya have been subject to exploitation and robbed of their land. Mendoza noted further that schools do not teach the Maya “cosmovision” to their students, including pride for the land, water and air.
