CHAPINADAS

A big part of Guatemala’s archeological patrimony is unprotected due to the lack of resources to protect it and conserve it.  The government, in an effort to solve this situation is making alliances with inhabitants of the nearby areas to protect this places which are a legacy to all Guatemalan people and the world.  According to the Ministry of Culture, Peten has around 4,000 archeological sites.  A majority of these sites have not been properly investigated.

Of all this sites, 46 are protected and opened to the public and 400 receive some kind of supervision by the Archeology and History Institute but not enough to protect them against thieves.  According to investigations done by the environmental organization Tropico Verde, the majority of the archeological sites in the Laguna del Tigre Park in Peten have lost around 70 percent of its pieces and other small artifacts. The majority of security for these sites are contracted by international organizations that finance investigative projects in Guatemala. 

To avoid this kind of damage, the Ministry of Culture is pushing for a plan to involve all the communities nearby in the protection of this invaluable Mayan remains.  This communities are being taught how to make miniature archeological pieces and also to provide turistic services which eventually will permite this communities to obtain economical benefits in exchange for taking care of this areas.  Peten has around 35,000 square kilometers of archeological sites but only 13,000 square kilometers have been investigated and the rest is still underground or undiscovered.

The opening of a new process to explore and produce oil close to the National Park Sierra del Lacandon in Peten is causing problems between environmentalist and representatives of the Ministy of Energy and Mines.  Jorge Garcia, has confirmed the intention of the Guatemalan government to contract two areas for 25 years for the production of oil.  One of this zones is located in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, which is a jungle rich zone with several archeological sites.  One of the byproducts of this contracts, is that the oil companies pay little attention to the environment and a lot of attention to profits which are above of the environment and the Cultural Patrimony of a place. Another probable consequence of oil extraction is the loss of jungle and the risk of oil spills.

Estaba leyendo con mucha tristeza acerca de la contaminacion de el lago de Atitlan por medio de uno de los rios que desembocan en este precioso lago.  Este rio a convertido el embarcadero conocido como "Tzanjuyu" en un centro de contaminacion.  Lo que es mas importante es de que este embarcadero es visitado por turistas tanto nacionales como extranjeros. De acuerdo a algunas de las personas trabajando en este lugar, es bastante insoportable el trabajar cerca de este lugar debido a los olores fetidos que salen cerca de este embarcadero.  Otra cosa que tambien se ve mal, es de que la rampa de acceso al muello se encuentra en una situacion bastante grande de deterioro.  Esto significa de que los turistas tratando de acceder al muelle tienen que hacerlo sorteando los obstaculos y saltando de lugar a lugar.  De acuerdo al alcalde del lugar, la empresa que gano el contrato para las plantas de tratamientos de agua de el lugar colocara canales que llevaran estas aguas sucias hasta tanques residuales construidos precisamente para esta funcion.  Esperemos que estos reparos se hagan lo mas rapido posible para que asi nosotros, los turistas extranjeros y las nuevas generaciones puedan disfrutar de este lago considerado como el mas hermoso del mundo.