CHAPINADAS

The executive organism of the government, non-government organizations and communities have formed a committe for the protection of El Mirador-Rio Azul National Park located in Peten.  During the first meeting of this committe, headed by Guatemala’s president Oscar Berger, delegates of 17 institutions and government organizations and the communities signed a declaration where they compromised themselves to create mechanisms and allianzes to protect and conserve the natural resources and archeological parks of the area.  It is believed that this committe will help pave the way to recover the Mayan Biosphere.  According to this committe, the biggest threat for the area is the Mexican proyect of building a road from Quintana Roo to El Mirador-Rio Azul.  Let’s hope that this committe accomplishes its goals so that this area of Guatemala can be recovered and protected.

More than 40000 varieties of flora and fauna in Guatemala are in danger of disappering because of the introduction of exotic species and deforestation.  One example of these exotic species is the Hidrilla, a specie that was introduced in lake Izabal as an ornamental species but when it propagated it devoured the native fish of the area.

The deforestation of the forrests threatens at least 150 specie of threes like the oak and pine.  When these forests disappear, the other wild life living in loose thei habitants and eventually they too disappear.  Guatemala has a list of threaten species that can only be found in the country.  Some of the species of flora threatened are 22 kinds of mushrooms, 800 kinds of superior plants like wild tea, oregano, maguey, pacaya, orquids and wild maize.  Also there are about 250 species of threes like the pine, maple, hormigo, oak and guayacan.

Some of the species of fauna in danger are 160 kinds in invertebrates like coral, tarantulas and butterflies.  There also 250 species of vertebrates like the seahorse, whale shark, salamander, frogs, eagles, owl, tucan and bats.

A military unit trained to protect the natural resources and archeological sites of Guatemala has started permanent patrols in the national parks of Tikal and Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo in Peten to avoid invasions and lost of flora and fauna.  This brigade has 50 soldiers and two officers with knowledge to fight wild fires and to assist in humanitarian and rescue missions.  Their main goal is to protect and take care of the natural reserves of Guatemala.  This group of soldiers received information about flora, fauna and the value and dimensions of the archeological sites.  Within their purview is to help lost turists and also to disuade invasion attempts and illegal entry to the parks.

Another group of the military is also being trained so that they can start the same proyect in the Sierra del Lacandon National Park.  The patrols are done in the limits of the parks with the goal of avoiding new invasions.  These soldiers spend day and night in the jungle and patrol on foot.  They also have a boat to patrol the Yaxha lagoon and to help preventing the hunting of crocodiles.

The Norwegian Cruise Ship Norwegian Sun made port in Santo Tomas de Castilla for the second time this season.  The Norwegian Sun carried 1998 tourist and a crew of 900 people.  The Norwegian Sun made the trip from Miami with U.S tourists on their way to visit the Mayan shores of Mexico and Guatemala.  During the second season for cruises that started this month and will finish on April 13th, there have been 56 cruises making port in Guatemala.  Let’s hope that this keeps up so that the Tourism industry in Guatemala grows and keeps playing an important part of our Economy.

Monumental buildings constructed with mathematical precision, sidewalks, ceremonial rooms, walls with glyphs and four tombs were found while excavating in the archeological site of "La Blanca" in Melchor de Mencos, Peten.  During works realized between 2005 and 2006, archeologist got rid of earth and sand covering the walls and rooms of several buildings located in the south part of the city’s acropolis.  When the walls of one of the buildings was cleaned, it was possible to establish the mathematical precision of its measurements.  It is a building with a wall in a "U" shape wich measures 50 meters by 50 meters.  This building was protecting another smaller building measuring 30 meters long.

Investigators discovered huge sidewalks around the palace and possible footprints of rituals in the rooms of the building.  Also in the walls appear a great number of glyphs.  In "La Blanca" there are no pyramidal buildings like in Tikal but there are several constructions that have a great volume.  Archeologist analized more than 13,000 ceramic fragments and other materials like tips of arrows and obsidian knives.  They also studied the materials used in the walls and the pictoric material applied to the palace.  During excavations, four tombs were discovered containing the remains that could provide dating for when this building was inhabited.  Even though there is a lot that remains to be investigated, it could be considered that "La Blanca" was a residential city with a lot of economic prosperity and also an important strategic location with regards to the commercial route of the Maya.

The investigation of this city will continue for three more years to determine exactly the chronology of this city, population density and the cause of its colapse.  There are several projects to involve the nearby communities in the protection of the place.  There is also plans to build a museum in the community and also plans to attract national and international turism to this Mayan city.

According to archeological studies, "La Blanca" was a very important city in the commercial route of the Maya.  The site has an aproximate area of 7 blocks  and there are more than 20 buildings discovered around of the palaces.  It is considered that the palaces were constructed during the Late Classic Period.