On December 29, 1996, “Agreement on a Firm and Lasting Peace” was signed. The war had started in 1960, six years after the CIA-backed military overthrow of the democratic government of Jacobo Arbenz, which ended a ten-year period of democracy (1944–1954). The first peace negotiations with the main actors were held outside of Guatemala. At the national level, a reconciliation commission started its activities under difficult circumstances. The negotiations were first moderated by the Catholic Church, and then by the United Nations verification mission MINUGUA. The main negotiations took place in the Assembly of Civil Society (ASC) with the participation of multiple social sectors. For the first time ever, the Coalition of Mayan People’s Organizations in Guatemala (COPMAGUA), which held over 200 groups, became officially involved. During those years, 13 consensus documents were discussed in the ASC. Although they were very influential, the documents were non-binding, as the Peace Accords were signed only by the representatives of the government and the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG).
📸 Celebrating the signing of the Peace Accords — front page of Prensa Libre, Guatemala, 1996.