How to stop a coup?

Photo by NISGUA. Sacred fire in ceremony for the anniversary of the Departmental Assembly of Huehuetenango. July 2023.

From October 2023 to January 2024, a coup attempt in Guatemala was stopped under the leadership of Indigenous Ancestral Authorities. The “Corrupt Pact” — a powerful shadow network of corrupt public officials — led the coup effort, threatening Guatemalan democracy. After months of solidarity with the 106-day national strike, convened by the Ancestral Authorities, we share our reflections in hopes that they inform and inspire internationalist solidarity with the people of Guatemala and beyond.