The Massacre at Panzós and Capitalist Development in Guatemala

Abstract

On May 29, 1978, the town of Panzos, capital of the municipality of that name in the department of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, was the scene of a peasant massacre described by Amnesty International as the year's worst act of violence—a judgment formed before the great massacres in Iran which began in July of that year. More than 100 Indian peasants were machine-gunned in Panzos's main square, survivors finished off, and the wounded pursued into nearby mountains. The perpetrators were regular troops and armed farm owners of the region.

This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.

Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.