Sentimientos atávicos y formación del imaginario nacional guatemalteco

Abstract

In this essay, the author analyzes the formation of the Guatemalan national imaginary, departing from the atavistic sentiments held by economically powerful groups about the State and the nation. From the colonial heritage perspective, the Guatemalan nation is configured from top to bottom. Therefore, its constitution is a result of the checks and balances generated by the class struggle and the existence of political institutions that represent national interests. From the point of view of economically powerful groups, the nation in Guatemala is thought of as an inheritance that the nation-state must police to protect. Therefore, the Guatemalan nation-state, in practice, results in the exclusion and marginalization of most Guatemalans.