As a long-time student and writer on Guatemala, I’ve often pondered the country’s inequality and the extreme power of its elite. Although written over thirty years ago, Guatemala: Lineage and Racism goes a long way in explaining it. The author brings a unique perspective to this meticulous study as she is a descendant of one of those elite families. She traces the phenomenon from colonial conquest to contemporary neoliberalism. And her genealogical approach—tracing the intermarriages, business alliances, and ideological continuities among elite families—offers a blueprint for understanding how power reproduces itself across generations. The author identifies twenty-two oligarchic families who […]