While issues such as abortion rights, social security, immigration policy, and the war in Iraq are being hotly debated in the remaining months before the upcoming presidential primaries, another election is occurring simultaneously - under very different circumstances.
In Guatemala, more than 50 people have been killed as a result of this year's presidential elections. The worst episode of political violence since the country's 36-year civil war that left 250,000 people dead and over 1 million displaced, much of the bloodshed has occurred as a result of powerful drug lords trying to force their candidates into office and political rivals engaged in armed conflict.
Guatemala is still reeling from a civil war in which the government and military were responsible for 85 percent of the killings, and much of the indigenous Mayan population was wiped out or displaced. In a country where more than half of the population lives in extreme poverty, the political situation today is still greatly affected by the unrest of years ago.
Rigoberta Menchu, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, human rights leader, and a woman of indigenous Mayan descent, was defeated this week in the primaries, leaving two front-runners in the main election on Nov. 4. Menchu's small level of success was hampered by the discrimination against the indigenous population that persists in Guatemala, as well as the machismo culture that encourages prejudice against women.
The candidate currently favored in the polls is Otto Perez Molina, a former general who commanded troops in the 1980s when some of the worst massacres of civilians occurred. He has not been prosecuted for any atrocities. In his campaign, he promises governance with a "strong fist" that will use the military to combat crime.
Menchu said during a televised debate, "Guatemala lived for 40 years under a strong fist, and it left the country poor and violent." Guatemalans' support of the long-mistrusted military shows just how desperate the political situation has become. There is no guarantee that a new government will bring peace or that campaign promises will not be betrayed.
The political unrest in Guatemala contrasts sharply with experience in elections and politics in America. Although both countries are democratic, Americans do not have to fear that expressing their political views will leave them dead, nor do they leave the voting booth wondering if the new government will lead them into a resurgence of domestic terrorism, violence, and unrest.
Can you imagine thinking about these things while watching Hillary Clinton's new television ad or reading updates on Rudy Giuliani's campaign trail? Fortunately, Americans do not have to fear for their own lives as they deliberate candidates and vote on Election Day - but as a democratic nation, the U.S. should give more concern to the fragile state of elections in other countries.
I am constantly shocked that while American politics today are ruled by talks of immigration reform, foreign policy and economic relations, and the war in Iraq, the domestic policy in other nations is consistently ignored. Political unrest and violence persist in these countries because no system of government has given a meaningful voice to its citizens, and many of the problems created by these armed conflicts, such as entrenched poverty, have not been given proper attention.
While in Guatemala, I was told that the best way to truly heal the country and bring justice for its people is to work from where we are to promote change. I admittedly feel somewhat powerless in our political system, but I do value the ability to vote and express my opinions without fear of the consequences. We often take for granted what others are so consistently denied - a safe way of electing our government, however flawed the political system is otherwise.
This election season, I hope that the cry of those with no voice can be heard over the noise of convention speeches, the patriotic anthems, and the commentary of analysts. Although the vote of the poor Mayan farmer may not make the Guatemalan government wholly accountable, we can vote with the campesino in mind. Together, we do have the power to effect change.
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