Rafael Landívar University

Inequalities in ownership, distribution, and access to land generate social injustice in many contexts, yet land rights litigation has not been central to the literature on socioeconomic rights, courts, and social transformation. What is specific about land litigation? Is there any feature—in processes of judicialization or their outcomes—that renders land conflicts distinct? We address these questions by analyzing Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) judicialized claims for land and territory in Latin America, arguing that existing scholarship on the prospects for social transformation through the courts does not adequately address their specificities. Putting the literature on the judicialization of socioeconomic rights in Latin America in discussion with research on judicialized IP land and territorial claims in the region, we propose an analytical frame for assessing when court rulings of IP land rights litigation can be considered transformative.

ABSTRACT The certification process for buildings in Guatemala promotes using the ASHRAE 90.1 standard. Its proper implementation relies on climate information to establish zones characterized by energy performance. However, the quality of applications has been declining due to deficiencies in the local climate services provided. This study uses a climate variability satellite-based method to determine climate zones according to the ASHRAE 90.1 2010 Standard. The research identified five zones that should be considered: 1A (very hot humid), 2A (hot humid), 3A (warm humid), 3C (warm marine), and 4A (mixed humid). This was achieved by conducting a statistical analysis of climate variability from 1980 to 2022, using temperature satellite data from GLDAS-2.0 and GLDAS-2.1. The study demonstrated that satellite data is a reliable source of meteorological information for implementing the Standard in building design and for the energy modeling process. It also revealed climate variability across Guatemala, with only half of the territory experiencing significant changes that affect energy demand, and that the effects of the ENSO ( El Niño -Southern Oscillation) phenomena do not lead to significant changes.

El objetivo de este artículo es identificar, analizar y describir la gramática del manuscrito k’iche’ Theologia Indorum, particularmente en relación con dos tipos de verbos, transitivos e intransitivos. Asimismo, se pretende mostrar cómo estos verbos han permanecido a lo largo del tiempo y su evolución, relacionada con la estructura morfológica desde la época colonial hasta la actualidad. Se concluye que las formas lingüísticas persisten tanto en forma como en significado, y que la continuidad del léxico coadyuva al fortalecimiento del idioma actual. Los ejemplos que se presentan evidencian la riqueza de vocabulario de este manuscrito antiguo y cómo su estudio contribuye a revitalizar el idioma frente al peligro de pérdida paulatina, así como a reforzar la identidad lingüística.

The didactic experience for the study and valoration of Guatemalan Vernacular Architecture consists of a series of academic activities in progressive phases, which introduce this type of architectura in danger of extinction to 4th grade students of architecture at the Rafael Landivar University, in the course: valoration of architecture and territory. Students are progressively immersed in the topic, from the bibliography to field visits, endingin the scale representation of an architectural model. This experience allows participant to learn about architecture, its compositional elements, its construction technique and materials, all whitin the framework of the appreciation of material and intangible cultural heritage. ILIA: Investigaciones Latinoamericanas en Ingeniería y Arquitectura, No. 01, 2024: 75-78.

This article analyzes the process of deterioration of democracy in El Salvador, in the context of the exceptional regime imposed by the government of Nayib Bukele. Paradoxically, this is one of the governments in the post-conflict period with the highest level of citizen approval, according to public opinion polls (IUDOP, 2023). The study is based on historiographic research that analyzes the main impacts of the failure of the security policies of the ARENA and FMLN governments on democratic institutionality, combined with the statistical analysis of a national survey on the level of approval or rejection of the Bukele government and its security strategy, materialized in the emergency regime. It shows that the confluence of the unsatisfied security demands of the citizenry in the face of the problem of violence and the failure of the political opportunism of the ARENA and FMLN governments in security matters have contributed to the imposition of the exception regime by the government of Nayib Bukele, whose reduction in the homicide rate and victimization have generated a majority favorable opinion among the citizenry. This despite the risks posed by the authoritarian drift of the current regime and the restriction of certain democratic attributes in the relationship between the State and society. In summary, this research invites us to think about the complex connection between authoritarian populism, political culture and democracy. ECA Estudios Centroamericanos, Vol. 79, No. 774, 2024: 13-46.

El paso de la tormenta tropical Stan en octubre del 2005 se cuenta entre las tormentas más trágicas que se ha vivido en Guatemala. En el departamento de Sololá, el impacto más grande se sintió en el municipio de Santiago Atitlán, lugar devastado por días continuos de lluvia. El cantón Panabaj fue escenario de un deslizamiento de tierra masivo que soterró gran parte de la comunidad, dejó cientos de muertes y damnificados, y generó estragos infraestructurales significativos. En la respuesta al desastre, la sociedad civil y líderes locales asumieron un rol protagónico, articulándose con instituciones estatales, así como con la cooperación nacional e internacional. Hoy en día, a casi veinte años del desastre, se considera necesario sistematizar estas experiencias de la reconstrucción que aun repercuten en el tejido social, cultural y político del municipio. La sistematización nace precisamente de una solicitud de la comunidad. Se acercaron varios líderes al equipo del proyecto Ixchel para proponer la elaboración de un estudio que contara con las voces de personas que vivieron de cerca el desastre y el proceso de reconstrucción, identificadas por su liderazgo y por su participación en varias iniciativas que siguieron el deslave. Con este documento, se busca ofrecer un análisis crítico e identificar los factores externos e internos que caracterizaron la respuesta antes, durante y después del deslizamiento en Panabaj, provocado por el paso de la tormenta Stan. La organización comunitaria generada durante dicho evento se caracteriza por una fuerte reivindicación de la cultura tz’utujil, una articulación del poder comunitario, estatal e institucional, así como con el entonces emergente escenario político tras los Acuerdos de Paz (1996).

Hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death after trauma. In high-income countries first responders are trained in hemorrhage control techniques but this is not the case for developing countries like Guatemala. We present a low-cost training model for tourniquet application using a combination of virtual and physical components. The training program includes a mobile application with didactic materials, videos and a gamified virtual reality environment for learning. Additionally, a physical training model of a bleeding lower extremity is developed allowing learners to practice tourniquet application using inexpensive and accessible materials. Validation of the simulator occurred through content and construct validation. Content validation involved subjective assessments by novices and experts, construct validation compared pre-training novices with experts. Training validation compared pre and post training novices for improvement. Our findings indicate that users found the simulator useful, realistic, and satisfactory. We found significant differences in tourniquet application skills between pre-training novices and experts. When comparing pre- and post-training novices, we found a significantly lower bleeding control time between the groups. This study suggests that this training approach can enhance access to life-saving skills for prehospital personnel. The inclusion of self-assessment components enables self-regulated learning and reduces the need for continuous instructor presence. Future improvements involve refining the tourniquet model, validating it with first-responder end users, and expanding the training program to include other skills.