Political violence and democratization. Some general considerations for the Guatemalan case

Abstract

The object of this essay is to analyze the conditions that have permitted the continuity of political violence in Guatemala during what has been called the post-war transition to democracy (1985-1996). The author studies the process of democratization, and she includes a historical perspective which takes into consideration political and socio-economic variables and the economic and geopolitical interests of the United States in the region.