The last three decades of the twentieth century brought relentless waves of death squads, political kidnappings, and other traumas to the people of Guatemala. Many people fled the country to escape the violence. Yet, at the same moment, a popular movement for justice brought together unlikely bands of behind-the-scenes heroes, blurring ethnic, geographic, and even class lines.

The Quiet Revolutionaries is drawn from interviews conducted by Frank Afflitto in the early 1990s with more than eighty survivors of the state-sanctioned violence. Gathered under frequently life-threatening circumstances, the observations and recollections of these inspiring men and women form a unique perspective on collective efforts to produce change in politics, law, and public consciousness. Examined from a variety of perspectives, from sociological to historical, their stories form a rich ethnography. While it is still too soon to tell whether stable, long-term democracy will prevail in Guatemala, the successes of these fascinating individuals provide a unique understanding of revolutionary resistance.

Frank M. Afflitto received his Ph.D. in 1998 from the University of California at Irvine. He specializes in research on social perceptions of justice and conflict.

Paul Jesilow is Associate Professor of Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of California, Irvine.

• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter One: Some Background
• Chapter Two: Access Was Not Easy
• Chapter Three: Chronic Ambiguity
• Chapter Four: Seeking Justice
• Chapter Five: The Social Movement to End Impunity
• Chapter Six: The Movement Is Fragmented by the Peace Accords
• Chapter Seven: Identity, Rule of Law, and Democracy
• Appendix
• Notes
• References
• Index