On December 2, 2002, Vivian Rivera spoke at the Center for Latin American Studies about a rural cooperative at Santa Maria Tzeja in the Ixcan rainforest of northern Guatemala. Vivian has worked closely with the cooperative as an advisor for many years and was able to share some of her knowledge about the history and organizational structure of the community.

The cooperative was initially founded in 1969 by a small group of campesinos from the south, looking to secure agricultural land for subsistence farming. The Catholic Church was integral to the initial founding of the cooperative. Father Luis worked with more than 20 farmers, clearing the heavily forested land with machetes. By 1975, an estimated 10,000 people had moved to this remote area. Unfortunately, with the onset of the Civil War, the dreams of the cooperative disappeared in the face of senseless violence. Community members fled across the border to Mexico. During the years 1982-94 the cooperative ceased to exist.

With the signing of the Peace Accords, the people of Santa Maria Tzeja began to return, only to discover that everything they had built was destroyed. Once again, the community members started from scratch, determined to better their lives and those of their families. With the help of the Spanish government, they began to rebuild the health center, store, school and central gathering salon; in addition they reinstated the agricultural cooperative. The community at this point consisted of about 1,022 people in 196 families.

The cooperative is organized into several committees. There are currently 94 associates, generally male heads of household, in the main member body. Associates each have their own parcel of land on which they produce goods to be sold in the market or for family consumption. In order to become an associate, one must pay an initial investment of 200Q or about $20 US. This money goes toward a cooperative reserve fund and is used for education, infrastructure development and new projects decided upon democratically.

The general oversight and decision making of the cooperative is done by the Junta Directiva, or Board of Directors, which consists of six members. Another group, the Vigilancia, acts as a watchdog, holding the Directiva accountable. The Vigilancia also runs and manages the community store.

The Comite de educacion is arguably the most important group. Its role is to organize the education of children and adults. In addition, the committee is responsible for training members of the community in the skills necessary to hold decision-making positions within the cooperative structure. A quotation from a handout distributed by Rivera expresses the community’s emphasis on education: “Por nuestra ignorancia, otros abusaron de nosotros. Por nuestra ignorancia, no supimos defender nuestros derechos.” (“Because of our ignorance, other people abused us. Because of our ignorance, we did not know how to defend our rights.”)

Several other committees have been formed to manage different areas of the cooperative. The Comite de transporte is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the community’s vehicles. Since Santa Maria Tzeja is so remote, there is no public transportation. All members of the community depend upon this committee.

The Comite agricola is responsible for gathering and distributing seeds to members of the cooperative for both subsistence and market crops. Small fruit trees are also provided to member families. After the war, much of the surrounding forest was completely destroyed; the committee has begun to reforest the area with native trees. Ten thousand trees have been planted thus far.

Providing support for cattle ranchers is the task of the Comite ganadero. Cattle were introduced to the community when the Spanish government made a gift of two cows to each member family. There is also a Comite secadora where cardamom, the cooperative’s major export, is dried and produced. Rice, beans and corn are sometimes exported as well, but only after local needs are met. All of the agricultural products from the cooperative are organic. The community actively decided not to use pesticides for both health and economic reasons.

Lastly, there is a Comite de union mujeres which provides the women of the community with a forum to start projects for themselves. This is the one committee where one does not have to be an associate, since most associates are men. The projects undertaken by this group range from implementing a rainwater catchment system to ease cooking and cleaning (there is no running water in the community) to making marmalades for sale in the market.

Broadly speaking, there are many benefits to being part of the cooperative at Santa Maria Tzeja. Associates are able to take advantage of the economy of scale, gaining economic power in numbers as well as external support through the agricultural cooperative trade. Additionally, associates actively participate in a positive democratic environment, which is somewhat of a novelty given Guatemala’s repressive history. Members have also benefited from the generosity of external sources who have provided advice and financial assistance to aid in the development and continuation of the cooperative.

The example of Santa Maria Tzeja provides great hope for the rural populations of Guatemala and the rest of Central America. By improving the lives of hundreds of people, it shows that an alternative form of development is possible.