Colonization of Northern Guatemala: The Petén

In Guatemala an autonomous state agency controls colonization of tropical Petén. Although dependency theorists argue that Petén colonization operates within a context of dependent capitalist development and therefore "fails," that is, benefits elites but not lower sectors, they have not presented statistics on land distribution in Petén. Further, dependency theorists tend to treat local institutions and local groups as passive in colonization processes, thereby overlooking the fact that not only metropolitan elites, but also local groups can create deplorable conditions. This paper fills these gaps in description and analysis by focusing on the active role local social sectors play in Petén colonization and by presenting land distribution statistics. It also suggests that highland Guatemalan socioeconomic conditions are on the way to being replicated in lowland Petén.