Posts By: James Rodriguez

James is an independent photojournalist based in Guatemala who specializes in documenting that country's post-war social movement. Raised in Mexico City, James holds a B.A. in Cultural Geography from the University of California at Los Angeles. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Indypendent of New York and Yes! Magazine, and can be viewed at Mi Mundo.

Oxlajuj Baktun: Maya Era Ends, As Longstanding Tensions Remain

HUEHUETENANGO, Guatemala — Events here during the much-awaited end of the Oxlajuj Baktun, a 5,129-year period in the long Mayan calendar, provide a clear reflection of the divisions and challenges faced […] Read More >

Guatemala: Exhumation Inside Cobán’s Garrison

COBAN, GUATEMALA — On February 27th, 2012, The Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation (FAFG) began an exhumation inside the former Military Garrison of Cobán, one of Guatemala’s largest cities. Three months […] Read More >

Guatemalan Protesters March 9 Days For Indigenous Rights

GUATEMALA CITY — After 9 days and more than 120 miles, members of the Indigenous, Peasant and Popular March (Marcha Indígena, Campesina y Popular) arrived at the center of Guatemala […] Read More >

Guatemala Commemorates Murdered Folk Singer Facundo Cabral

GUATEMALA CITY — People from all sectors of society gathered on the streets of Guatemala City to show their outrage at the murder of Argentine folksinger Facundo Cabral, which took […] Read More >

Ex-Guatemalan General Appears In Court On Charges Of Orchestrating Massacres

GUATEMALA CITY — Former General Héctor López Fuentes made his first court appearance on June 20, three days after police arrested him on charges of orchestrating genocide against Guatemala’s Ixil […] Read More >

Goldcorp’s Peñasquito Mine Sparks Controversy In Mazapil, Mexico

MAZAPIL, Mexico — Five years ago, a new neighbor arrived in Mazapil, promising employment, medical services and development for local peasant communities in Cedros, Las Palmas and Vergel, among others. […] Read More >

Will Gold Make You Rich? Meet Nicaragua’s Güiriseros

To begin viewing this photo essay as a slideshow, click the first image. This photo essay is adapted from “Gold Fever: Artisanal and Industrial Mining Extraction in the Industrial Triangle,” […] Read More >

Photo Essay: Forensic Anthropologists Exhume Possible Mass Grave Outside Villalobos, Guatemala

VILLALOBOS, Guatemala — Guided by witness testimony, the Association of Family Members of the Detained-Disappeared of Guatemala (FAMDEGUA in Spanish) and the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG in Spanish), […] Read More >

How Immigration to the United States is Changing Patron Saint Day in Todos Santos Cuchumatán, Guatemala

TODOS SANTOS CUCHUMATAN, Guatemala — High up in the Cuchumatanes sierra, Maya Mam communities have safeguarded their customs and traditions for centuries. Nevertheless, exploitation, violence, discrimination and the ever-present effects […] Read More >