Masked Guatemala: Life During the Pandemic

by Robin Rutchik, Guest Blogger

Since the beginning of the pandemic, March 2020, Guatemala's newly elected president, Alejandro Giammatei, got a strong start to his term by enforcing restrictions nationwide.

He swiftly closed the borders, required masks and enacted "toque de queda" (stay-at-home) orders. Most had not seen these restrictions since the civil war in the 1980s, and it was successful for the first few months in lowering the curve. The larger danger to the country was hunger and economic downfall.

In a country where the main economic sector is tourism and the poorest populations live day to day in an informal economy that accounts for roughly 70% of the population, not being able to leave the house or sell on the streets or in markets struck dire situations for Guatemalans.

While more urban communities were hard hit, those most impacted were rural households. In Latin culture, a common tradition is to have several generations of family members under one roof. This means parents, along with their children, often care for elder parents, aunts, uncles, cousins or family friends. The toque-de-queda order meant families with a higher headcount were sharing small spaces, and unable to leave unless absolutely necessary.

As difficult as the onset of the pandemic was there was a community response to bring aid. Within the first month, many families raised white flags on street corners or along highways, silently indicating a desperate need for assistance and not being able to put food on the table for their families. The “white flag system” brought beautiful efforts of solidarity between neighbors, support from donations, local governments working to provide the basic staples, and many home gardens to those most in need. The effort spanned the country, with financial support from local and international aid which assisted countless families.

The resilience of Guatemalans has shown true in creativity, more local sales, and returning to ancient economic traditions of trading ('trueques") between the people.

Now in the fall of 2021, these struggles still exist, but there is more movement flowing through the country. National and international travel has started to trickle back, following local restrictions of a 9 pm curfew, mask requirements, and sanitation centers. Local businesses are rebuilding their strength, although many did not last but have brought room for new endeavors.

Transportation is between department (state) borders is now resuming, seating up to 50% capacity, which has brought more hope to the population with the possibilities of economic resilience and the critical need to support the local economies.

In-country, we are still required to wear masks in the streets and public areas, but are able to eat in the endless opportunities of restaurants, as they’ve created more open spaces (which works perfectly with great weather almost year-round), and return to the basic necessities of daily living. For any public business, guests are required to have their temperature taken and to use hand sanitizer upon entry. Schools remain closed, which is an extreme challenge for teachers and administration -moving to online formats or, in the reality of most communities, visiting house to house because the internet and technology are not available to most children.

While COVID-19 is still a risk, those that contract it have kept to quarantining at home as a basic response. Due to the lack of medical infrastructure, those who need to be hospitalized run a greater risk as the illness has overrun the country's already minimal access to public health facilities.

La Cuidad Antigua

“For far too many citizens living in Guatemala, healthcare is not feasible and the results of this are catastrophic. Guatemala has the fourth-highest rate of malnutrition, and although the Guatemalan constitution guarantees healthcare, many fail to access the care that they need.”

the Borgen Project

Within a few months of the vaccines being offered to the public, there are still minimal vaccination rates, even though it has become available nationwide for all adults 18+. As of November 7, rates have reached 20.2% of Guatemalans being fully vaccinated (3.4M people); however, many of the population, especially in rural communities, do not trust the vaccines and are hesitant to get them.

Best ways to help?
Accounting for nearly 8% of the country’s GDP, travel is the best way we can support our neighbors, socially & environmentally responsible economies, and build better connections with those who need it. However, doing so responsibly is key. As many return to the skies and highways to embrace the want for exploration, international travel can be taboo. We, as a collective, have to assess not only our wants but the many factors of “health” in the countries we travel to.

La Cuidad Antigua

Starting in October 2022, when the pandemic in Guatemala is expected to be safely under control, Naturally Smart Travel will resume offering trips and look forward to hosting private and group tours to connect with our partners.

In January and February of 2022, our little team will be traveling throughout the country to check in on the organizations we work with, assessing their needs based on the impacts of COVID-19 and natural disasters. Along the way, we’ll help amplify their voices to share them with you and give a first-hand account as life in Guatemala emerges from the pandemic.

If you’re interested in contributing to relief efforts, please send us a message to deepen the conversation and learn about viable organizations making a difference.

In planning holidays and vacations for the coming year, explore the adventure of our culturally immersive tours, starting in October 2022, by setting up a 30 minute exploration call below!