Global Courant 2023-04-26 10:10:48
Last Sunday, a group of activists stormed the stage where archaeologist Richard Hansen was giving a talk during the Book Festival of the American newspaper “Los Angeles Times” at the University of California, the same outlet reported.
According to the publication, the protesters were opposed to the excavations and research that Hansen has carried out in the Mayan complex of Petén called El Mirador.
Protesters, some of them masked, reportedly took to the stage where Hansen was being interviewed by “Los Angeles Times en Español” columnist Alejandro Maciel, whose “Column One” regarding the Hansen investigation was published in early 2023. .
According to social media posts, protesters threw chairs and chanted “this is stolen land!” and “fuck imperialism!”, then they unfurled a banner that read “Gringo colonizer out of the Mirador”.
There were moments of tension, as there was a fight between the protesters and some members of the event team.
Hansen and Maciel were escorted by police from the stage to a nearby tent for the event’s speakers.
Hansen later said during an interview that protesters hadn’t touched him during the riots, but said one of the protesters took his laptop from him, but later took it back.
According to the publication of “Los Angeles Times en Español”, “critics have accused Hansen of wanting to develop the area to increase archaeological tourism in a way that would harm the local population, many of whom are indigenous.”
The outlet adds that Hansen has claimed his proposals are environmentally sustainable, would provide jobs for indigenous communities, and mitigate the influence of what he has called “mafias” operating in the region.
“We totally believe in Dr. Hansen’s work,” said Édgar Chaj, a Los Angeles resident and vice president of the Maya Vision group, who met with Hansen on Saturday. “I am very sad about what has happened”, picks up “Los Angeles Times in Spanish”.
He adds that critics have also criticized Hansen for accepting awards from Guatemalan administrations and business groups.
Regarding the actions of the protesters on Sunday, Hansen said: “I think they were deeply influenced by lies and distortions.”
“We all have the right to express our opinion and demonstrate, but what is not correct or fair is the use of violence,” said Verónica Alvarado, organizer of the Festival of Books programming that seeks to promote reading in Spanish among the community of the southern California, according to the report of “Los Angeles Times in Spanish.”
