It’s no surprise that the Guatemalan military feels a reluctance to discuss its part in the troubles that have plagued that country for the last 36 years, since the 1999 UN Truth Commission determined the armed forces carried out 93 per cent of the 2, 000, 000 deaths and disappearances occurring in the civil conflict. In The Guatemalan Military Project: A Violence Called Democracy, Jennifer Schirmer has been able to convince more than 50 Guatemalan officers to speak candidly on subjects ranging from the violence unleashed on the people to security doctrines, democracy, law, political opposition and human rights, as well as providing interviews with the former president, journalists, lawyers, congressional deputies and others able to give a well-rounded picture of this country’s dreadful legacy and chances for future peace. | The Guatemalan Military Project by Jennifer Schirmer, Paperback | Indigo Chapters