Latest Rigoberta Menchu Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• In Guatemala, the gap between rich and poor must be eliminated, or we will continue to be the example of conflict in America.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  America, Example, Guatemala

  Source: www.indians.org

• Impunity should be condemned in any corner of the world.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  World, Should, Impunity

  Source: www.indians.org

• The Mayas, our grandparents, always said; every human being occupies a small piece of time. Time itself is much longer, and because of this they always said that we must care for this earth while we are on it because it will be part of our children and the children of our grandchildren. They know that life is short, that it can end so soon, and that if one gets lost on the way, others will come to take their place.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Children, Life Is Short, Grandparent

  Source: www.indians.org

• The culture of death is imposed by economic and political interests, the arrogance of power, corruption. I blame the first world for having taken our riches for so many years. I am speaking of the superpowers that dominate the life of the world. More concretely, the World Bank, the IMF. Those that have caused and tolerated the death of our people, those responsible for the plundering of the third world. Silence is also part of repression.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Taken, Years, People

  Source: www.indians.org

• The inaction of the international community towards Guatemala is injustifiable. The community should play an active role with concrete measures and sanctions imposed, as was the case in South Africa, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Cuba and Haiti. Why for us no? Why legalize death in one place and somewhere else no? This is clear in our memories.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Memories, Iraq, Somewhere Else

  Source: www.indians.org

• The media and politics have never allowed our people to speak through them. The absolute marginalization of the indigenous peoples is a fact, as is sophisticated militarization. These have been the most significant ingredients in the silent war.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  War, Media, People

  Source: www.indians.org

• The problem in Guatemala is that there is no solution to the issue of human rights. The problem is militarization, it is the injust distribution of wealth. It is intolerance of the indigenous, it is discrimination and marginalization.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Issues, Rights, Guatemala

  Source: www.indians.org

• In my opinion, peace has not come to America, to Nicaragua, or to El Salvador. A hungry people is a people without peace. If the demands of the people are not met, what kind of peace are we talking about?

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Talking, America, People

  Source: www.indians.org

• In the case of my country, Guatemala, 65% of the inhabitants are indigenous. The constitution speaks of protection for the indigenous. Who authorized a minority to protect an immense majority? It is not only political, cultural and economic marginalization, it is an attempt against the dignity of the majority of the population.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Country, Political, Majority

  Source: www.indians.org

• Racism in our countries is a fact in that the indian is not allowed to be a politician or aspire to being head of state. It has reached the point that 99% of the indigenous women have not gone to school. The indigenous are condemned to live in a situation designed to exterminate them. They receive a pittance of a salary, they neither speak nor write the language, politics dictates their situation. Is this slavery? I don't know what it's called. It is not the same as before because we are in modern times.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Country, Writing, School

  Source: www.indians.org

• The human being is to be respected and defended, not protected like a bird or a river.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Rivers, Bird, Humans

  Source: www.indians.org

• I think that if one's role doesn't correspond to what one says, if one's life doesn't correspond to what one preaches, if one is not true to one's people, someone else will come as a substitute.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Thinking, People, Roles

  Source: www.indians.org

• I am deeply gladdened that 1993 has been delcared the International Year of Indigenous Peoples by the United Nations. It is the first year we have had in five hundred years. This is thanks to the struggle of many untitled, unnamed indigenous brothers who, without understanding international law, patiently walked the corridors asking for some time. Thanks to them this international year has been declared.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Brother, Struggle, Years

  Source: www.indians.org

• It is said that our indigenous ancestors, Mayas and Aztecs, made human sacrifices to their gods. It occurs to me to ask: How many humans have been sacrificed to the gods of Capital in the last five hundred years?

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Sacrifice, Years, Lasts

  Source: www.indians.org

• For me, to celebrate the twelfth of October is the absolute expression of triumphism, occupation and presumptuousness, and I think that history will remember those that celebrate it.

  Rigoberta Menchu

  Thinking, Expression, Occupation

  Source: www.indians.org