Panzós

{{Infobox settlement   |official_name = Panzós |other_name = |native_name =  |nickname = |settlement_type = Municipality of Guatemala |motto =  |image_skyline = Panzos1900a.jpg |imagesize = |image_caption = Port of Panzos in the 1900s |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Guatemala Alta Verapaz#Guatemala |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Alta Verapaz  |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = 25px Guatemala |subdivision_type1 = Department |subdivision_name1 = 25px Alta Verapaz |subdivision_type2 = |subdivision_name2 = |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 =  |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Jaime León |leader_party = LIDER |leader_title1 =  |leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = |established_title =  |established_date = |established_title2 =  |established_date2 = |established_title3 =  |established_date3 =  |area_magnitude = |unit_pref =Imperial  |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = 917 |area_land_km2 =  |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |area_blank1_title = |area_blank1_km2 = |area_blank1_sq_mi =  |population_as_of = 2018 census |population_footnotes = <ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/guatemala/admin/ Citypopulation.de] Population of departments and municipalities in Guatemala</ref> |population_note = |population_total = 71846 |population_density_km2 = auto  |timezone = |utc_offset = |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = {{coord|15|24|N|89|40|W|region:GT|display=inline}} |elevation_footnotes =  |elevation_m = |elevation_ft =  |postal_code_type =  |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name_sec1 = Climate |blank_info_sec1 = Am |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = }}

'''Panzós''' ({{IPA|es|panˈsos}}) is a town with a population of 22,068 (2018 census)<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/guatemala/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of cities & towns in Guatemala</ref> and a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz.

On 29 May 1978, the village of Panzós was the site of a massacre in which between 30 and 106 local inhabitants (figures vary) were killed by the army.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://assets.cambridge.org/052184/083X/excerpt/052184083X_excerpt.htm | title=Political Movements and Violence in Central America | last=Brockett | first=Charles | publisher=Cambridge University Press | access-date=2008-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dominionpaper.ca/arts/2006/05/04/portraits_.html | title=Portraits of Strength : The women of Panzós | last=Peters | first=Moira | publisher=The Dominion | date=2008-05-04 | access-date=2008-08-16}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Kobrak|n.d.| p=}}</ref>

The name Panzós means "place of the green waters" in reference to the nearby Polochic River and swamps full of alligators and birds.<ref>{{cite book | title=The Rough Guide to Guatemala | author1=Iain Stewart | author2=Mark Whatmore | author3=Peter Eltringham | year=2002 | publisher=Rough Guides | isbn=978-1-85828-848-2 | page=[https://archive.org/details/guatemala00stew/page/315 315] | url=https://archive.org/details/guatemala00stew/page/315 }}</ref>

== History ==

{{quote box|align=left|width=400px|In late 19th century Alta Verapaz, German settlers owned almost 75% of the region's total land. It got to a point that the Germans were taking over land and people and a governor reported that there were peasants who vanished, fleeing from the landowners.|Julio Castellanos Cambranes{{sfn|Castellanos Cambranes|1992|p=327}}}}

The Polochic river valley was originally inhabited by Q'eqchi' and Poqomchi' peoples. The first Spanish settlement, according to Domingo Juárez, was founded there on 11 October 1825; however, other historians{{sfn|Morales Urrutia|1961|p=}} specify 11 October 1861 as its foundation date. Later on, government decree #38 of 1871, in which all Guatemalan municipalities were asked to elect representatives to the National Assembly, shows Panzós a town in District 35. In 1891, Panzós became part of Alta Verapaz Department.

After the Liberal revolution of 1871, president Justo Rufino Barrios (1873-1885) started granting land to German settlers in the area.{{sfn|Castellanos Cambranes|1992|p=305}} By Decree #170 (or Census Decree), the government allowed confiscation of Indigenous land that had remained protected up to that point to make it easier for the Germans and liberal military officers to get land of their own.{{sfn|Castellanos Cambranes|1992|p=316}} Since then, the main commercial and agricultural activity in the region has been coffee, cardamom, and bananas.<ref>Testimony, in the Center of Social History Research. Panzós: CEIHS, 1979.</ref> The main characteristics of the productive system of those years was the accumulation of land by a few owners{{sfn|Mendizábal P.|1978|p=76}} and a sort of "hacienda servitude" based on the legal exploitation of the natives.{{sfn|Castellanos Cambranes|1992|p=327}}

In the 1880s, Panzós had become a very important commercial river port heavily used for coffee exports.{{sfn|Maudslay|Maudslay|1899|pp=90, 105, 241}} The finished product was carried by oxen carts over poorly kept roads or on small boats through creeks to the port, and from there it was loaded into larger ships and sent to the Caribbean Sea and then on to Europe or other destinations.{{sfn|Maudslay|Maudslay|1899|pp=90, 105, 241}} This archaic system changed drastically in the 1890s, once the Verapaz Railroad was built.

===Verapaz Railroad===

{{Location map many| Guatemala Alta Verapaz |border=black |caption=Ferrocarril Verapaz main stations in Alta Verapaz. #Pancajché #Santa Catalina La Tinta #Panzós #Cobán | label=1| position=right|bg=white|label_size=70 | lat=15.292027| long=-90.025021 | label2=2|label2_size=70 | pos2=right| bg2=white | lat2=15.311661| long2=-89.884086 | label3=3|label3_size=70 | pos3=right| bg3=white | lat3=15.400458| long3=-89.643545 | label4=4|label4_size=70 | pos4=right| bg4=white | lat4=15.469727| long4=-90.381646 | width=220 | float=left }}

The construction of the Verapaz Railroad began on 15 January 1894 with a contract for 99 years between Guatemala, then ruled by president José María Reina Barrios, and Walter Dauch, representative of the Verapaz Railroad & Northern Agency Ltd. The contract settled the rules for the construction, maintenance, and exploitation of a 30-mile railroad line between Panzós and Pancajché. Passenger service travelled twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, mail arrived by ship every Wednesday and cargo came from Livingston, Izabal. Besides, there were train stops in Santa Rosita, Santa Catalina La Tinta, and Papalhá.<ref name=pacific/>

In 1898, it was reported that given the coffee prosperity in Cobán, which was the third largest city in Guatemala, the railroad was to be extended to that city.<ref name=pacific>{{harvnb|La Ilustración del Pacífico|1898|p=206}}</ref> The railroad was in operation until 1965, when it was superseded by truck and highways.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

<div align=center> <gallery perrow="4" widths="175px" heights="175px"> Image:Ferrocarrilverapaz1895.jpg|Verapaz Railroad maiden voyage in 1894. Image:Vaporferrocarrilverapaz1898.jpg|Verapaz Railroad steamboat sailing the Polochic river.<ref name=pacifico>{{harvnb|La Ilustración del Pacífico|1898|pp=203–204}}</ref> Image:Vaporpolochic1898.jpg|Coffee transport.<ref name=pacifico/> Image:Ferrocarrilverapaz1900.jpg|Verapaz Railroad engine in the 1900s. </gallery> </div>

=== Franja Transversal del Norte and Panzós massacre === {{See also|Guatemala Civil War|Franja Transversal del Norte}}

{{Location map | Guatemala |AlternativeMap=corredorseco_guatemala.jpg | width = 250 | float = right | caption = Location of Panzós in the Corredor Seco, bordering Franja Transversal del Norte | label = Panzós | label_size = 80 | position = top | background = white | mark = Orange_pog.svg | marksize = 5 | lat_deg = | lon_deg = }}

The Northern Transversal Strip was officially created during the government of General Carlos Arana Osorio in 1970 by Legislative Decree 60-70 for agricultural development.<ref name=wikiguate>{{cite web|url=http://wikiguate.com.gt/wiki/Franja_Transversal_del_Norte|website=Wikiguate|title=Franja Transversal del Norte|access-date=30 October 2014|location=Guatemala|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031093752/http://wikiguate.com.gt/wiki/Franja_Transversal_del_Norte|archive-date=31 October 2014}}</ref> The decree stated: "It is of public interest and national emergency, the establishment of Agrarian Development Zones in the area included within the municipalities: Santa Ana Huista, San Antonio Huista, Nentón, Jacaltenango, San Mateo Ixtatán, and Santa Cruz Barillas in Huehuetenango; Chajul and San Miguel Uspantán in Quiché; Cobán, Chisec, San Pedro Carchá, Lanquín, Senahú, Cahabón and Chahal, in Alta Verapaz and the entire department of Izabal."{{sfn|Solano|2012|p=15}}

On 27 May 1978, when natives from San Vicente (in Panzós) went to work the land on the shores of the Polochic river, the sons of a local landlord showed up with several armed soldiers and intimidated the natives to stop demanding land for themselves.<ref name=witness/> The same day, the military detained two peasants in La Soledad and roughed up several more.<ref name=witness>{{harvnb|Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico: Agudización|1999|p=Reference witness}}</ref>{{refn|group=lower-alpha|The army said it stopped the two men because it considered them "suspicious", since they were observing the military brigade stationed there.<ref name=witness/>}} There was a small disturbance and one of the peasants was killed.<ref name=witness/>

On 28 May, peasants from La Soledad and Cahaboncito presented a document previously prepared by FASGUA to mayor Walter Overdick Garcia in order for him to read it out loud.{{sfn|Impacto|1978|p=7}} In that document, FASGUA asked the mayor to mediate "for the peasants' sake and try to solve the problems they had".<ref>Comisión de Solidaridad con Panzós memorandum, 12 July 1978.</ref>

On 29 May 1978, to pressure the authorities for their land demands and to protest against the abuses of landlords and military and civil authorities, peasants from the settlements of Cahaboncito, Semococh, Rubetzul, Canguachá, Sepacay, Moyagua, and La Soledad decided to protest in downtown Panzós. Hundreds of native men, women, and children went to the central square, bringing along their machetes and other agricultural instruments. One of those who participated in the demonstration later recalled: "the idea was not to fight anybody; we only wanted to clarify the land situation. People came from various locations and they did not have firearms with them". {{sfn|Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico: Agudización|1999|p=Direct witness (peasant leader)}} That same day, after an unclear provation,{{clarify|date=December 2017}} the army massacred the peasants who had gathered peacefully.<ref>[http://www.pbase.com/m_escalante_herrera/panzos La masacre de Panzós], artículo de M. Escalante Herrera en el sitio web PBase.</ref> An unclear number of people died under the fire of machine guns.<ref name=ceh9>{{harvnb|Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico: No.9|1999|p=}}</ref>

==Climate==

Panzós has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen: ''Am'').

{{Weather box |location = Panzós |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan mean C = 26.0 |Feb mean C = 26.7 |Mar mean C = 28.1 |Apr mean C = 29.1 |May mean C = 29.4 |Jun mean C = 29.2 |Jul mean C = 28.8 |Aug mean C = 28.7 |Sep mean C = 28.5 |Oct mean C = 28.0 |Nov mean C = 26.8 |Dec mean C = 26.0 |year mean C = |Jan high C = 30.4 |Feb high C = 32.0 |Mar high C = 33.6 |Apr high C = 34.8 |May high C = 34.6 |Jun high C = 34.1 |Jul high C = 33.2 |Aug high C = 33.2 |Sep high C = 33.2 |Oct high C = 32.4 |Nov high C = 31.0 |Dec high C = 30.3 |year high C = |Jan low C = 21.7 |Feb low C = 21.4 |Mar low C = 22.6 |Apr low C = 23.5 |May low C = 24.3 |Jun low C = 24.3 |Jul low C = 24.4 |Aug low C = 24.0 |Sep low C = 23.8 |Oct low C = 23.6 |Nov low C = 22.6 |Dec low C = 21.8 |year low C = |Jan precipitation mm = 85 |Feb precipitation mm = 54 |Mar precipitation mm = 66 |Apr precipitation mm = 70 |May precipitation mm = 216 |Jun precipitation mm = 503 |Jul precipitation mm = 525 |Aug precipitation mm = 381 |Sep precipitation mm = 380 |Oct precipitation mm = 244 |Nov precipitation mm = 124 |Dec precipitation mm = 101 |year precipitation mm = |source 1 = Climate-Data.org<ref name="Climate-Data.org"> {{cite web|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/46102/ |title = Climate: Panzós |access-date = 20 August 2015 |publisher = Climate-Data.org}}</ref> }}

== Geographic location==

{{Geographic location | Center = Panzós | North = Senahú and Cahabón, municipalities of Alta Verapaz Department | East= El Estor, municipality of Izabal Department{{sfn|SEGEPLAN|n.d.|p=}} | South= Teculután and Río Hondo, municipalities of Zacapa Department{{sfn|SEGEPLAN|n.d.|p=}} | West= Tucurú, Santa Catalina La Tinta and Purulhá, municipalities of Baja Verapaz Department }}

== See also == {{Portal|Guatemala|Geography}} * Alta Verapaz Department * Guatemala Civil War * Franja Transversal del Norte * Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García

==Notes and references ==

=== Notes === {{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

===References=== {{Reflist|2}}

=== Bibliography === {{refbegin}} * {{cite web|last1=Albizures|first1=Arturo|last2=Hernández|first2=Boris|url=http://noticiascomunicarte.blogspot.com/2013/05/morir-para-ganar-la-vida.html|title=Morir para ganar la vida|website=Noticias Comunicarte, Asociación guatemalteca para la comunicación del arte y cultura|year=2013|access-date=29 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815041619/http://noticiascomunicarte.blogspot.com/2013/05/morir-para-ganar-la-vida.html|archive-date=15 August 2014|language=Spanish}} * {{citation |publisher=Gobernación Departamental de Alta Verapaz|title=Acta de audiencia de fecha 5 May 1978|year=1978|location=Cobán, Alta Verapaz|first1=Benigno|last1=Álvarez S.|first2=Flavio|last2=Monzón|first3=Héctor|last3=Monzón|first4=Raúl Aníbal|last4=Ayala|first5=Joaquín|last5=González|first6=Mario |last6=Cazs|first7=José María|last7=Borges|language=Spanish}} * {{citation |first=Julio|last=Castellanos Cambranes|title=Tendencias del desarrollo agrario, en 500 años de lucha por la tierra|volume= 1|location=Guatemala|publisher=FLACSO|year=1992|language=Spanish}} * {{cite journal |author=Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico: Agudización |title=Agudización de la Violencia y Militarización del Estado (1979-1985) |journal=Guatemala: Memoria del Silencio |publisher=Programa de Ciencia y Derechos Humanos, Asociación Americana del Avance de la Ciencia |year=1999 |format=Online edition |url=http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/mds/spanish/cap1/agud.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130506054258/http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/mds/spanish/cap1/agud.html |archive-date=6 May 2013 |access-date=20 September 2014 |language=Spanish }} * {{cite journal|author=((Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico: No.9))|author-mask=1|title=Caso ilustrativo n.º 9: La masacre de Panzós|journal=Guatemala: Memoria del Silencio|publisher=Programa de Ciencia y Derechos Humanos, Asociación Americana del Avance de la Ciencia|year=1999|format=Online edition|url=http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/mds/spanish/anexo1/vol1/no9.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406140711/http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ceh/mds/spanish/anexo1/vol1/no9.html|archive-date=6 April 2013|access-date=20 September 2014}} * {{cite journal|author=Diario de Centro América|journal=Diario de Centro América, Periódico Oficial de la República de Guatemala|title=Entrevista a Walter Overdick, alcalde de Panzós|location=Guatemala|year=1978|language=Spanish}} * {{cite news|author=Diario La Tarde|title=Situación en Panzós|newspaper=Diario La Tarde|location=Guatemala|date=31 May 1978|page=4|language=Spanish}} * {{cite journal|first=Carlos Leonidas|last=Díaz Molina|title=Que fluya la verdad|journal=Revista Crónica|location=Guatemala|year=1998|language=Spanish}} * {{cite book|first=Marlon|last=García Arriaga|title=Panzós, 33 años después (1978-2011)|publisher=FLACSO y Rights action|location=Guatemala|url=http://whp.uoregon.edu/wp-content/uploads/PanzosBook/PanzosESsmall.pdf|year=2011|language=Spanish|archive-date=2014-05-27|access-date=2015-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527223050/http://whp.uoregon.edu/wp-content/uploads/PanzosBook/PanzosESsmall.pdf|url-status=dead}} * {{cite news|author=Impacto|title=Aumenta la tensión en Panzós|newspaper=Impacto|location=Guatemala|date=19 July 1978|page=7|language=Spanish}} * {{cite web |date=n.d. |url=http://shr.aaas.org/guatemala/ciidh/org_rep/english/part2_8.html |title=Organizing and Repression: 1978: The popular movement |first=Paul |last=Kobrak |work=Organizing and Repression in the University of San Carlos, Guatemala, 1944 to 1996 |access-date=21 March 2013 }} * {{cite journal|author=La Ilustración del Pacífico|title=La revolución de septiembre|date=15 March 1898|volume=II|issue=38|journal=La Ilustración del Pacífico|url=https://archive.org/stream/lailustra238unseguat#page/210/mode/2up|location=Guatemala|publisher=Siguere, Guirola y Cía|language=Spanish}} * {{cite book|last1=Maudslay|first1=Alfred Percival|authorlink=Alfred Percival Maudslay|title=A glimpse at Guatemala, and some notes on the ancient mmonuments of Central America|last2=Maudslay|first2=Anne Cary|location=Londres|publisher=John Murray|year=1899|url=https://archive.org/details/glimpseatguatema00maud/page/n19/mode/2up|language=Spanish}} * {{cite journal|first=Ana Beatriz|last=Mendizábal P.|title=Estado y Políticas de Desarrollo Agrario. La Masacre Campesina de Panzós|journal=Escuela de Ciencia Política|publisher=Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala|location=Guatemala|year=1978|url=http://whp.uoregon.edu/wp-content/uploads/PanzosBook/PanzosESsmall.pdf|language=Spanish|archive-date=2014-05-27|access-date=2015-07-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527223050/http://whp.uoregon.edu/wp-content/uploads/PanzosBook/PanzosESsmall.pdf|url-status=dead}} * {{cite book|first=Mateo|last=Morales Urrutia|title=Política administrativa, la división de la República|publisher=Iberia-Gutenberg|location=Guatemala|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nCMPAAAAYAAJ|year=1961|volume=2|language=Spanish}} * {{cite web|author=SEGEPLAN|title=Municipios de Alta Verapaz, Guatemala|url=http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=2:alta-verapaz&Itemid=333|location=Guatemala|website=Secretaría General de Planificación y Programación de la Presidencia de la República|date=n.d.|access-date=30 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630153430/http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=2:alta-verapaz&Itemid=333|archive-date=30 June 2015|language=Spanish}} * {{cite book|url=http://www.albedrio.org/htm/documentos/EstudioFranjaTransversalNorteCEDFOG.pdf|last=Solano|first=Luis|title=Contextualización histórica de la Franja Transversal del Norte (FTN)|publisher=Centro de Estudios y Documentación de la Frontera Occidental de Guatemala, CEDFOG|year=2012|access-date=31 October 2014|language=Spanish|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113172058/http://www.albedrio.org/htm/documentos/EstudioFranjaTransversalNorteCEDFOG.pdf|archive-date=13 November 2014}} {{refend}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Panzos}} Category:Municipalities of the Alta Verapaz Department

Panzós

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