User:TyTrev2024/Civil Defense Patrols

In this section, I will be explaining a general overview of what the Civil Defense Patrols are and the benefits of having a functioning Civil Defense Patrol system. The primary goals involved with the Civil Defense Patrols include augmenting the army’s military strength and intelligence in areas of conflict and to provide vigilance and control of the local organization [3]. Along with the primary goal involved with the Civil Defense Patrols, it is their duty to protect the areas in and around the town perimeters specifically by controlling the comings and goings of the inhabitants and passing strangers [3]. Specifically, the Civil Defense Patrols were local militias created by the government of Guatemala during the Guatemalan Civil War [1]. During the Civil War, the Guatemalan government forced civilians to join the Civil Defense Patrols, under threat of force [4]. In 1982, these militias had totaled out to less than 30,000 members, increased to 700,000 in 1983, and reached its largest number of members totaling up to 1.3 million men in 1984. In 1988, it had shrunk to 600,000 and by 1994 it shrunk even more to a very low 300,000 members.

During the Guatemalan Revolution, local militias were needed in order to offer a structural opportunity for the state and union to integrate, networks to expand, and new indigenous and oppressed identities to surface and have a voice in society. Also, Civil defense comprises activities designed to minimize the effects of war on the civilian population, deal with immediate emergency conditions, and quickly restore vital utilities and facilities damaged in an attack [2]. By improving civil defense patrol, response, recovery actions and the overall understanding of critical infrastructure needs, it will help in preventing and mitigating terrorist activity [2]. The patrols were engaged in wide-spread human rights abuses, beating, torturing, raping, and killing human rights advocates, mayors, judges, villagers, and children [4]. These actions were sometimes ordered by the military, in other occasions it was on their own initiative [4]. When the usage of Civil Defense Patrols first began, they were very loosely organized with very limited contact to military officers and no contact with senior patrollers. They operated in more remote areas which included very little supervision from the military at the time. But quite often, these militia would meet with the army and they would share information amongst one another.

Another circumstance in which people describe their experiences with the Civil Defense Patrols during the Guatemalan Civil War and the Guatemalan Revolution was in Florida in 1943. By and large, Floridana heeded the government's call [6]. By 1943, more than more than 300,000 Floridians had volunteered for civil defense activities such as aircraft spotting, the Red Cross, the United Services Organizations (USO), on draft and rationing boards, on recreation committees, as blackout wardens, and in other capacities [6]. Civilian yacht owners formed coastal patrol organizations, and others volunteered to help the Coast Guard patrol the thousands of miles of unprotected beaches [6]. The specific locations of these beaches are unknown, but based on the fact that the Guatemalan Civil War and the Guatemalan Revolution were occuring, specific states such as Florida are helping out Guatemala in order to protect their state as a whole from the problems that were currently occurring in Guatemala.

Here is a circumstance in which people describe their experiences with the Civil Defense Patrols during the Guatemalan Civil War and the Guatemalan Revolution. Guatemala has the most skewed distribution of wealth in Central America, and reform is not on the agenda. The economic crisis deepens, hitting the mass of Guatemalans harder than ever [5]. During this time, Rios Montt celebrates a year in power and amongst this time of celebration and ceremony, the economy of Guatemala was greatly impacted because of the usage of the Civilian Defense Patrol and the Guatemalan Revolution and Civil War. Yet, the most interesting part of this includes that the objective basis of revolt remained untouched.

The final circumstance I found in which people describe their experiences with the Civil Defense Patrols during the Guatemalan Civil War and the Guatemalan Revolution was in Joyabaj, Guatemala. In the period between 1981 and 1983, the military had used so-called ‘scorched earth tactics’ [7]. This resulted in more than 400 villages being destroyed, 75,000 people being killed and more than 1 million people fleeing their homes [7]. These Civil Defense Patrols not only impacted the people of Guatemala, but it also had a very large impact on the indiengious peoples living in Guatemala, including the K’iche people. Specifically, the local parish priest Padre Villanueva, was killed on church grounds by security forces.