Legal pluralism in Guatemala: A case study of the municipality of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan

Since the signing of the peace accords, Guatemala's indigenous Maya have advocated for the constitutional recognition of their own indigenous system of customary law---Mayan Justice. This recognition, which would allow indigenous communities to resolve local conflicts according to traditional methods, has taken on even greater importance as the state's legal infrastructure has been unable to accommodate the security needs of the general population in the face of increasing violence and crime. This thesis argues that legal pluralism is a necessary step towards building a "positive" peace in Guatemala. However, the prevalence of vigilante justice has called into question some local incarnations of Mayan Justice - some systems that even the indigenous movement has proclaimed to be illegitimate. Therefore, utilizing a case study of the municipality of Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan, this will explore the varied incarnations and the local factors which contribute to how the system is realized.