After a most incredible, fun, and tranquilo two-week vacation in Panama with my family for Christmas and New Years, I returned to Guatemala on January 3 where I encountered a whirlwind of information, gossip, confusion, and general panic.  While on vacation I was informed that Honduras PCVs were all evacuated after a volunteer was shot in the leg during a bus robbery and that El Salvador and Guatemala were suspending future training groups from arriving in January.  When I arrived back there were rumors that we would also be shut down.  Thursday of that week I learned through the grapevine (quickest, most reliable, and often only source of Peace Corps information) that Aaron Williams, director of Peace Corps worldwide would be arriving the following week to meet with Peace Corps Guatemala.  Also through the reliable rumor mill, a source in Washington said we should expect “big news” following this meeting.  The following day, Jan 6, we received an email from the regional director offering all volunteers in Guatemala Interrupted Service.  Neither thorough explanation nor details were offered, but basically they said anyone concerned for their safety could leave their service and it would count as Interrupted Service (beyond volunteer’s control to finish), instead of Early Termination (quitting).  Many volunteers were distressed by this letter because it basically admitted Guatemala to be a dangerous country to serve in, but leaving the decision to volunteers to quit or to stay.  The vast majority chose not to leave, but were unsettled knowing that general consensus is we should probably not be here.

Last Monday stories (which like most Peace Corps gossip was revealed to be true) spread like wildfire of several volunteers getting administratively separated (i.e. kicked out) for breaking rules and there was panic that Peace Corps was looking for reasons to get rid of people.  Very likely untrue, but a general feeling nonetheless.  Not until that day also did we hear from Peace Corps about Aaron Williams visiting, once again proving the need to rely on gossip for official information.  The letter said that his true purpose for visiting was to attend the inaguration of Otto Perez Molina, the new Guatemalan president.

Last Wednesday, January 11, I received a call at 1 PM from Peace Corps staff requesting to visit me.  I said sure and asked when.  They said in 1 hour.  I really did feel like it was a result of Peace Corps mistrusting volunteers and they were checking up on me to see that I was where I’m supposed to be and living where I’m supposed to be (which I am).   A tech trainer and two language teachers came to visit me in my house.  They asked how I feel in Toto and traveling, about my project, activities, etc.  They asked if I needed support or help with anything.  I told them I feel incredibly supported (I mentioned my bus robbery and how great they were after), just that there is an enormous lack of communication from Peace Corps, that I have to rely on chisme (gossip) for all my information, which I don’t like and should not be the case.  They said they are hoping for some big improvements in security with the new administration and that basically they are doing these visits because they have nothing to do since the new group of trainees was cancelled and they would normally be teaching them this month.  Peace Corps later sent out an email apologizing that these visits may have caught some people off guard and that they were meant to be supportive and not with malicious intent.

Anyways, there were big meetings last week with Aaron Williams to which VAC (Volunteer Advisory Council) representatives were invited, as well as PCVL (leaders) and volunteers who live close to the Santa Lucia Milpas Altas office (I don’t fall into any of those categories so I was not at the meeting).  Then last weekend we were all standfasted (forced to remain in site) for the presidential inauguration which took place on Saturday, Jan 14.

This week Peace Corps announced their new transportation plan which was presented during the meetings last week.  They are now running private shuttles for volunteers between the Santa Lucia and Xela offices, as well as to some of the more distant regions in the west.  This means that when I travel I just have to catch a camioneta (chicken bus/public bus) from my site to Cuatro Caminos about 20 minutes away and hop on a shuttle. They pass through 4 Caminos about twice daily so I have to plan my travel accordingly. Overall a very good idea, although there are so many volunteers and with any new plan there are sure to be glitches.

Seeing Peace Corps moving forward in such a positive light with this new plan made me feel much more confident this week.  Schools started on Monday and I have been visiting schools all week and attempting to plan for the next 6 months.  I’ll be honest and say my motivation has really dwindled to do the YD Program in the schools.  None of my schools have taken any initiative and at this point I feel like it’s almost a lost cause to hope that the schools will be sustainable and teach the life skills curriculum when I’m gone.

But I guess you can never get too comfortable as bomb after bomb just seems to be dropping.  Last night we received a letter from our country director informing us that our group that was scheduled to COS (Close of Service) in July would be forced to leave March 24.  Newer volunteers living in regions such as the Verapaces or east, places outside the western highlands (Totonicapán, Sololá, Xela, Quiche) would most likely be forced to relocate to sites in these areas or could opt to COS.  For volunteers slated to COS in October, changing sites for the last six months of service is highly unappealing and will most likely result in early COS for them too.  Future groups of new volunteers coming to Guatemala have been cancelled for the rest of the year.

Right at this moment all hell is breaking loose amongst volunteers and Peace Corps as the new president is considering declaring a state of siege in the departments of San Marcos and Huehuetenango.  This would mean complete military control of these areas, with the military being allowed to stop and arrest any person (U.S. citizens included) walking along the streets.  For obvious reasons, volunteers in these areas are being evacuated effective immediately and newer volunteers will have site changes starting in March which could mean a newer YD volunteer replacing me when I leave in March.

The letter sent last night also informed us of a mandatory 3-day all volunteer conference in Xela next week.  This is huge.  Three days?  ALL volunteers (there are over 200 of us)?  We have never had anything like this.  It is sure to be an interesting hotbed of frustration and emotion and many more surprises to come.  Peace Corps Guatemala as we know it is coming to an end.