Liberation Theology

Beginning in the late 1960's, a particular strain of Catholicism swept throughout Latin America, recognising the importance of social justice and declaring God's "option for the poor". In Guatemala, a group called Catholic Action emerged in the mid-1970's as a catalyst for the "conscientization" of indigenous people in the outlying areas. Liberation theologists are in part responsible for the increase in social mobilization of Guatemalans in the late-1970's As the military reacted, however, people associated with Catholic Action were branded as "subversives" and subjected to human rights violations. To protect themselves, large numbers of people converted to "safer",less political evangelical sects.