MODERN MAYA

After the last Maya state was conquered by the Spanish in 1697, the Maya people continued on, enduring discrimination and at times revolting against Spain and the governments that came into power after Spanish colonial rule ended in 1821.

This arrival brought about a profound change in the Maya world. New diseases decimated the Maya, and the Spaniards forced the Maya to convert to Christianity, even burning their books.

Today, despite the devastation they experienced, the Maya people live on. Although classic Maya cities and states did collapse, and culture did transform, the Maya didn’t disappear. The descendant population of over 7 million in Mesoamerica now lacks adequate political representation in the countries where they live.

In Guatemala, Maya descendents make up over 40 per cent of the population