By Frank Jack Daniel SANTIAGO ATITLAN, Guatemala, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Maya Indians cast votes here on Sunday, hoping, seven years after a long civil war, to halt corruption, bring prosperity and banish the memories of the massacre of their people. In 1990 the army gunned down 13 civilians during a peaceful protest in this poor town on the shores of Lake Atitlan in central Guatemala. International outrage followed and the townspeople threw out troops who had been based in the village for 10 years. Political violence has killed nearly 30 people the current national election season, and tensions have been high, spurred by ex-dictator Efrain Rios Montt's bid to return to power as the candidate of the ruling party. But long lines of voters on Sunday seemed to reflect growing confidence in the effectiveness of democracy even among indigenous Guatemalans, many of them impoverished and a primary target of past brutal counterinsurgency campaigns in the Central American nation. "Guatemalans are ready to defend democracy," Valentin Paniagua, head of the Organization of American States election mission, told a news conference in the capital. Up to 80 percent of 5 million eligible voters were expected to vote. 'DUTY AS CITIZENS TO VOTE' "It is our duty as citizens to vote, even though we know that the politicians always leave office with new cars and houses," said Nicolas Gonzalez, a young Tzu'utujil Indian serving as custodian of Santiago's dark saint, Maximon, whom worshipers ply with Coca-Cola, cigarettes and money. Dressed in half-length purple striped pants typical of this village, Gonzalez is a member of Santiago's civic-religious "cofriadas," guardians of traditional Mayan beliefs and a core of the resistance to military occupation. The cofradias firmly oppose Rios Montt, an evangelical Christian who is among the top three presidential contenders. They remember his 1982-3 rule as among the most repressive of a 36-year civil war that left 200,000 dead. Rights leaders say he oversaw massacres in hundreds of Indian villages. Pre-election polls showed Rios Montt running third behind Oscar Berger, the conservative former Guatemala City mayor, and left-leaning career politician and Mayan spiritual guide Alvaro Colom. "It is sad people support Rios Montt. He brought us violence. I support Colom because he understands Mayan spirituality and the needs of our people," said Gonzalez. For others, Rios Montt's candidacy harks back to a time of low crime and respect for order, when the military dealt swift justice, helped by civilian patrols. "He is smart like presidents of the past, because he is a general. He is the only one who can stop the thieves," said Martin Tzina, 75, a father of eight and ex-member of Rios Montt's civil patrols who has been robbed three times. The election season also brought signs of positive change. Elena Chiquibal, running for a local council post, is the first female candidate in the history of Santiago, where 82 percent of women are illiterate and few vote. "Santiago has two faces, and only one of them goes to vote," she said.(Additional reporting by Lorraine Orlandi)
A woman arranges effigies of the devil, which are to be burned as part of the annual tradition of the Burning of the Devil, at a factory in Guatemala City December ...
