Francisco Pedro Francisco went to Guatemala's National Identity Registry (RENAP) to request his personal document (cédula). RENAP refused to issue his identification documents due to the characteristics of his name, and even suggested that he change it. Pedro Francisco took RENAP to the Constitutional Court and demanded his right to Q'anjob'al Mayan identity.
This is still far too common -- nation and local governments will either demand that people with Mayan names change them, or they will simply misspell them. The latter problem is significantly exacerbated by the simple fact that many government offices still do not employ Maya peoples (who are more likely to know proper spelling and respect it). While it may seem like a small thing, the right to your name -- and its spelling -- is a key issue that comes to the fore in historical memory following the civil war, as well as present-day property claims.
This can also be a problem with the Catholic Church, which is a key record-keeping site in rural areas. A friend of mine could not get his daughter baptized because the priest refused to recognize a first name in Q'eqchi'. (He was able to register her name with RENAP, but he said it took two tries and the mayor's intercession.)
(Foto de AÃda Noriega | Plaza Pública)
