Baja Verapaz Department
Biotopo del Quetzal protects cloud forest; Achi Maya genocide survivor communities. Chixoy Dam controversy. By 2026, ecotourism offers modest growth while department remains economically marginal.
Smaller sibling to Alta Verapaz—Baja Verapaz shares geographic and cultural characteristics but with less economic activity. The Biotopo del Quetzal protects cloud forest habitat for Guatemala's national bird, drawing ecotourists to an otherwise overlooked department.
Agricultural economy focuses on subsistence production and local markets rather than export crops. Indigenous Achi Maya population experienced genocide during the civil war; the Rio Negro massacre (1982) killed 177 villagers. Historical trauma shapes contemporary social dynamics.
The Chixoy Dam displaced communities and generated controversy that continues decades later. Hydroelectric power serves national grid while affected communities receive limited benefits.
2026 trajectory: Ecotourism around Biotopo del Quetzal offers modest growth. Agricultural intensification limited by terrain. The department remains economically marginal while hosting nationally significant biodiversity.