WHERE WE WORK
san juan Cotzal, guatemala
WIND Guatemala’s primary long-term work is centered in San Juan Cotzal, a predominantly Ixil Maya municipality in the department of Quiché, located in Guatemala’s western highlands. As one of the principal communities of the Ixil region, San Juan Cotzal is shaped by a distinct Indigenous language, vibrant weaving traditions, strong family and community relationships, and a deep connection to Ixil cultural heritage.
The Ixil region was among the areas most severely affected by Guatemala’s internal armed conflict, which lasted from 1960 to 1996. An estimated 200,000 people were killed or disappeared nationwide, and the effects of the conflict continue to shape families and communities through displacement, poverty, limited access to education, and generational trauma.
Today, local teachers, pastors, parents, health workers, and community leaders are working to create stronger opportunities for the next generation. WIND supports these locally led efforts through long-term relationships and partnership rather than short-term assistance.
Where is San Juan Cotzal?
San Juan Cotzal is located approximately 140 miles from Antigua, about five hours by car through Guatemala’s mountainous western highlands. It is a municipality in the department of Quiché and sits at approximately 5,600 feet above sea level.
Challenges Facing Families in Cotzal:
Key Statistics that tell the story
of San Juan Cotzal’s population lived below guatemala’s national poverty line in 2023, including 49.8% in extreme poverty.
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística and SEGEPLAN, Municipal Poverty Maps 2023.
89.9%
of age-eligible youth were enrolled in the final years of high school, known in Guatemala as diversificado, in 2023. Enrollment among age-eligible students in grades 7-9 was only 39.5%
6%
of San Juan Cotzal residents age 15 and older were estimated to be literate in 2024. The projected literacy rate was significantly lower among women, at 60.2%, compared with 77.8% among men.
68.8%
of first-grade public-school students measured in San Juan Cotzal in 2024 showed stunting, an indicator of chronic malnutrition. The municipality remained classified as having very high nutritional vulnerability.
53.8%
0.17
physicians available per 1,000 residents in the municipal health district in 2023. 6 Physicians serving more than 34,000 people.
Source: San Juan Cotzal Municipal Health Plan 2025–2030, based on MSPAS 2023 data.
Sources and Further Reading
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan_Cotzal
Learn about the weavers of Cotzal: https://tramatextiles.org/blogs/news/san-juan-cotzal-weaving-in-the-wake-of-war
Dark history of Cotzal:https://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2011/04/28/overcoming-a-dark-history-of-conflict-a-guatemala-update/