GUATEMALA T LISTAccording to this report Guatemala has just developed a NEW T List of 17 sites.
http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=463306&Itemid=1Interestingly it states that the previous T List of 18 sites was developed in 2001 (submitted 2002 according to UNESCO documents). The surprising aspect is that, as far as I can see, NOTHING has happened with any of them since that date -so Guatemala hardly needs to submit another list to replace the sites which have been inscribed (or rejected) in the subsequent 10 years! The fact that it has done so, presumably indicates that it is taking a hard look at what it has to offer and what can be learned from the experience of the last 10 years both inside Guatemala and what has been inscribed/rejected elsewhere.
The report doesn't identify all the 17 "new" T List sites but 5 are mentioned by name
a.
"Kaminal Juyú, the Civic Center of this city" is new. It is a Mayan site "under" part of Guatemala city. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaminaljuyub.
"Trifinio" is new. It is a biological reserve whose name arises from a shared frontier with parks in El Salvador and Honduras. At the moment Honduras has no T List and the El Salvador Park (Montecristo) isn't on its T List. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifinio_biosphere_reservec.
"The Sierra de Las Minas Biosphere Reserves" is on the 2002 T List and was indeed deferred as long ago as 1993.
d.
"The National Park Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo" is on the current T List as the "Cultural Triangle". See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Triangle_Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo_National_Parke.
"The archaeological park Tak Alik" is on the current T List as part of a larger site titled "The Mayan - Olmecan Encounter". see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takalik_AbajSo, if the new list has 1 fewer sites and there are at least 2 new ones, then some of the previous list must have been left off. It will be interesting to discover which. There were previously no fewer than 7 (SEVEN!) "Routes" - perhaps Guatemala has concentrated on fewer/better ones? The old T List also had 3 largely "ecclesiastical" sites including Franciscan and Dominican evangelisation - perhaps it has recognised that Mexico "got in" first and that this domain is rather over-represented now?
I hope this activity indicates that Guatemala is "getting its act together" on WHS matters. It is, in my opinion, considerably "under-represented" with only 3 sites but will have to "work hard" to differentiate itself. Still, if Nicaragua can get Leon Cathedral inscribed, then Guatemala must surely be able to increase its own tally!