A traditional Mayan ceremony held on Saturday at the Kaminal Juyú archaeological site in Guatemala’s capital served as a poignant tribute to Nobel Prize-winning author Miguel Ángel Asturias. The event marked the return of the writer's ashes to his homeland, arriving Thursday from France, where he had been buried following his death in exile in 1974.
The ritual brought together the author’s family and notable guests, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum. The ceremony’s altar was decorated with flowers in red, white, yellow, and purple—representing the four cardinal directions—alongside cinnamon, incense, and candles. Before the ritual began, Menchú approached the 70-pound (32-kilogram) green jade urn containing the ashes, placing her hands upon it in a gesture of reverence before praying and kissing the vessel.
"Today, we are here, honored by the eternal presence of Don Miguel Ángel Asturias, not only in Guatemala, but throughout the world," Menchú stated, later urging Guatemalans to preserve the author's legacy by reading his literary contributions. Asturias, who died of cancer in Madrid seven years after being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, is widely regarded as a pioneer of Magical Realism and a pivotal figure in the 1960s and 1970s boom of Latin American literature.
The author’s life was marked by political turmoil; he went into exile after a 1954 coup led by Gen. Carlos Castillo Armas. During this period, his passport was revoked, and his citizenship was stripped under accusations of communism. His final visit to the country occurred in 1966, a time when Guatemala was already suffering from intense repression and civil conflict. While he was known for supporting Indigenous rights and engaging in social protests, he also faced historical criticism regarding his college thesis.
Ancestral knowledge guide Tat Juan José Chirizcuat, who officiated the ritual, noted that the ceremony provided a space for reconciliation and forgiveness regarding the varying perspectives on the author’s life. Echoing this sentiment, the writer's son, Miguel Ángel Asturias Amado, expressed hope for national unity, stating, "My father has arrived in Guatemala; may his arrival serve to unite Guatemala." The ashes will lie in state at the National Palace of Culture through Saturday, with a final interment scheduled for Sunday at a monument within the Miguel Ángel Asturias Cultural Center.
