Winaq

Winaq is a left-wing political party in Guatemala whose most notable member is Rigoberta Menchú, who is ethnically Kʼicheʼ. Its name comes from the Kʼicheʼean word for "people" or "humanity", "winaq". It is a party whose roots are in the indigenous communities of Guatemala. Ideology In a working paper of a seminar organised by FLACSO Guatemala and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation written in 2007, it was concluded that Winaq had an ambiguous ideology, trying to combine adversarial interests. Later, after committing to an alliance with other left-wing parties, the party developed a more pronounced left-wing perspective with eco-socialist leanings. The party is known for its political activism to prohibit infrastructure projects that threaten natural goods, especially rivers and water quality. History Formation and early results In the 2007 general elections, Winaq's pro-formation committee participated with the Encuentro por Guatemala party, nominating Rigoberta Menchú as presidential candidate. The alliance came in seventh place in the presidential elections. The alliance fared slightly better at the legislative elections gathering 6.18% of the national vote and 4 seats. In 2008 the party finally secured enough affiliates to register as a legal party, which was heralded by the Guatemala Times, as “one of the most important steps ever achieved by a Mayan political leader in Guatemala.”