Racism was one of the main causes of the Mayan genocide. While the elites constituted the minority population of the country they feared that they would lose their power and lands to the hands of the less civilized Mayans. In order to justify the killings of the indigenous they perpetuated a loathing, racist ideology towards the Mayans. In addition to the massacres, the regime openly enacted a policy called “Scorched Earth,” which included the removal of Maya from their lands, claiming that they are not properly working the land (Combat Genocide Association, 2001). Using racism as justification for taking their land the government claimed that Mayan primitive farming techniques were damaging the land. In other words, to the wealthy elites and
