First of all, I would like to thank you for showing me a side of my country that I had not seen before. I had heard the different stories my close relatives and friends told me about their own experiences of being robbed at gunpoint; however, I could not fully understand until it happened to one of the most important people in my life and I. I cannot describe how powerless both of you made me feel. You have planted a seed of fear in me that was not there before. I could move freely around the streets of my country, and now I cannot. You have taken away from me something no one can give me back, my peace of mind. The constant fear of being robbed at gunpoint again that now everyone in the street seems like a potential thief. You have taken away from me my freedom.

After you took off I began to realize how powerless you must feel too. You showed me how real the desperation to feed a family is. Both of you young men seemed as afraid as I was. Perhaps not for the same reasons but certainly afraid of something. I cannot understand why you did such thing. Pointing a loaded gun to an innocent woman and a teenager? I cannot begin to process your decision to go out to the street and terrorize the hard working people of our country. We both live in this nation and now I begin to understand the lack of not only security for yours and my family but the lack of opportunity both of you have not been given. The corrupted system in our country has stripped you off the opportunities you deserve. The education system has not provided you with the tools you need to have a better and more educated future. The health system has not given you the necessary assurance that is has your back in case of a medical emergency. You have so much to worry about and these are just eh tip of the iceberg. You and I were not born in the same circumstances and have not been given the same opportunities; yet, this should not be a determining factor to our destiny but unfortunately in this country it is. Even though the three of us should be able to determine our own future you have not had the same free will as I have. I knew I was going to university. You might not even know if your life span will be that high.

This event, I hope, has changed both of our lives. I hope seeing my terrified face was a wakeup call to your actions. I hope you realize the damage you are doing to yourselves and to our society. I hope you woke up the next day and realized how you are only feeding the same corrupted system that did you wrong. You and I might have a different concept of terrorism. However, let me enlighten your knowledge. Any action that terrorizes a particular group of civilians is terrorism. It might not necessarily involve car bombs. So yes, you two are terrorists. You have terrorized me. You have terrorized your other victims.

I wish you both a better future. I wish you two to find who you really are. I wish you two find a better path that instead of stealing and carrying illegal loaded guns, both of you find an honest job that adds to our country. Even though you have taken away from me, I will try to add to yours by having both of you in my prayers. Even though our paths have crossed under a situation when you were not in your right might. I forgive you. I know you might not read this.

Instead of wanting revenge, I have understood that you were not in your right mind. The circumstances surrounding your life are not the same as mine, where I have the privilege of not worrying about feeding a starving family or living around gangs eager to take my soul. I forgive you and hope we may meet again under better circumstances and perhaps share ideas on how to improve Guatemala as a whole.

So don’t consider this an open letter but more of an invitation to a better future. This has been written by someone who still has faith in you. I have faith in both of you.

Sincerely,

The girl of whom you took her peace of mind.