“Serpent Tongue” is a photo book that explores Guatemalan history through the lenses of power, identity and memory.
In 1954, during the height of the Cold War, the CIA carried out a coup to overthrow the first democratically-elected president in Guatemala. In the months leading up to the coup, the CIA Station Chief in Guatemala City was my grandfather - a man who died long before I was born, but whose presence loomed like a mythological creature throughout much of my childhood.
Beginning with the coup - a catalyst event - my book weaves together personal memoirs, archival imagery and portraits as the United States strengthened its influence in Guatemala, careening the country towards the decades-long Civil War and genocide. Throughout, I dissect the family lore and contradicting narratives that shape my grandfather’s role in destabilizing Guatemala.