A closer look: Las Cuevas
Located in the mountainous region of Western Guatemala, Las Cuevas is close to the Mexican border, and is one of the best coffee-growing regions in the world.
Carmella Villatoro, 72, is happy her grandchildren can now enjoy the Christmas lights that brighten the house at night.
Four generations of the Villatoro family.
The Villatoro residence nestled on the edge of Las Cuevas, overlooking the mountain and powered by co-op lines.
Merly Villatoro and her children at the family store. In addition to sundries, she sells frozen meats stored in a refrigerator she purchased when electricity came to her village.
Romeo Perez in the doorway to his coffee warehouse. He wants to export his coffee. But mostly, he wants to stop repairing cars so he won’t get greasy and dirty every day.
A man tending to his drying coffee beans on a sunny slab of concrete in Hoja Blanca. Coffee farming brings income for most of the people living in this region.
Sulmy takes care of her chickens, turkeys, and her future.
Enrique Herrera, community leader for Las Cuevas enjoying a cup of coffee in an NRECA International mug. He's at his home where he grows coffee on the hillside.
One of the many switchbacks that connect Las Cuevas to other villages in the area.
Like clockwork, this streetlight and others light up each day at 6:00 pm. Just 15 minutes from Las Cuevas, Hoja Blanca feels more like a small town than a remote mountain village.
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PublishedJanuary 12, 2018