Kayb'il B'alam

Who is Kayb'il B'alam?

Kayb'il B'alam was a 16th-century leader of the Mam people in the Maya kingdom in the western highlands of Guatemala. During the time of the Spanish invasion, the Mam population was mainly situated in Xinabahul. However, due to the Spanish conquest, the people returned to the stone fortifications of Zaculeu for protection.

The city was attacked in 1525 by conquistador Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras, brother of Pedro de Alvarado. Kayb'il B'alam and his warriors successfully repelled the attempted siege by the Spanish forces for several months until being forced to surrender after being reduced to the verge of starvation.

In 1975, the Guatemalan Army created a special operations force, the Kaibiles, named after Kayb'il B'alam. The group is centered out of Huehuetenango some 5 km from the original stand off site at Zaculeu.