The Impossible Dream of Doing Things Right in Guatemala?

The silver chalice rests its four centuries in one of jeweler Gerardo González Hernández's sensible palms, as the other one slowly runs through the hundreds of embodiments forged in the colonial piece, encouraging him to try to put in words 66 years of memories of the only active coin minter in Central America.

The irresistible innovation adventure, to someone who calculates having created 1,500 different jewelry molds, led him to acquire two years ago, in Italy, a 300 ton hydraulic press to venture in minting. Was he, who made the official commemorative medals of Pope John Paul II¥s second visit to the country, past february.

Not all stories of Guatemalan small and medium entrepreneurs that have wanted to develop, have had those continuity expectations, though all of them had to withstand the displeasures of an economic system not a few times adverse to the investor that risk s everything in a company, an idea or a dream.

The first minting of the González, a project joined by Estuardo¥s wife, Lilia Cifuentes, was the Hermano Pedro Medal, a numbered 18 karat limited edition, in benefit of the social works or Hermano Pedro in Antigua Guatemala. Each one of the 1000 ex clusive pieces has a numbered authenticity and guarantee certificate. Part of the revenues is destined to the reconstruction of the workshops where the charity builds and repairs equipment for handicapped people.

Their second job was the minting of the official commemorative medal of Pope John Paul II¥s second visit to Guatemala, last february, in 14, 18 and 24 karat gold limited editions. The Catholic Church receives a benefit for its charities from the sale of e ach one of them.

In a visit last year to Rome, then president Ramiro de León Carpio, delivered to Pope John Paul II, in name of the people of Guatemala, that edition's number one Medal, which now is found at the Vatican Museum.

Now, the main challenge for this jeweler and minter, is to open more and more the local market, which was foreign to this type of products.