David Stoll

Who is David Stoll?

David Stoll is an American anthropologist. In his book Rigoberta Menchú and the Story of All Poor Guatemalans, Stoll pointed out inconsistencies between his fieldwork and the memoir that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú wrote with Elizabeth Burgos. Additionally, Stoll criticized many Western academics in their interpretation of Menchú's story, claiming that such academics romanticize guerrillas in Latin America. The New York Times featured his controversial findings about Menchú on their front page.

Stoll's position on Menchu has been criticized for evidencing bias in support of the Guatemalan Military, and for neglecting important data that contradicted his thesis. In her critique on Stoll's work, The Silencing of Maya Women from Mama Maquin to Rigoberta Menchu, anthropologist Victoria Sanford highlights inaccuracies in Stoll's book, and claims that he used highly questionable sources as research informants.

Stoll continues to carry out research in the Guatemalan highlands, most recently focusing on immigration, microcredit, and what he argues is a financial bubble created by the two. He teaches at Middlebury College.