El presente trabajo analiza, mediante dos casos de litigio por tierras, la relación que existe entre los conflictos sociales y los conceptos y experiencias vinculados a la salud de los tzotziles en una comunidad de San Juan Chamula, ubicada en los Altos de Chiapas. En la población tzotzil de Yolonhuitz el recurso “tierra” es limitado, lo cual genera tensiones sociales entre la población, que se expresan en pugnas legales por su control. En ocasiones, la salud de quien gana el litigio y posee más tierra se ve afectada y sus padecimientos pueden interpretarse localmente como originados por envidia (ilvajinel).

Social conflict as generator of suffering: litigation for land and Ilvajunel (evil cast by envy) in Yolonhuitz, Chiapas.

The present work seeks to explain, through two cases of land dispute, the existing relationship between social conflict and the concepts as well as experiences involved in the health of the indigenous Tzotziles in a community of San Juan Chamula, Chiapas. In the Totzil town of Yolonhuitz, land is scarce and struggles for its control generate social strain among its members expressed through litigations. Within this context, those who have little or no land at all may envy people who possess greater quantities of land. This problem is so strong that this group of persons may contract a witchdoctor (ac’chamel) to provoke malaise in the health of the first group. The evil cast by the witchdoctor is called ilvajinel (evil cast by envy) in Tzotzil.