Introduction: commons past -- Liberal plunder: a recurring Q'eqchi' history -- Maya Gringos: Q'eqchi' lowland migration and territorial expansion -- Commons, customs, and carrying capacities: the property and population traps of the Peten frontier -- Speculating: the world bank's market-assisted land reform -- From colonial to corporate capitalisms: expanding cattle frontiers -- The neoliberal auction: the PPP and the DR-CAFTA -- Conclusion: common futures