New Bedford Community Raises Funds to Repatriate Guatemalan Woman's Remains

The K'iche' community comes together to send Nicolasa Ventura Colaj's body back to her hometown in Guatemala after a fatal car accident.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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After Nicolasa Ventura Colaj, a 33-year-old member of the K'iche' community in New Bedford, Massachusetts, was killed in a car accident, her husband Antonio Colaj Olmos and the local Guatemalan community organized a fundraiser to raise the $12,000 needed to repatriate her remains to Guatemala. Repatriation is an important cultural practice for the K'iche' people, as they believe the deceased's spirit cannot rest until their body is returned to their birthplace to reunite with their ancestors.

Why it matters

The repatriation of Nicolasa Ventura Colaj's remains highlights the deep cultural significance of this practice for the K'iche' community. It reflects their belief that the soul cannot be at peace unless the body is returned to the land where it was born, allowing the deceased to reunite with their ancestors. This tradition has persisted despite centuries of suppression by colonial and religious authorities, demonstrating the resilience of indigenous cultural practices.

The details

The fundraiser organized by the K'iche' community in New Bedford sold 500 plates of carne asada, rice, beans, and salad to raise the necessary funds. The repatriation process involves several steps, including obtaining the proper customs forms, canceling the deceased's passport with the Guatemalan government, and arranging air cargo transport of the hermetically sealed casket. The total cost is typically around $9,000, with the majority going towards the $2,000 air cargo fare.

  • Nicolasa Ventura Colaj was killed in a car accident on January 1, 2026.
  • The fundraiser to raise money for her repatriation was held shortly after her death.
  • Colaj's remains arrived in Guatemala on January 29, 2026, after being delayed by a major snowstorm in the region.

The players

Antonio Colaj Olmos

Nicolasa Ventura Colaj's husband.

Nicolasa Ventura Colaj

A 33-year-old member of the K'iche' community in New Bedford, Massachusetts who was killed in a car accident.

Cristina Garcia Gonzáles

The organizer of the fundraiser to raise money for Colaj's repatriation.

Lisa Maya Knauer

An anthropologist at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth who works with the K'iche' community.

Patrick Saunders

The funeral director at Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Homes, which has experience with repatriation cases.

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What they’re saying

“To many people the Guatemalan nation-state is an abstraction and their real connection is with their place of birth. That is where the spirits of their ancestors are. You want to go back and kind of complete the cycle so your body will not be at rest until it returns to the place it began.”

— Lisa Maya Knauer, Anthropologist (newbedfordlight.org)

“God has called me to help those most in need, and this is one of those moments.”

— Cristina Garcia Gonzáles, Fundraiser Organizer (newbedfordlight.org)

“This is the Maya version of the circle of life. Life and death are intertwined and interdependent.”

— Lisa Maya Knauer, Anthropologist (newbedfordlight.org)

What’s next

The judge in the case against the 16-year-old Dartmouth resident involved in the fatal accident will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the defendant out on bail.

The takeaway

The repatriation of Nicolasa Ventura Colaj's remains to Guatemala highlights the deep cultural significance of this practice for the K'iche' community, reflecting their belief that the deceased's spirit cannot rest until their body is returned to their birthplace to reunite with their ancestors. This tradition has endured despite centuries of suppression, demonstrating the resilience of indigenous cultural practices in the face of colonialism and religious influence.