That was ironic, right? The history of colonial powers tends not to be filled with respect for the sacred sites of the colonised. I find it mind-boggling, for instance, that despite repeated protests from the Greek government, you still need to travel to London to view many of the statues from the Parthenon. And the looting of Egyptian antiquities remains one of the great cultural crimes of modern history.

More recently, and in a more general sense, one only needs to look at Macchu Picchu to see the effect of (mostly European and American) tourists on the sacred sites of other lands.

Of course, none of this lessens the desecration or vandalism of sites closer to home (by natives or by visitors) one single jot. But it's worth bearing in mind that the Guatemalan in question was merely carrying on a rich tradition practiced, sadly, by many.