United States’ 1954 Intervention In Guatemala
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Publicado: 14 de mayo de 2012
United States’ 1954 Intervention in Guatemala
The Coup d’état in Guatemala on June 18, 1954 was the first U.S. intervention to occur in a Latin American country during the Cold War. The United States’ vision of Latin America as its personal backyard led to the thought that the U.S. could get involved in the internal affairs of the countries in the region. Due to the idea of containment andthe United States’ fixation on the fight against communism, any country showing signs of nationalistic movements, economic independence, social progress, or interest in liberal reforms was categorized as “communist”. This research paper will argue that Guatemala was only searching for economical progress and independence, and was not actively seeking to be communist. It will be divided into threesections. First, it will explain what was the United States’ vision of Guatemala prior to the coup d’état. Second, it will analyze the actions taken by the Guatemalan government that led to the U.S. perception of communism in this country and its results. And thirdly, it will demonstrate how a super power irrationally judged this nation, which caused a regression in Guatemala’s politics, economy,and society, only for their benefit.
From 1931 to 1944, U.S. relations with Guatemala showed that it saw this country as its personal “backyard”. The United Fruit Company became one of Jorge Ubico’s closest allies. He gave the company hundreds of square miles of land, to which the company paid back with lots of investments throughout the country . The UFC took control of 42% of Guatemalanarable land, the country’s only sea port, and was excused of taxes and import duties . Indeed, under Ubico’s government, U.S. companies had the opportunity of obtaining cheaper land to establish plantations. Due to this, the United States Embassy gave Ubico’s government a lot of support .
Another incident that shows the United States’ vision of Guatemala is the Syphilis tests done in Guatemalafrom 1946 to 1948. According to a New York Times report, American doctors infected around 700 Guatemalan prisoners with venereal diseases so that penicillin’s success would be tested on them . Neither the Guatemalan government nor its people knew about the experiment until revelations were made public on October 1st 2010 .
As tensions increased during the Cold War, United States' officials becamemore concerned about possible communist ideals in Guatemala, after Ubico’s government was overthrown. In 1944, Juan Arevalo was appointed president in free democratic elections. Harry S. Truman began to pay closer attention to Central and Latin America due to the current events involving the USSR . Accordingly, Arevalo’s government was given more notice. In the beginning, the United Fruit Companysaw
Arevalo’s government as respectful and supportive. Things gave a drastic turn, when Arevalo approved a law in 1947 giving workers the right to organize the land, thus, they began to ask for higher wages and better treatments. United Fruit company executives, along with the Unite States’ Embassy, agreed on that this was an intrusion on the privileges given to the company under Ubico’s regimeand a direct attack to their projects. The UFC felt that Arevalo’s nationalistic movements had become too extremists by his treatment of American companies.
The conflict truly began when Jacobo Arbenz was elected democratically president of Guatemala in 1951. Influenced by Arevalo’s policies, Arbenz demanded the United Fruit Company sell 234,000 acres of their unused land with thecompensation of $ 600,000, which was the actual price of the land . The UFC, however, demanded a sum of $ 15 million, and when Arbenz refused, company executives who had strong ties with important political circles in the US did everything they could to make the U.S. intervene in Guatemala .
On June 17, 1952, Arbenz released the program Decree 900 . US officials saw it as constructive and democratic...
The Coup d’état in Guatemala on June 18, 1954 was the first U.S. intervention to occur in a Latin American country during the Cold War. The United States’ vision of Latin America as its personal backyard led to the thought that the U.S. could get involved in the internal affairs of the countries in the region. Due to the idea of containment andthe United States’ fixation on the fight against communism, any country showing signs of nationalistic movements, economic independence, social progress, or interest in liberal reforms was categorized as “communist”. This research paper will argue that Guatemala was only searching for economical progress and independence, and was not actively seeking to be communist. It will be divided into threesections. First, it will explain what was the United States’ vision of Guatemala prior to the coup d’état. Second, it will analyze the actions taken by the Guatemalan government that led to the U.S. perception of communism in this country and its results. And thirdly, it will demonstrate how a super power irrationally judged this nation, which caused a regression in Guatemala’s politics, economy,and society, only for their benefit.
From 1931 to 1944, U.S. relations with Guatemala showed that it saw this country as its personal “backyard”. The United Fruit Company became one of Jorge Ubico’s closest allies. He gave the company hundreds of square miles of land, to which the company paid back with lots of investments throughout the country . The UFC took control of 42% of Guatemalanarable land, the country’s only sea port, and was excused of taxes and import duties . Indeed, under Ubico’s government, U.S. companies had the opportunity of obtaining cheaper land to establish plantations. Due to this, the United States Embassy gave Ubico’s government a lot of support .
Another incident that shows the United States’ vision of Guatemala is the Syphilis tests done in Guatemalafrom 1946 to 1948. According to a New York Times report, American doctors infected around 700 Guatemalan prisoners with venereal diseases so that penicillin’s success would be tested on them . Neither the Guatemalan government nor its people knew about the experiment until revelations were made public on October 1st 2010 .
As tensions increased during the Cold War, United States' officials becamemore concerned about possible communist ideals in Guatemala, after Ubico’s government was overthrown. In 1944, Juan Arevalo was appointed president in free democratic elections. Harry S. Truman began to pay closer attention to Central and Latin America due to the current events involving the USSR . Accordingly, Arevalo’s government was given more notice. In the beginning, the United Fruit Companysaw
Arevalo’s government as respectful and supportive. Things gave a drastic turn, when Arevalo approved a law in 1947 giving workers the right to organize the land, thus, they began to ask for higher wages and better treatments. United Fruit company executives, along with the Unite States’ Embassy, agreed on that this was an intrusion on the privileges given to the company under Ubico’s regimeand a direct attack to their projects. The UFC felt that Arevalo’s nationalistic movements had become too extremists by his treatment of American companies.
The conflict truly began when Jacobo Arbenz was elected democratically president of Guatemala in 1951. Influenced by Arevalo’s policies, Arbenz demanded the United Fruit Company sell 234,000 acres of their unused land with thecompensation of $ 600,000, which was the actual price of the land . The UFC, however, demanded a sum of $ 15 million, and when Arbenz refused, company executives who had strong ties with important political circles in the US did everything they could to make the U.S. intervene in Guatemala .
On June 17, 1952, Arbenz released the program Decree 900 . US officials saw it as constructive and democratic...
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