Guatemala 1954 (sep 12, 1954 – sep 12, 1954)

Description:

***USSR not involved in this
**similar to Iran but much bloodier

Poor country --> used to be a Spanish colony

Got independence in the 1800s

Off and on dictatorships & democracies

1920s: US invests heavily in central America + creates United Fruit Company, making US own a large part of Guatemala land

President Jacobo Arbenz elected in Guatelmala

He does not want the US to own all this land and peasants to own nothing --> Arbenz decides to give US land to the peasants

CIA trains people who don't like Arbenz and drops them into Guatemala to overthrow Arbenz (led by Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas)

Armas sets himself up as dictator

Civil War begins against Armas (~200,000 civilians died)

Lasting Effects:
- Guatemala = super poor
- United Fruit Company becomes Dohl

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