The Guatemalan Revolution
I. Jorge Ubico, 1931-1944
A. Classic banana dictator of pre-war era
B. Emphasis on agrarian export
C. Eliminated last vestiges of Mayan rule
D. Vagrancy law required all to have proof of employment (subsistence farming didn't count).
E. Created a police state
1. Any opposition, any effort at reform, Ubico labeled as Communist
2. Lacking any widespread support, Ubico had to deal with any challengers, critics savagely
F. Made numerous concessions to United Fruit
F. Guatemala on the eve of the revolution
1. Two crop economy - coffee and bananas
2. United Fruit, a U.S. company, controlled banana trade, Caribbean port, East-West railroad
3. 3 million people
4. 75% Mayan, 75% illiterate
5. Almost two countries
1. Other than as laborers, had little contact with ladino (white, mestizo, Westernized) world
2. Mayans excluded from politics or any control over economy
3. Ladino society in cities knew little about Mayans
II. Ocotober Revolution on 1944
A. Defeat of Axis powers in WWII led to middle-class revolt in Guatemala
B. If democracy had won out in Europe, why should dictatorship continue in Guatemala?
1. Assassination of anti-Ubico newspaper editor leads to revolt by mid-level officers
2. These officers are from middle class
3. Revolt had wide-spread support
C. No concrete program, but generally committed to three things:
1. Ending the semi-feudal nature of Guatemala
2. Ending dependence on foreign economies
3. Creating a capitalist, industrialized economy
4. In sum, modernizing Guatemala (not unlike goals of Sonoran Dynasty in Mexico)
III. Juan Jose Arevalo and "Spiritual Socialism"
A. Exiled college professor elected first President of the Revolution
B. As a writer and intellectual, widely known as committed to democracy.
C. Exile left him untainted by dictatorship.
D. His administration primarily dedicated to dismantling authoritarianism
E. Something of a statist
1. Believed that communal welfare came first, before the individual's concerns
2. Personal freedom of conscience within a commitment to general welfare
3. This is the essence of "Spriritual Socialism"
IV. Arevalo in Power (1945-1951) - a progressive and nationalistic government
A. 1945 Constitution
1. Devolution of power away from president
2. Checks and balances
3. Universal suffrage (this will bring Mayans in)
4. Basic human rights
B. Attempts to undermine local dictators
1. Participates in Caribbean League, which works to oust dictators
2. This makes USA nervous - doesn't like idea of revolutions
C. Creation of capitalist institutions to promote growth
1. Central Bank created
2. promotion of home-grown industry
D. Labor Code
1. Abolished vagrancy law
2. Legalized collective bargaining (making unions effective and legal)
3. Made contracts mandatory
4. Declared basic human rights of all workers, whatever their ethnicity (this aimed at Mayans)
5. All this led to rapid unionization
E. Pushed massive social programs, including educational reforms and expansion
F. Bringing Mayans into national society
1. Created National Indian Institute
2. Meant to study Mayans to learn how to best apply legislation to them
H. Agrarian reform
1. Some expropriation for redistribution, mostly German-owned property
2. Largely left for next President (Arbenz)
V. Counterrevolution
A. Conservative upper-crust accepted none of Arevalo
B. Thought him unfair, unjust, corrupt, Communist, and wasteful
C. Launched 25 coup attempts against him
VI. The Election of Jacobo Arbenz - 1950
A. Division between Right, Middle (Arana) and Liberal/Left (Arbenz)
B. Assassination of Arana paved way for Arbenz election
C. Arbenz elected overwhelmingly - 65% of vote
D. Elites and upper middle class did not vote for him
VII. The Arbenz Government
A. Overriding concerns of administration
1. Guatemalan independence in international economic and political structure
2. Guatemalan independence in its domestic policy
B. Foreign interests not excluded, but demanded a new relationship based on Guatemalan sovereignty
C. Emphasis on capitalist modernization to achieve goals
D. Believed in strong active state involvement to direct modernization
E. Wanted and east-west highway and an Atlantic port, in part to counter power of United Fruit
F. Above all, the need for agrarian reform to give land to peasants
G. Agrarian reform meant to improve life of peasants, produce wealth to support modernization
H. Arbenz also allowed communists to operate in unions, and allowed a few to work for government
VIII. Land Reform under Arbenz
A. Decree 900 (June 17 1952) - meant to end pattern of large concentrations of land in hands of few
B. How to do this without inspiring violence or violating concept of private property?
C. Answer: expropriate unused lands. 32 biggest farms had 1.72 million acres, but 1.58 million went unused.
D. Land to be redistributed in medium sized peasant farms (8.5 to 17 acres)
E. Owners would be paid with 25 year bonds based on (self) declared tax value
F. Over next two years, 1.66 million distributed to 100,000 peasant families
G. Some of the administrators were leftists
IX. Confrontation with United Fruit
A. United Fruit had very dominant position but contributed little to internal development
B. Paid virtually no taxes, reneged on promises
C. Reported profits twice of government's budget, but claimed poverty
D. Fiefdom like power created by Ubico's concessions, racism aroused nationalist feelings
E. Conflict with Arbenz over Decree 900 inevitable
1. United Fruit had 400,00 acres unused land - 1/7 of Guatemala's arable land
2. Payment issue
a. according to UF's own self-declared tax value, land worth $1.185 million
b. This is what Arbenz said government would pay
c. But UF said it was really worth $15.9 million
F. UF initiated a major public relations campaign against Arbenz in USA
X. View From the North - The Cold War Ethos
A. Eisenhower's policies guided by concerns over left-wing activity in Guatemala and increasing anti-Americanism of Arbenz
B. In particular, Cold War Ethos would guide Eisenhower
1. Belief that USSR was an expansionist, imperialist power
2. Belief that all leftists everywhere were tied to Moscow
3. Belief that all anti-Americanism everywhere was tied to Moscow
4. Belief in Communist Cell Theory - a small group of leftists can undermine a society, prepare it for Communist takeover
5. Munich Analogy - Communist dictators can not be negotiated with (as they see negotiation as a sign of weakness)
6. Containment - in the Nuclear Age, the only way USSR can be stopped is to not allow its power to spread.
C. This left no room for a nationalist reformer like Arbenz
1. Conflict with UF seen as anti-Americanism in support of Moscow
2. Toleration of leftists seen as sign of impending Communist takeover
3. Eisenhower would authorize intervention to prevent creation of Communist government in Guatemala
XI. The Campaign against Arbenz and PBSUCCESS
A. With help of United Fruit, public and Congressional opinion mobilized against Arbenz
B. USA pressures other nations to isolate Guatemala diplomatically and economically
C. This leads to Alfehm affair (May 1954)
1. Cut off from other sources, Arbenz turn to East Bloc to buy weapons
2. This seen in White House as proof of his plans to move towards Communism
3. Arms shipped on Alfehm
4. Eisenhower decided Arbenz had to go before weapons got there
D. Meanwhile, upper and middle class increasingly against Arbenz
1. Some saw him as proto-Communist
2. But most worried he would bring on foreign intervention, either from USSR or USA
E. CIA initiated PBSUCCESS - a disinformation coup against Arbenz
1. Gathered a very small force of Guatemalans in Honduras to invade
2. Used disinformation on radio to make people think a major invasion was underway
3. Dropped a few sticks of dynamite out of a small plane on Guatemala City to spread fear
4. Arbenz believed real invasion was underway, but Army did nothing to counter it.
5. Without support of Army, Arbenz fled country
6. Castillo Armas, leading 300 men, took over
X. Aftermath
A. Armas and his successors would roll back gains of Revolution
B. Army would take increasing role in government, several military governments
C. Rebel groups would form - civil war would rage for almost 40 years
D. Army would use scorched earth tactics and death squads to fight rebels
E. Some 100,000 would die - Mayan peasants would suffer the most
F. Tens of thousands went into exile
G. Meanwhile, USA gets the idea these kinds of coups are easy - contributes to debacles in Cuba, Vietnam