1 / 6

CIA Interventions in Latin America: Guatemala

CIA Interventions in Latin America: Guatemala. Background. 1954 Codename: Operation Success Goal: To overthrow the government of Guatemala Reasons behind the operation: U.S. government was convinced Jacobo Arbenz (president of Guatemala) was a communist (that is what the government states…).

Download Presentation

CIA Interventions in Latin America: Guatemala

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. CIA Interventions in Latin America: Guatemala

  2. Background • 1954 • Codename: Operation Success • Goal: To overthrow the government of Guatemala • Reasons behind the operation: U.S. government was convinced Jacobo Arbenz (president of Guatemala) was a communist (that is what the government states…)

  3. Important People Involved: Guatemala • Jacobo Arbenz: Democratically elected president of Guatemala since 1951 • Policies included • Construction of a publicly owned port • Government-run hydroelectric plant • Land reform legislation • Col. Carlos Castillo Armas • Military leader backed by the U.S. in overthrowing Arbenz • Became President of Guatemala 7/8/1954 Jacobo Arbenz

  4. Important People Involved: America • Economic interests: United Fruit Company (UFC) controlled most of the land due to banana production • President: Dwight D. Eisenhower, authorized secret bombings of Guatemala • CIA Personnel • Allen Dulles: Head of the CIA • Jack Peurifoy: Ambassador to Guatemala • Al Haney: field commander • Tracy Barnes: chief of political warfare • David Atlee Phillips: Voice of Liberation Dwight D. Eisenhower

  5. Tactics Used • CIA funded an anti-communist student movement in Guatemala City • Bribed the military to overthrow Arbenz • Weapons embargo on Guatemala, so Arbenz could not get any guns • Leaflets dropped on Guatemalans detailing the negative aspects of communism • Psychological warfare (Psy Ops): Voice of Liberation

  6. Overthrow and Aftermath • Arbenz was overthrown with the assistance of U.S. weapons (bombs, dynamite, hand grenades) • Arbenz’s people turned against him because he suspended civil liberties • Castillo Armas became president and was assassinated in 1957 • Guatemala had decades of unstable rule, repression, and death squads later on

More Related