Capitalist Issue 1: Guatemala Coup by Charlotte Kurtz https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab Evidence Board: Create an evidence board consisting of primary document evidence and up to 2 propaganda art/cartoons you create yourself. en-us 2023-05-02 12:27:47 UTC 2023-05-10 12:37:44 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-uploads.storage.googleapis.com/1822923445/2d0ea91aa8b3408ac735594b7b50fc91/drawing.png kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575122735 Our Main points
  • The United Fruit Company(UFCO), a American owned company and brought a lot of bananas to America owned a lot of land, and it was taken away suddenly by Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán during his presidency with advice from Communist parties
  • Communists were a part of his daily life, some even participating in his cabinet of officials.
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  • A public-relations campaign painted Arbenz as a friend of communists (whose support he undoubtedly had). However, the contention of the U.S. government, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and much of the U.S. media that Arbenz had close connections with the Soviet bloc proved to be unsubstantiated.

    • ]]>     2023-05-02 12:36:56 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575123639     kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575128659 Jacobo joined a group of leftist army officers that overthrew the Guatemalan dictator Jorge Ubico in 1944, and in 1949 he was the minister of war in Juan José Arévalo’s government. In March 1951 he succeeded to the presidency, supported by the army and the left-wing political parties, including the Guatemalan Communist Party. 

    ]]>     2023-05-02 12:40:55 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575128659     kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575129235 In 1939 Arbenz met and fell in love with Maria Cristina Vilanova. They were married soon afterwards. Maria was a socialist and soon converted her husband to this political philosophy. During this period Maria developed a strong friendship with the Chilean Communist leader Virginia Bravo and the Salvadoran Communist exile Matilde Elena Lopez. These three women organized regular political discussions at the Arbenz family home. https://www2.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/historylabs/Guatemalan_Coup_student:RS01.pdf]]> 2023-05-02 12:41:23 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575129235 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575129560
  • Arbenz became a secret opponent of Guatemalan dictator, Jorge Ubico. In the 1930s Sam Zemurray aligned United Fruit Company closely with the government of President Jorge Ubico.In June, 1944, teachers in Guatemala went on strike for higher pay. Other professions joined the teachers in street demonstrations. Ubico sent in the army and over 200 protesters were killed. This included Maria Chinchilla, the leader of the teachers' union movement. At this stage, the United States withdrew its support of Ubico. https://spartacus-educational.com/JFKarbenz.htm

    • ]]>     2023-05-02 12:41:41 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575129560     kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575130216
  • “The expropriations of United Fruit lands began in March 1953 when 209,842 acres of uncultivated land were taken by the government which offered a compensation of $627,572 in bonds. One month later the US Department of State complained to Arbenz demanding a $15,854,849 compensation for one of the two sized lands. While the Guatemalan government valued $2.99 per acre, the American government valued $ 75 per acre. The Guatemalan government did its valuation by using the information provided by the tax forms filled by United Fruit itself and, according to this information, this was the actual value of the land. United Fruit countered this argument by claiming that it had tried to raise the tax value before, but was prevented from doing so. The US government believed this version and endorsed the company's claim. The Guatemalan government refused to pay that amount and continued to expropriate United Fruit's lands in October 1953 and February 1954 offering the company a total of $500,000. This standoff led to worsening diplomatic relations between his country and the United States which saw his initiatives as too radical. United Fruit main shareholder, Samuel Zemurray endorsed an anti-Arbenz campaign in the American media and the U.S. Congress in order to show President Arbenz as a Communist threat in the Western Hemisphere.”-https://www.unitedfruit.org/arbenz.htm

    • ]]>     2023-05-02 12:42:09 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575130216     hirai27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575153619 Article 92 narrowed Article 91's interpretation by indicating that the government would be legally empowered to expropriate land at any time to fulfill the needs of society at large. Although Arévalo never invoked Articles 91 and 92, Guatemala's landed elite were alarmed at such a possible threat to private property and accused Arévalo of succumbing to Communist influence. ]]> 2023-05-02 12:59:57 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575153619 hirai27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575156185 In addition to calling him a Communist, opponents alternately labeled Arévalo a fascist or "Communist-fascist." Initial positive U.S. perceptions of the Guatemalan president changed drastically in 1947, when he signed a labor protection law that implicitly targeted the United Fruit Company. ]]> 2023-05-02 13:01:28 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575156185 hirai27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575166558 A public-relations campaign painted Arbenz as a friend of communists (whose support he undoubtedly had). However, the contention of the U.S. government, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and much of the U.S. media that Arbenz had close connections with the Soviet bloc proved to be unsubstantiated.

    ]]>     2023-05-02 13:08:45 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2575166558     kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2576946077 “Regarding Arbenz's refuge, the propaganda stressed that far from his expected protagonism, the former president was "taking cover behind the four walls of the room he had been given, from which he never came out." Additionally, the propaganda diseminated "jokes" that were circulating "from person to person" among those in asylum, whose central "protagonist" was Arbenz. The publicity given to these humorous tales seemed to kill two birds with one stone: on the one hand, it implicitly assessed the president's "cowardice," and on the other it made clear his supposed "links" with communism. The jokes included the following: "an old supporter of Arbenz has nicknamed him Sandino, sarcastically comparing Arbenz with that Nicaraguan hero who honored his word by being killed;" and "Someone else says that the former president will go to the Russian university in Kurken, where he is going to lecture on how to govern... and defend the government against any invasion."” (Roberto Garcia Ferreira, pg. 63).]]> 2023-05-03 15:39:37 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2576946077 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2576947455 “The CIA, once confirming the forthcoming presence of the Guatemalan citizen in South America, designed a series of "operations against" him, including the circulation of statements, in various stages and through the usual channels of information, emphasizing Arbenz's friendship with "the Communists;" "exposing his political and subversive activities, and showing therefore that he had violated the norms of asylum;" underlining "Arbenz's unstable temperament. . . and his dependence on liquor;" and indicating that "his daughters still were behind the iron curtain."62 A physician working for the agency was assigned to work on "a study of Arbenz that could be presented as a work of a psychiatrist having had a series of interviews with him." The plan was to have this study seem "as if it had come from a Czech desertor" and the"idea behind it" was to "portray Arbenz as a person unfit for public life."” (Roberto Garcia Ferrería, pg. 70).]]> 2023-05-03 15:40:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2576947455 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2576948979 “The first news on Arbenz came to the media in Montevideo in April, when a newspaper reported that the former "Head of the pro-Soviet Guatemalan Government" had obtained "a visa to travel to our country."68 A few days later, the same newspaper devoted an exclusive editorial piece to this point in question: Arbenz was a "fully-discussed figure" for having been the "first governmental official outside the iron curtain who accepted to be an official guest in a Communist State." For this reason, it was "inadmissible to imagine that someone might have had the occurrence of inviting him," although if he eventually came we would have the "ungrateful duty to receive him."” (Roberto Garcia Ferrería, pg. 70).]]> 2023-05-03 15:41:49 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2576948979 https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54Guat/d33 hirai27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2576962650 Arbenz Guzman’s wife came from El Salvador-a communist country. His wife was communist along with many of their friends.]]> 2023-05-03 15:51:58 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2576962650 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579464683 2023-05-05 12:19:19 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579464683 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579464929 2023-05-05 12:19:32 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579464929 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579465421 2023-05-05 12:19:52 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579465421 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579465690 2023-05-05 12:20:06 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579465690 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579465868 2023-05-05 12:20:14 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579465868 kurtzc27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579466008 2023-05-05 12:20:23 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579466008 Jose Manuel Fortuny hirai27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579471489 close advisor to Arbenz, agricultural secretary who helped write Decree 900 (Agrarian Reform Law). Founded the Guatemalan Communist Party in 1949 which was later renamed the Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT). He was secretary of the PGT until 1954 throughout his time advising Arbenz (Arbenz was in power 1951-1954).]]> 2023-05-05 12:25:51 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579471489 Agrarian Reform Law hirai27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579478958 It was first created by Communist Chinese party. Originates from Communist ideology.

    Made companies and rich people pay more taxes. This was because the Guatemalan government had little money, and so to redistribute the wealth to the poor they took from the rich. 

    They took the United Fruit Company’s land and gave it to the people of Guatemala. The United Fruit Company’s land was worth a lot of money. The Guatemalans did not pay the full amount of money for the land.
    ]]>     2023-05-05 12:32:52 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2579478958     okabes27 https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2583880266 Arbenz was directly affiliated with prominent Communist leaders and will-known organizations 

    He also annexed land from the United Fruit company which was owned by the Americans. Directly violating American property was considered illegal so, the United States (we) were forced to take action and fight back.

    ]]>     2023-05-09 14:05:28 UTC https://padlet.com/kurtzc27/zpu9krz8i9t79zab/wish/2583880266