U.S. Overthrow of Democracy in Guatemala - CIA Coups

NOTE: I read through 5 thousand documents on the CIA website to research & find the documents to feature in this video, please show your appreciation by subscribing & rating.

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Estimated Death Tolls in Guatemala due to government repression:

CDI: 140,000,
New York Times: 100,000 dead & 40,000 disappeared, presumed dead,
Dictionary of Wars: 150,000 dead & 50,000 missing,
Chomsky: 200,000 dead & disappeared,
Amnesty International: 200,000,
Commision for Historical Clarification: 200,000

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In 1954 America overthrew the democratic government of Guatemala.

In Nov 1950 Jacobo Arbenz won the Guatemalan elections with 65% of the vote! The democratically elected leader was inaugarated on March 15 1951.

Arbenz was a Capitalist Liberal Reformist who implemented social programs for the poor. In June 1952 he issued 'Decree 900', expropriating uncultivated land from large plantations, paying for it with Govt. bonds & renting it to the poor. Even Arbenz gave up his own land.

In the 1950s only 2.2% of the people owned 70% of arable land. Even the World Bank issued a report recommending many of Arbenz's policies.

In March 1953 Arbenz expropriated 209,842 acres of land from the United Fruit Company of America. The Govt. offered $627,572 to UFC, the declared tax value of the land.

In Oct '53 & Feb '54, Arbenz's Govt. expropriated a further 386,901 acres in total from UFC, offering a further $500,000.

On April the 20 1954 the U.S. State Dept. demanded $15,854,849 compensation, on behalf of UFC, for the 209,842 acres of Land originally expropriated. United Fruit were asking for $75 per acre for land that they had paid $1.48 an acre for & had valued at $2.99 an acre for tax purposes!

Unluckily for Arbenz & the Guatemalan people, United Fruit's P.R. consultant was Edward Bernays. Bernays, considered to be one of the most influential Americans of the 20th Century & the father of spin, waged a huge propaganda campaign against Arbenz back in the U.S. According to Stephen Kinzer (renowned New York Times reporter) in his book 'Bitter Fruit', Bernays encouraged his many contacts in the media to write about the 'Communist problem' in Guatemala, planted false stories with journalists & even arranged free trips for some to travel & report there.

Sources used in video:

CIA documents;

PROGRAM FOR PBSUCCESS
CIA'S ROLE IN THE OVERTHROW OF ARBENZ
HBDRILL ATTEMPT TO PLANT STORY RE GUATEMALA
GUATEMALAN ARMS ACQUISITION WATTACHMENT

Search for these documents in the Guatemala section of the CIA website:

http://www.foia.cia.gov/guatemala.asp


Newspaper Articles;

Ideas & Trends: Iran and Guatemala, 1953-54; Revisiting Cold War Coups and Finding Them Costly
By STEPHEN KINZER
November 30, 2003

LAND REFORM IN GUATEMALA
New York Times
May 21, 1952

GUATEMALA TO SEIZE UNITED FRUIT ACREAGE
THE NEW YORK TIMES.
February 26, 1953

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[MACN100]

I is so sad to see my beautiful country the way that it is. Everyday reports of killings by the gangs. Dead people on the street. Hungry children asking you for money. People that reject their culture (very sad). The gangs are in a way the authorities were my parents live in Santa Lucia Cotzulmaguapa.

US THE GREATEST TERRORISTS TO HAVE EVER IMPOSED TERROR.

[CapitalistHolocaust]

Hello Macn100,

are you originally from Guatemala?

Yes, the killing is starting up again & many are saying it's a lot to do with the closer ties between the U.S. & Guatemala again.

The killings had died down after the CIA stopped secretly sending money to the Guatemalan Govt. in the mid to late 90's, but Amnesty International is reporting many deaths of Women in particular.

[MACN100]

I moved to California at a young age but I take at least 1 trip a year to Guate. That is very disturbing that the U.S. could be responsible for the grotesque deaths in the country. But man, if only you could see the things that I've seen while visiting over the recent years. Beheadings in the jails, the bus drivers killed daily, there seems to be no end.

Like I said, by far the most sad thing about Guatemala is the discrimination of the indigenous people, THE PURE RACE!

[CapitalistHolocaust]

It's mad isn't it, that one of the safest places that people have to move to, to get away from the terror of the United States, is the United States itself.

It's amazing how democracies can grant so many freedoms to their own citizens (including immigrants) & yet at the same time, literally get away with genocide elsewhere.

It's also amazing that many people don't recognize who it is who is oppressing them. I found this with Indonesia. Many are not aware of the US & UK role their.

[oclandestin]

Great video. The CIA has to be the biggest terrorist threat to humanity.

[LiquidT3nsion]

While u try to redefine "system" or "natural state of human being" i just point the fact that people get to choose their own government and not someone else country policing the world or manipulating it. I dont like to do numbers when it comes to tell who killed more because killing is just wrong. We must just need to respect every nation sovereignty in every aspect political and territorial.

[SevenLeggedWalrus]

Awesome videos, now look at what`s happening in Libya!

[cooks1234]

its interesting how many fall for the propaganda of capitalism such as soviet union was communist when it hasnt been achieved.people before you speak on certain topic learn about it

[cooks1234]

actually the interesting thing about that time was that yes guatemala did have communism in it arbenz wife was a socialist and studyd marxism as a matter of fact she influenced arbenz into communist socialist marxist ideas.also alot of the people in the gov were communists.so basically this was a good thing.also it was mainly because of communist that the ten years of spring happened

[LiquidT3nsion]

The influence of a bigger state on a third world or smaller country is inevitable specially if they are in the same region if there is no good relations between nations there's where diplomacy resumes. Now American methods of conspiracy, sabotage and embargo have been very effective along history nothing like Nazi Germany that was by diplomacy or by force they couldn't apply embargos They didn't finance anyone in the region but who financed the Nazis? Americans.

[TheKuffarKid]

In WW2 Switzerland was neutral. Suppose they democratically elected a govt that was going to aid the Nazi war machine. Would they be a justified target of the Allies to manipulate it if they could and to topple the govt?

[CapitalistHolocaust]

Which is deplorable. But, compare it to the 17 million killed by Capitalist Britain in India alone, or even the 18 million killed by Capitalist Europeans in the Atlantic Slave Trade alone, or the 10-20 million killed by Britain & America since WWII alone & you gain a more realistic perspective.

[CapitalistHolocaust]

Don't exaggerate. If we take a median calculation of the reliable historians estimates on Communist death tolls it works out at about 50 million. Most of which were DUE TO FAMINE.

Okay, it can be argued that even the Mao famines (which killed around 30 million) - though not deliberate - can be blamed on the rigid system of dictatorship imposed.

But if you want to be honest about it, rather than propagandistic. Communism was probably responsible for the death & murders of around 10-15 million.

[Cres45]

Sorry i just wanted to say that property in statist systems does not free the people. It is simply used by the proprietors and the state to abuse the workers and gain the surplus value of it. I am against the way that property is used, not the property itself.

[TheKuffarKid]

"crime is happening in systems that create poverty"  Systems that create poverty? Systems don't create poverty. Poverty is man's natural state of being.