1954 Guatemalan coup d'état Created by Edouard (all) State: Public AI: Prod 2.0 with randomness Went public on 7/7/2021 Number of attempts: 182 Number of wins: 17 Number of likes: 4 Record holder: Hans Castorp in 11 turns on 7/8/2021

Description

In a long neglected corner of a conveniently neglected continent, change was happening. The corrupt dictator Ubico had been forced out of office by an uprising of students and the middle class. However, he left a country in ruins, where landowners amassed riches while labourers lived in misery, working endlessly in deplorable conditions. The United Fruit Company owned 42% of Guatemala's land, was exempt from taxes, and kept a monopoly on Guatemala's industries. But there was hope, as Guatemala experienced its first democratic election, which the popular Jacobo Árbenz won. Pursuing a progressive path within capitalist framework, Árbenz invested in infrastructure, limited the power of foreign enterprises, and put forward an agarian reform law, which gave uncultivated land owned by the UFCO to landless peasants, while compensating the UFCO. It symbolised a shift of power which benefited the long marginalized, though gravely provoking the UFCO, which extensively lobbied the US government, which in turn portrayed Árbenz as a Soviet agent. Determined to crush the disobedience of Guatemala, and in an attempt to restore the landowners and US capital to power, the US trained, funded, and armed a band of rebels, led by Armas, to topple Árbenz. The invasion itself, however, was a farce, as the rebels were no match for the Army. What really sealed Guatemala's fate, was US psychological warfare and propaganda, which created a looming prospect of a US spearheaded invasion, completely demoralising the Guatemalan Army... *See the complete history: search "1954 Guatemalan coup d'état" Tips: The Chiquimula garrison has surrendered to the rebels Large rebel forces will attack Jocotan. Stay on the defensive.