HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF GUATEMALA

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF GUATEMALA

IN GUATEMALA, SINCE THE SPANISH CONQUEST, LADINOS (MIXED SPANISH & INDIAN) HAVE DOMINATED INDIANS BY CONTROLLING THEIR LAND & LABOR FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS IN GUATEMALA, THE MILITARY HAS SYSTEMATICALLY ELIMINATED ALL OPPOSITION TO ITS REPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT

FROM 1978-1985 POLITICAL VIOLENCE OVERWHELMED THE COUNTRYSIDE WITH ARMY ATTACKS, TORTURE, & DISAPPEARANCES

MILITARY & DEATH SQUADS HAVE TARGETED LABOR UNION ACTIVISTS, PEASANT ORGANIZERS, STUDENTS, UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, LEFTIST POLITICIANS, & LIBERAL CLERICS

THE GOVERNMENT RECRUITED INFORMERS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES THE ARMY MILITARIZED INDIAN PROVINCES FORCING TEENAGE BOYS & MEN INTO CIVIL PATROLS & FORCING REFUGEES INTO MILITARY-CONTROLLED "MODEL VILLAGES"

THE GUATEMALAN OLIGARCHY (RULING CLASS) FORMED AN ALLIANCE WITH THE MILITARY GENERALS THE TRADITIONAL BASE OF THIS OLIGARCHY WAS THE AGRO-EXPORT SYSTEM

COFFEE EXPORT BEGAN IN THE MID 1800s IT WAS FINANCED, PROCESSED, & MARKETED BY GERMANS GERMANS ACQUIRED SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF COFFEE-GROWING LAND 1870-1920 MUCH LAND WAS SEIZED FROM MAYAN INDIANS FOR COFFEE PRODUCTION FOR EXPORT LABOR WAS PROVIDED PRIMARILY BY INDIAN & MESTIZOS PEASANTS

IN WWII THE GOVERNMENT WAS FORCED BY THE U.S. TO CONFISCATE GERMAN COFFEE INTERESTS & ALLOW U.S. INVESTORS TO CONTROL THE COFFEE MARKET U.S. INVESTORS FIRST CAME TO GUATEMALA FOR BANANAS, NOT COFFEE THE OWNER OF THE BOSTON FRUIT COMPANY FORMED UNITED FRUIT COMPANY IN 1899, WHICH CHANGED THE HISTORY OF CENTRAL AMERICA THEY ESTABLISHED A MONOPOLY OF PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION OF BANANAS & ACQUIRED VAST TRACTS OF LAND IN THE TROPICAL LOWLANDS

IN 1904 DICTATOR MANUEL ESTRADA CABRERA (1898-1920) GAVE UNITED FRUIT THE RIGHT TO BUILD A RAILROAD IN RETURN FOR THE RAILROAD, UNITED FRUIT WAS GIVEN 170,000 ACRES OF THE BEST LAND IN GUATEMALA BY THE 1930s UNITED FRUIT WAS THE LARGEST LANDOWNER IN GUATEMALA UNITED FRUIT OWNED INTERNATIONAL RAILWAYS, DOCKS, PORTS, & SHIPS UNITED FRUIT FORMED A POWERFUL ENCLAVE ECONOMY

"BANANA REPUBLICS" (COSTA RICA, HONDURAS, PANAMA) "COFFEE REPUBLICS" (GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, NICARAGUA)

C. AMERICA WAS DEPENDENT ON THE EXPORT OF COFFEE & BANANAS (70% OF ITS EXPORTS) GENERAL JORGE UBICO (DICTATOR IN 1931) GAVE UNITED FRUIT A 99 YEAR PERMIT TO OPERATE ITS BANANA PLANTATION UNITED FRUIT DID LITTLE FOR CENTRAL AMERICA'S ECONOMIES, BUT EXERTED STRONG CONTROL OVER C. AMERICAN GOVERNMENTS

CLASS CONFLICT IN C. AMERICA TOOK PLACE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, BETWEEN MOSTLY INDIAN PEASANTS AND LANDLORDS

[1945-54 ARéVALO & ARBENZ] IN 1945 JUAN JOSE ARéVALO WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT, ENDING OVER 100 YEARS OF DICTATORSHIP HE WAS A POPULIST:

LABOR RIGHTS LEGISLATION HELP TO SMALL LANDOWNERS ENCOURAGED WORKERS & PEASANTS TO ORGANIZE

IN 1950 JACOBO ARBENZ WAS ELECTED & PROMISED:

ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE IMPROVED LIVING STANDARDS FOR THE POOR LAND REFORM (REDISTRIBUTION)

THE CHIEF TARGET WAS UNITED FRUIT WHICH LEFT 85% OF ITS LANDS IDLE HE DISTRIBUTED 1.5 ML. ACRES OF LAND TO 100,000 FAMILIES THIS MEANT DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH UNITED FRUIT THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT & UNITED FRUIT DEMANDED $16 MILLION IN COMPENSATION WASHINGTON DEVELOPED AN ANTI-COMMUNIST DOCTRINE IT ACCUSED GUATEMALA OF BEING "IN THE GRIP OF A RUSSIAN-CONTROLLED DICTATORSHIP"

UNITED FRUIT LOBBIED FOR A COUP SEC. OF STATE JOHN DULLES WAS A SR. PARTNER IN UNITED FRUIT'S NY LAW FIRM CIA DIRECTOR ALLEN DULLES - FORMER MEMBER OF THE LAW FIRM ASST. SEC. OF STATE ON INTER-AMERICAN AFFAIRS - BROTHER OF THE FORMER UNITED FRUIT PRESIDENT THEY ACCUSED ARBENZ OF BEING SOFT ON COMMUNISM & BRANDED HIS REGIME A THREAT TO U.S. SECURITY

JOHN DULLES TOOK IT TO THE OAS, BUT FAILED TO GET ACTION EISENHOWER APPROVED A PLAN "OPERATION SUCCESS" WHICH WAS COVERTLY ORGANIZED & FINANCED BY THE CIA

IN 1954 THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED ARBENZ WAS OVERTHROWN BY COL. CARLOS CASTILLO ARMAS WHO HAD BEEN TRAINED AT FORT LEAVENWORTH ARMAS HAD TRAINED HIS ARMY ON A UNITED FRUIT PLANTATION WITH ARMS CLANDESTINELY FLOWN IN FROM FLORIDA

OVER 400 U.S. BUSINESSES OPERATE IN GUATEMALA IN COOPERATION WITH THE MILITARY:

DEL MONTE (ANNUAL EXPORT SALES OF $75 ML) GOODYEAR (63,000 ACRES OF RUBBER PLANTATIONS) RALSTON PURINA BANKAMERICA (FINANCED A MEATPACKING PLANT WHOSE OWNER WAS INVOLVED IN DEATH SQUADS) COCA COLA (WHOSE OWNER HAD DEATH SQUADS KILL UNION LEADERS) PHILIP MORRIS 10 CHEMICAL COMPANIES WHICH MANUFACTURE PESTICIDES HOTELS: SHERATON, RAMADA, WESTIN MCDONALDS, PIZZA HUT (PEPSICO) TEXACO

AFTER THE COUP, 9000 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED & TORTURED 1.5 ML. ACRES OF LAND WERE RETURNED TO LARGE LANDOWNERS, INCLUDING UNITED FRUIT AGRARIAN REFORM WAS REPEALED TRADE UNIONS & PEASANT MOVEMENTS WERE DESTROYED WASHINGTON PROMOTED GUATEMALA AS A "SHOWCASE OF DEMOCRACY" A NEW SERIES OF MILITARY DICTATORS RULED, EACH MORE REPRESSIVE THAN THE FORMER THE U.S. GAVE $80-$90 ML. TO GUATEMALA, IN ADDITION TO MILITARY AID IT RECEIVED FUNDS FROM WORLD BANK, ON THE CONDITION THAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WERE TO BE GIVEN TO U.S. COMPANIES

IN THE 1960s A GUERRILLA GROUP FORMED TO CHALLENGE THE MILITARY IT AROSE OUT OF A FAILED COUP BY JUNIOR MILITARY OFFICERS SEVERAL GUERILLA GROUPS FORMED: MR-13, PGT, FAR; 1970s: EGP, ORPA IN 1982 THEY UNITED INTO THE URNG (GUATEMALAN NATIONAL REVOLUTIONARY ARMY) FIGHTING TO/FOR:

1. ELIMINATE REPRESSION 2. DISTRIBUTE LAND 3. EQUALITY BETWEEN INDIANS & LADINOS 4. EQUAL RIGHTS 5. SELF-DETERMINATION

THE PENTAGON ESTABLISHED A COUNTERINSURGENCY BASE IN GUATEMALA COUNTERINSURGENTS USED AERIAL BOMBING & SCORCHED-EARTH ASSAULTS ON COMMUNITIES SUSPECTED OF AIDING THE GUERRILLAS DEATH SQUADS APPEARED

PEASANTS IN INDIAN COMMUNITIES WERE REGULARLY MASSACRED BETWEEN 1966-1976 20,000 PEOPLE HAD BEEN KILLED BY DEATH SQUADS

HALF OF GUATEMALA'S POPULATION CONSISTS OF INDIGENOUS MAYAN PEOPLES WITH STRONG ETHNIC IDENTITIES CONDITIONS IN MAYAN COMMUNITIES:

9 OUT OF 10 FARM FAMILIES LIVE ON PLOTS TOO SMALL TO PROVIDE THEIR BASIC NEEDS THE POOREST 50% CONSUME ONLY HALF OF THE DAILY CALORY REQUIREMENT LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR LADINOS IS 64 YEARS LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR INDIANS IS 44 YEARS

THE LARGEST GUERRILLA GROUP (EGP) WAS BASED IN EL QUICHé; THEY WERE CONCERNED WITH ETHNICITY & DOMINATION OF INDIAN PEOPLES BY THE AGRO-EXPORT CAPTIALIST SYSTEM

THE GUATEMALAN ARMY LAUNCED A BLOODY COUNTERINSURGENCY CAMPAIGN IN THE ALTIPLANO (1980-83) IT LARGELY SUCCEEDED IN SEPARATING EGP FROM ITS INDIAN BASE OF SUPPORT

IN 1978 CUC (CAMPESINO UNITY COMMITTEE) FORMED ITS LEADERS WERE DRAWN FROM THE CHRISTIAN-BASED COMMUNITIES BEING ORGANIZED IN THE HIGHLANDS ON JAN. 31, 1980 CUC OCCUPIED THE SPANISH EMBASSY TO PROTEST MILITARY OCCUPATION OF EL QUICHCHé 39 PROTESTORS WERE BURNED ALIVE IN THE EMBASSY, INCLUDING RIGOBERTA MENCHU'S FATHER IN 1981 CUC JOINED WORKERS, SLUM DWELLERS, & STUDENTS TO FORM THE FP-31 GOVERNMENT REPRESSION INCREASED, FORCING THEM UNDERGROUND

GEN. ROMERO LUCAS GARCIA (1978-82) BEGAN A SCORCHED EARTH CAMPAIGN GEN. EFRAIN RIOS MONTT OVERTHREW HIM IN A COUP IN 1982 CARTER HAD CUT MILITARY AID TO GUATEMALA REAGAN RESUMED ECONOMIC & MILITARY AID & TOLD RIOS MONTT THE U.S. WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO A "FRIENDLY & FRUITFUL" RELATIONSHIP WITH GUATEMALA IN 1985 U.S. MILITARY AID WAS $300,000; IN 1986 $4.8 ML. WAS APPROVED TERRORISM ESCALATED, ESPECIALLY AGAINST INDIAN COMMUNITIES

RIOS MONT WAS A FANATICAL EVANGELIST & BELIEVED COUNTERINSURGENCY WAS A HOLY CRUSADE AGAINST COMMUNISM THE ARMY DESTROYED 440 VILLAGES & DISAPPEARED 50-75,000 PEOPLE RIOS MONTT HAD A "BEANS & RIFLES" PLAN

HE ORGANIZED INDIAN BOYS & MEN INTO PATROLS TO SERVE AS EYES & EARS FOR THE ARMY (900,000 SERVED) GAVE FOOD TO THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THE ARMY STATED: "IF YOU ARE WITH US, WE'LL FEED YOU; IF NOT, WE'LL KILL YOU" IN ALL, 100,000 HAVE BEEN KILLED SINCE 1960

BETWEEN 1978-85 500,000 WERE DISPLACED & 350,000 REFUGEES FLED INTO MEXICO & THE U.S.

IN 1983 DEFENSE MINISTER GEN. OSCAR MEJíA VíCTORES OVERTHREW RIOS MONTT HE HAD COUNTERINSURGENCY TRAINING IN THE U.S. HE CREATED MODEL VILLAGES TO:

EXERT CONTROL OVER MAYAN INDIANS GIVE FOOD FOR WORK (& GAIN ACCESS TO CHEAP LABOR) EDUCATE TO BUILD ANTI-COMMUNISM & INTEGRATE INDIANS INTO THE NATION TEACH SPANISH LANGUAGE & CUSTOMS SUBSTITUTE CORN FOR AGRI-EXPORTS BUILD NEW ROADS TO ALLOW MILITARY ACCESS TO ISOLATED AREAS

MANY INDIANS OPTED FOR SURVIVAL OVER REPRESSION MOST OF THE GUERRILLA ORGANIZATIONS WERE DESTROYED THROUGH COUNTER INSURGENCY

IN 1985 GUATEMALANS ELECTED VINICIO CEREZO HE PROMISED NOT TO CHALLENGE MILITARY POWER OR PUSH FOR SOCIAL & ECONOMIC REFORMS CEREZO CALLED FOR PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

THE CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT HAS NOT ELIMINATED HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

THE MILITARY HAS BEEN UNWILLING TO RETIRE FROM GOVERNMENT THERE HAS BEEN A RESURGENCE OF ACTIVITY AMONG WORKER, URBAN SQUATTER, AND CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS THE MILITARY HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CRUSH GUERRILLA ACTIVITY

IN 1989 GUERRILLAS REGROUPED HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES INTENSIFIED FROM 1990 TO THE PRESENT

IN 1993 PRES. JORGE CERRANO WAS OUSTED

PRES. RAMIRO DE LEON CARPIO IS CRITICAL OF THE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST GUERRILLAS

PEACE TALKS HAVE BEEN PURSUED WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ACTING AS INTERMEDIARY

ETHNICITY & RESISTANCE

ETHNICITY: IS BASED ON PERCEPTIONS OF SHARED HISTORY & SOCIOCULTURAL TRADITIONS THAT DISTINGUISH MEMBERS OF A GROUP FROM OTHER GROUPS

ETHNICITY IS OFTEN VIEWED AS THE CUSTOMS--LANGUAGE, RELIGION, CLOTHING, & TRADITIONS--SHARED BY MEMBERS OF HARMONIOUSLY ORGANIZED COMMUNITIES BUT ETHNICITY IS RELATED TO THE STRUCTURE OF POWER POLICIES REGARDING ETHNIC GROUPS:

GENOCIDE ETHNOCIDE OPPRESSION ASSIMILATION MULTICULTURALISM

MANY INDIGENOUS GROUPS HAVE ORGANIZED AROUND THEIR ETHNIC IDENTITY AS A MEANS OF RESISTANCE

LIBERATION THEOLOGY

CATHOLIC ACTION & EVANGELICAL GROUPS BEGAN WORKING IN INDIAN COMMUNITIES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FOSTERED CATHOLIC ACTION IN THE 1950s TO PROMOTE ORTHODOX CATHOLICISM IT WAS SUPPORTED BY CONSERVATIVE INTERESTS TO COUNTERACT THE RADICALIZATION OF IMPOVERISHED MAYANS WHO WERE THOUGHT TO BE "COMMUNISTS" SUPPORTING THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENTS OF ARéVALO & ARBENZ FROM 1945-54 LOCAL CATECHISTS WERE TRAINED TO RUN THEIR OWN RELIGIOUS STUDY GROUPS

MAYANS CAME TO REINTERPRET THEIR LIVES BASED ON A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL LOCAL COMMUNITIES APPROPRIATED & REWORKED THESE IDEOLOGIES AS A FORM OF ETHNIC RESISTANCE...RECREATING THEIR ETHNICITY IN RESPONSE TO NATIONAL ECONOMICS & POLITICS THIS NATIONAL MOVEMENT CROSS-CUT LOCAL DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE & COMMUNITY IDENTITY

THE GOVERNMENT, FEARING CATECHISTS WOULD POLITICIZE THE RURAL POPULATION, PERSECUTED THEM DURING THE GENOCIDAL CIVIL WAR BETWEEN LEFTIST GUERRILLAS & THE MILITARY GUERRILLAS GAINED LEGITIMACY WITH PEASANTS: THEY LEARNED INDIAN LANGUAGES THE RADICAL CLERGY INCREASED RECRUITMENT OF INDIANS INTO THE GUERRILLA MOVEMENT...BY SAYING REVOLUTION WAS A PATH TO SOCIAL JUSTICE

GOVERNMENT REPRESSION FORCED OTHERS INTO THE GUERRILLA MOVEMENT LOSS OF LAND LED OTHERS TO JOIN

THE CIVIL WAR HAS ENDED, BUT REPRESSION CONTINUES IN GUATEMALA

RIGOBERTA MENCHU BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL (IN EXILE) FOR HER WORK AND WON THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IN 1992