The Negative Consequences of the US Intervention in the Guatemalan Civil War

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The Guatemalan Civil War was a 20th century civil war that raged from 1954 until 1996. It has profoundly affected geopolitical relationships in Central America, as well as and US policy toward hostile governments. The war shaped geopolitics in that region and impacted not just Guatemala but the countries vested in the so-called Cold War as a whole. There is disagreement among historians, however, concerning how much US influence guided the outcome of the conflict. Through extensive research, it is clear that the United States of America’s impact on the war was both highly significant and highly detrimental to the US’s geopolitical interests. By studying the evidence, we can establish that the US acted in contrast with its own stated ideals, acting as an indispensible partner in the crimes of the Guatemalan Civil War.

The seeds of the Guatemalan Civil War were sown in the early 1940s. Left-leaning dictator Jorge Ubico was forced to leave his post in response to general dissatisfaction. His replacement, Gen. Juan Federico Ponce Vaides, a powerful army officer, was deposed just two months later by a coup led by a junta of mid-level army officers. This government organized free elections, Guatemala's first ever, and the writer and philosopher Juan Jose Arevalo was elected president. Arelavo referred to his philosophy as "Arevalismo", a kind of Christian socialism that touted liberalism and labor reforms. Many critics of his policies believed them to be essentially communism or, as one put it, "an attempt to beguile a misguided poor people with the promise of happiness." Still, he was popular inside Guatemala and instituted a period of greater freedom than had been experienced previously.

The US government noted Guatemala's "dr...

... middle of paper ...

... Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - The Washington Post. Web. 17 March 2014. .

Secondary Sources:

4 Schlesinger, Stephen C., and Stephen Kinzer. Bitter Fruit: the Story of the American Coup in Guatemala. [Boston, Mass.]: Harvard University, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, 1999. Print.

5 Schirmer, Jennifer G. The Guatemalan Military Project: a Violence Called Democracy. Philadelphia (Pa.): University of Pennsylvania, 1998. Print.

6 "US Foreign Policy in Guatemala." Third World Traveler, Third World, United States Foreign Policy, Alternative Media, Travel. Web. 19 March 2014. .

7 Jonas, Susanne. The Battle for Guatemala: Rebels, Death Squads, and U.S. Power, 1991. Print.

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