American Civil War and United Fruit Company Essay

In, Testimony Death of a Guatemalan Village, Victor Montejo describes events surrounding the soldiers regimes occurring throughout Guatemala. The withstand itself is an eyewitness broadsheet detailing one instance of violence between the indigenous peoples villages civilized patrol and the army. This occurrence twists to the execution and custody of legion(predicate) villagers. Even though the book is mainly a testimony by one person, in which he discusses the personal conflicts and struggle between himself and the army, the account is structured around the Guatemalan civil war and the conflict between the regimen and civilians.The Guatemalan Civil War occurred between the years 1960 to 1996. It was a struggle between the organization of Guatemala and the numerous leftist rebel groups who were supported by the Mayan indigenous, poor, and working(a) class. This civil war began as the many poor realized that their government had little concern for them, as the elites in the inelegant owned or so of the land. Much of the land was too owned by multinational corporations, such as the U. S. wned United Fruit Company in the 1940s and 50s.The result of this unequal land ownership, which also contributed to an unbalanced distribution of wealth, led to an oppressed population aliveness in extreme poverty. These local hardships were ultimately the driving force behind the rebellious leftist groups As armed forces leaders began to have control of the government by the 1960s and through the 1970s, physical violence became a method used to overthrow political opposition.As other countries in Latin the States had their own transitions Guatemalan citizens come alonged to them as a source of inspiration for their attempts to take control of their country. The example of Cuba became a stepping stone and a clear example for Guatemala as Fidel Castro was successful throughout the Cuban Revolution in Cuba and was able to overthrow the Batista family. Other example s included the Sandinista guerilla movement who successfully completed a revolution in Nicaragua in 1979, and in El Salvador where the FMLN guerillas also appeared to be having similar results.However, these regimes are appealing at first, but after having them continue for long periods, often conflict ensued which contributed to much loss for the poor rebels and their fight for sovereignty. Looking at Montejos testimony, Maria Lupes testimony, and the cold war in Guatemala we will insure how these violent regimes appeared to the civilians, their effects on society, and their connection to the civil war. Victor Montejo describes several political instances that have led to the peoples proneness for a rebellion against the acting government.He mentions that former president Lucas Garcia left many things undone though non much information is precondition for background information of Garcia, we notify conclude that he was responsible for the growth of the militarys power and an initial cause for the dissent of the poor. He also mentions Garcias successor, president Efrain Rios Montt and his leave out on taking the government out of the hand of the military. Montejo states no president would be able to control the situation because the military were the ones in charge.Later on Montejo reveals that under Lucas Garcias administrations military paramilitary, police, and priests, were kidnapped, tortured, and killed or rather anyone who had influence in the township who spoke out against the government. As the government surface ways to try to economic totallyy stabilize the state, many of its poor suffered, and regimes occurred to support the poor, leading many to suspect communistic or socialist identities, and a desire for government change. With the military being in control, with help and support coming from the U.S. , the army was used to stamp out the leftist guerrillas who were pushing for a red-hot government that would support the people.Looking at Montejos testimony, we see the creations of civil patrols, a group of men designated by the military government to protect their town from the guerillas. However, some of these patrolmen were thought to also secretly support the guerrillas and under a confused set of operations, encountered the army and according to Montejos testimony, many villagers were killed. The army also rob and burn down parts of the village.In one case, a young man who was part of the patrols is shot and as he laid dying, reveals that the unvarying worn (in that particular day) by the army was similar to the ones the guerrillas would wear, except that the guerrillas didnt cause any harm as they walk through the village. This has a carve up to say about how the civilians saw the governments military, and how they saw their repressive state being something they had to do without question due to fear. Taking a look at the testimony alone, we put up also see how society was effected.Out of Montejos brief background detailing the ailures of the presidents and the absolute repression faced by the civilians, we can conclude that the governments force to keep the guerillas unsuccessful was limited and pushed society into rebellions. In other words, as the army continued to torture and persecute the innocent, many nominate it necessary to fall into the hands of the guerrillas in order to stamp out their oppression. Maria Lupes account is similar to Montejos. She describes her hardships as a house wife, working on a plantation of a rich land owner. Her husband worked for 50 cents per day, and her payment was in food.She mentions moving closer to the north in a town called Ixcan, hoping for better jobs. At about two years the member of the guerrilla army for the poor began entering the town, recruiting people, and telling them that they were fighting so that they could all live better lives. After she had met with the guerrillas, she realized that their interests were aligned with hers. The guerillas and companeros as the group was called, effected society for the better they were able to construct support within the community, close to communistic in style sharing food, selling materials, and taking care of each other.She mentions that spies were beginning to infiltrate the village and set up a military commissioner. Just as Montejo, doubt of guerrilla collaboration was dangerous and could lead to death. She eventually becomes involved with this group which enables her to feel secure, and at some point is given(p) arms for protection. She also mentions that the companeros made efforts to include women and support womens roles in society, outside of the home, giving women more of a say in the community.We see an opponent reaction as to how the civilians felt about the guerrillas that is only s absolvedly mentioned in Montejos testimony through the eyes of the dying patrolmen when he mentions that the guerrillas never attack them. The government militarys effort s was to remove any dissent, particularly those of the guerrillas. The hatred for them is revealed in Montejos testimony, as he is constantly beaten by the army because of the suspicion of him being a guerrilla. He eventually flees the country for fear that they may target him again under false pretenses.In Lupes account the military is the enemy, and when suspicion arises, she is arrested and detained for several months, leaving behind her children she later flees and leaves the community, having to work for low wages again in another town. Lupes case shines a light upon the guerrillas, they are al close portrayed as saviors. She never discusses the governments military repression into great detail, but we see here that civilians showed a bit of forgiveness toward the guerrillas and favored their motives against the repressive government.The history of these conflicts stem from the effects of the Guatemalan civil war. Initially, it began as a social revolution, a stance against ne o-colonialism. Through 1944 to 1954, Guatemala experienced the disco biscuit Years of Spring a time when two democratically elected Presidents Arevalo and Arbenz, stressed reform, nationalism, and new constitutions. The Arbenz reforms stressed the importance to remove any outside corporations and instead focused on independent commerce within the country. He was able to move Guatemala from a semi-colonial system to an independent country.He did this by moving the countrys economy from a feudal system to a more capitalistic one. He was also able to raise the standard of living for most of the population. In order to do so, he confiscated large estates and redistributed them to the peasants, he also seized unused United Fruit Company and railroad lands to benefit his people. His most controversial step was his opposition to the Declaration of Caracas, which aligned all of Latin America with the United States to ensure the success of democracy. He instead supported solidarity against U. S. interventions.This lead to wide speculation by the Eisenhower administration, and concluded that Guatemala was moving toward communism. This led to a huge U. S. infiltration on the Guatemalan government. The U. S. trained and armed proxy forces in Honduras who later joined the conservative Guatemalan military to overthrow Arbenz. These coups are the ones who will become responsible for the military takeover that plagued Guatemala for many years, and which are highlighted in Montejos and Lupes accounts. By June 1954 a new military junta in Guatemala formed, supported by the U. S. nd established the National Committee of confession Against Communism, which allowed for the arrest and death penalty of subversive activities.By September 1954, General Carlos Castillo Armas, who was supported by the U. S. becomes president of Guatemala. He then forces society to reverse many of the Abrenz reforms revoking voting rights for illiterates, which made up half of the population, forced p easants to leave the acquired lands, banned political parties and peasant organizations, and restored the secret police. By the 1960s, a 36 year civil war had begun, with the U. S. supporting the authoritarian government.With the onset of the civil war, we see the outcomes which shaped Montejos and Lupes testimony, and the hardships the civilians faced and the effects on society being banished from lands that were given to them, having to abandon jobs and a thriving economy due to outside efforts to contain communism. For three decades the civil war was fought, a fight, one might say, to reclaim what belonged to Guatemala from niggardly outsiders and those wanting to ensure their own success, while the poor Indians had no say in government and were forced to remain loyal to a government that did not share in their interests.Luckily, the civil war came to an end and the violent regimes once waged ceased. However, through the eyes of Montejo and Lupe, we are able to see the lives of the civilians that had to live under the suppress state and the attitudes these people shared for their government, leaving an important legacy for all people to witness, that regimes started by the poor where necessary in order to create a society where everyone had an equal share to the same rights as the elites.