ºº Jacobo Arbenz Guzmàn ºº Carlos Castillo Armas ºº CIA ºº

ºº Arbenz ºº

Born in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala on September 14th 1913.

Arbenz joined the Army and in 1935 graduated as a sub-lieutenant. He joined the Guatemalan Military Academy in 1937 and became a teacher os history and science.

He became a secret opponent of Guatemalan dictator, Jorge Ubico.

Apalled by the actions of Ponce, Arbenz and a fellow junior officer, Major Francisco Arana, organized a military Rebellion. They were quickly joined by other officers. Ponce and Ubico were forced to abandon the country and Arbenz and Arana created a provisional Junta with businessman Jorgue Toriello, and promise free and democratic elections.Arbenz and Arana introduced a new constitution.

ºº Castillo Armas ºº

Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas is elected president of the Junta that overthrew the administration of Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz in June 1954. The elction of Armas was teh culmination of U.S efforts to remove Arbenz and save Guatemala from what American officials believed to be an attempt by the international Communism to gain a foothold in the Western Hemisphere.

°° Relation Between Armas, Arbenz and the CIA °°

Arbenz was elected president of Guatemala in 1950. the first CIA effort to overthrow the Guatemalan president, a collaboration with Nicaraguan dictator Anastacio Somoza to support Carlos Castillo,and codenamed Operation PBFORTUNE--was authorized by President Truman in 1952.

Up until the day Arbenz resigned on June 27, 1954, "the option of assassination was still being considered." While the power of the CIA's psychological-war, codenamed "Operation Sherwood," against Arbenz rendered that option unnecessary, the last stage of PBSUCCESS called for "roll-up of Communists and collaborators." Although Arbenz and his top aides were able to flee the country, after the CIA installed Castillo Armas in power, hundreds of Guatemalans were rounded up and killed.