How a Banana Company Helped Overthrow Guatemala

A banana company helped set the stage for a coup that toppled Guatemala’s president. In this fast-paced history short, learn how United Fruit Company opposed Jacobo Árbenz after he seized much of its land, and why the dispute drew in the United States during the Cold War.

The story follows a CIA-backed rebel force led by Carlos Castillo Armas, whose propaganda broadcasts and air attacks made the threat seem larger than it was. As Guatemala’s military turned against Árbenz, he resigned and Castillo Armas took power. Explore the Guatemala coup, United Fruit Company’s influence, CIA covert operations, and the Cold War politics behind this banana republic story—a concise introduction to Latin American history and political coups.