Jacobo Árbenz (President of Guatemala, 1951-54)
- Guatemala President's Speech to the Guatemalan People Before Stepping Down
We know how ... workers and peasants have been murdered ... in Bananera. That was an act of vengeance by the United Fruit Company. They ... try to sow panic. They bomb and strafe our forces, preventing operations. Today they sank a ship in San Jose. In the name of what do they do these things? We all know what. They have taken the pretext of Communism. The truth is elsewhere--in financial interests of the United Fruit Company and other US firms that have invested much in Guatemala.
