Guatemala Rhetorical Analysis

Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources.

Section 2: Investigation of Sources The CIA’s played an instrumental role in Guatemala’s change in leadership in 1954 from Arbenz’s presidency moving onto Castillo Armas. U. S involvement and the CIA have a history and presence long before 1954. As the Second World War drew to a close, authoritarian regimes throughout South America fell into hard times, yielding to popular pressure. Jorge Ubico (1931-1944), the 21st president of Guatemala, had continued the deep ties with the United Fruit Company and wealthy landowners, giving them privileges as well as supporting their harsh labor practices. Student and Teacher led uprisings and support from the military caused Ubico to surrender power …show more content…
Amongst these officers, an Aranista lieutenant, Carlos Castillo Armas, who in August, launched an attack on a military base in Guatemala City; believing that army officers inspired by his bravery would aid in a coup. Armas was thrown in jail and was released in December after bribing his way out. A month later, Armas was interviewed by a CIA agent - he was trying to obtain arms from Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza and Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. He claimed to have the support of the Guardia Civil (Guatemalan …show more content…
Somoza told the State Department officials that, if they supplied arms, he and Castillo Armas would take care of Arbenz. At Vaughan's urging, Truman agreed. King located arms and transport and on July 9th, he gave Dullas a proposal for supplying (redacted) and Armas with weapons and 225,000$. The rebellion would proceed in any case, but without CIA help King warned it might fail and lead to a crackdown that would eliminate anti-communist resistance in Guatemala. The DCI contacted Under Secretary of State David Bruce and got explicit approval before signing the order on 9 September 1952 to proceed with operation PBFORTUNE. King proceeded with plans to supply arms to Armas. He acquired a shipment of contraband weapons confiscated by port authorities in New York. 250 rifles, 380 pistols, 64 machine guns, and 4,500 grenades repackaged as farm machinery were scheduled to leave New Orleans (redacted) in early October. CIA officials encouraged Somoza and Garvez to lend additional aid. Somoza spread the word about the agency's role in the rebellion amongst government officials in Central America. Plus, with Truman announcing he would not be running for another term, PBFORTUNEs demise took the agency by surprise. Through the winter of 1952-1953, the operation remained still. King remained in contact with Armas and continued to finance the rebels as a

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