For this discussion, you will evaluate U.S. involvement in Guatemala from the coup in 1954 to the resulting civil war. To complete this assignment, you will consult a variety of sources, both print and video. The two issues that you will explore are listed below. Read these issues before you begin this discussion.

Issue #1: Were the actions taken by the United States in Guatemala in 1954 motivated primarily by a fear of communism (containment) or to protect American business interests (bananas)?

Issue #2: What guilt does the United States bear in Guatemalan atrocities? In May of 2013, Guatemala’s former dictator, General Efrain Ríos Montt, was convicted of genocide in the slaughter of as many as 200,000 members of indigenous groups (mostly Mayan) during the 1980s. His conviction was overturned and he was set to be re-tried, but the retrial was suspended in 2016 on claims of “mental incapacity.” In the midst of the 2013 trial, people began to question whether or not the U.S. should also be held responsible for war crimes in Guatemala.

Reading for Discussion #3:

Discussion- U.S. Cold War Policy Case Study- Guatemala S19.pdf

Videos for Discussion #3:

Video #1: PBS News Story Video, From Guatemalan Soil, Unearthing Evidence of Genocide, May 8, 2013:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOIJ1-7LDQs&feature=youtu.be

Video #2: Discovering the Disappeared:

http://archive.pov.org/granito/video/discovering-the-disappeared/

Video #3: Families of the Disappeared:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/granito/video/families-of-the-disappeared/

When you have completed reviewing all of the sources, answer the questions posted below:

Explain Arbenz’s land reform program. Why did United Fruit Company (UFCo) protest this policy?
Were the actions taken by the United States in Guatemala in 1954 motivated primarily by a fear of communism (containment) or to protect American business interests (bananas)? Choose fear of communism OR business interests, OR a combination of both and EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER.
Read the attached document, Death Squad Diary, and answer the following questions. What do U.S. documents reveal about the tactics of the National Police? What do U.S. documents reveal about U.S. involvement as well as U.S. awareness of torture and murder?
How is science being used to prove that there were war atrocities in Guatemala (this is explained in the videos)? Do you find this evidence convincing?
How has the discovery of both documents and DNA evidence of disappeared victims impacted the families of the disappeared?
What guilt does the United States bear in Guatemalan atrocities? Based on the definition of crimes against humanity as established by the 1998 Rome Statute (see attached document), is President Reagan and/or individuals in his administration guilty of war crimes? If yes, be specific as to which crimes were committed. If no, explain your response.

Sample Solution

This question has been answered.

Get Answer