In the early 20th century, the United Fruit Company, today known as Chiquita, dominated Guatemala’s land and economy, propped up by its close alliance with a corrupt government. But in the 1940s, a wave of democratic reform began to challenge that control, with plans for land redistribution and stronger rights for workers. Alarmed by the potential loss of its influence, United Fruit framed the reforms as a communist threat and took its case to powerful allies in Washington.
As a result, a CIA-backed coup in 1954 ousted the elected government, installed a military dictator, and set off a brutal civil war, all to keep bananas cheap and business booming. It was the beginning of yet another dark chapter in history, where corporate greed, Cold War fear, and Indigenous suffering collided.
Intrigued? Click through the gallery to uncover how it all unraveled.