Explain why the United States supported a military coup in Guatemala during the 1950s.

What will be an ideal response?

In the early 1950s, Guatemala was dependent on the United States. In fact, the U.S. government practically owned the major Guatemalan industry, United Fruit Company. However, the Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz stood up against this company. Soon United Fruit appealed to the United States for help. In response, the CIA organized a military coup that toppled the offending Arbenz regime and replaced it with one friendlier to United Fruit’s corporate interests. As a reward, the new Guatemalan government led by Carlos Castillo was showered with increased levels of U.S. foreign aid, so long as it continued to do what the United States and United Fruit wanted it to do.