In which country did the CIA-backed coup of 1954 oust Jacobo Árbenz?

• A. Nicaragua
• B. Guatemala
• C. Honduras
• D. El Salvador

Answer: (B)

Guatemala is the country where this event took place. In 1954, the United States, using the CIA, backed a covert operation to overthrow President Jacobo Árbenz after his land-reform policies challenged powerful landowners and a major American corporation, United Fruit. During the early Cold War, U.S. officials were concerned about the potential spread of communism in Latin America, and they viewed Árbenz’s reforms as risky despite their domestic legitimacy. The CIA organized political pressure, propaganda, and support for anti-government forces that led to Árbenz’s resignation and the installment of a military government under Carlos Castillo Armas. The coup reshaped Guatemalan politics for years and contributed to a long period of instability and conflict. The other countries listed were not the site of this 1954 coup against Árbenz.