1944 - 1950: Arévalo Presidency	First democratic election in Guatemalan history results in the presidency of Juan José Arévalo, an Argentine-trained philosopher. Arévalo dissolves many features of the preceding era, such as the Vagrancy Laws, the repressive labor codes and the secret police. He also begins other progressive reforms such as national literacy programs, farm cooperatives and voter registration drives.
1950 - 1954: Arbenz Presidency	Following Arévalo, Col. Jacobo Arbenz Guzman becomes president. Much to the anger of the United Fruit Company, he enacts land redistribution measures in the form of Decree 900. Jacobo Arbenz, more detailed biography (my addition)
1954: CIA Sponsored Counter-Coup	Seeing too much Communist influence in the Arbenz regime and a direct threat to their corporate interests, policy makers in the United States, including the Dulles Brothers, decide that he has to be removed. John Foster Dulles, brief biography (my addition) Allan W. Dulles involvement (my addition) CIA vs communism ? “End of the Innocence” by Mike Lehman The US State Dept. initiates a propaganda and destabilization campaign while the CIA leads a small opposition army into Guatemala from Honduras. Receiving little domestic support to fight off the invaders, Arbenz resigns and flees the country.
1954 - 1957: Castillo Armas Presidency	Carlos Castillo Armas chosen by the United States to replace Arbenz as President. US Operation PBSUCCESS, 1 (my addition) US Operation PBSUCCESS, 2 (my addition) Assasination Proposals, by the US (my addition)
1958: Ydigoras Presidency	Col. Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes elected after the Armas assassination. Increasing military corruption and permission for anti-Castro Cuban exiles to train in Guatemala result in military revolt.
1962: Creation of the FAR	Ex-military officers, Guatemalan communist party members and students band together to form the first Guatemalan guerrilla group: the Armed Rebel Force (FAR). United States begins counter-insurgency training for the Guatemalan armed forces.
1966 - 1970: Montenegro Presidency	Julio Cesar Mendez Montenegro elected and provides a civilian facade under which counter-insurgency intensifies, effectively wiping out the FAR. US documents "counter surgency" The use of napalm and death squads initiated during this period, resulting in some 30,000 deaths, most of these civilians.
1970 - 1974: Arana Presidency	Col. Carlos Arana Osorio initiates a second wave of "pacification" as president. 15,000 killed or “disappeared” in first 3 years of his term. Emergence of the Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP). Practitioners of liberation theology begin to support organization and resistance on the part of poor, rural indigenous peoples.
1978 - 1982: Lucas Garcia Presidency	Beginning in the era of Col. Romeo Lucas Garcia and continuing into the next, repression in Guatemala reaches its peak. Creation of the Revolutionary Organization of People in Arms (ORPA). Non-violent, popular organizing increases. The Committee of Peasant Unity struggles for higher wages and better working conditions.
1982 - 1983: Montt Presidency	Despite pledges to respect human rights from the military junta, led by Gen. Efraín Ríos Montt , killings continue at the rate of 1,000 per month. “Catholic bishops declared in May 1982, “with assassinations now falling into the category of genocide” (Brown 183). Main elements of Montt's intensive counter -insurgency effort include civil defense patrols, model villages, and a policy of "Scorched Earth". US "scorched earth" document (my addition) Indian arming (EGP) (my addition) The four existing guerrilla groups join forces in 1982 to fight under one name, the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unit. “Explaining his approach on television, Rios Montt forthrightly said that he had “declared a state of siege so we could kill legally”—a reference to the death penalties to be handed down by the secret tribunals he had established to try those accused of political crimes” (Brown 183).
1983 - 1986: Mejía Víctores Presidency	The Mutual Support Group emerges as one of the most vocal, and most targeted, human rights organizations in Guatemala. “One month after the August 8, 1983 coup […] 10 percent of Rabinal’s population of 30-35 thousand have died by political violence” (Brown 187). "Illusion of Democracy" (my addition) US sings Montt's praises (my addition)
1986: Cerezo Presidency	Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo elected as the first civilian president since Montenegro. Violence continues, as illustrated by the assassination of anthropologist Myrna Mack Chang.
1991: Serrano Presidency	Peace talks begin with an accord signed between representatives of the URNG and the Guatemalan Government committing them to internationally verified negotiations. In 1992, Rigoberta Menchu Tum wins the Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle in defense of indigenous rights. Rebel leader Commander Everardo, husband of U.S. lawyer and human rights activist Jennifer Harbury, is wounded in battle and captured by the military for interrogation. He is then tortured by the G-2 and killed by Col. Alpirez, a CIA-paid "asset".
1993: De Leon Carpio Presidency	Ramiro De Leon Carpio, former human rights ombudsman for Guatemala, is elected president.
1996: Arzú Presidency	Alvaro Arzú Irigoyen elected president. Arzú purges the upper ranks of the Military of some of its more corrupt members. Peace talks, which originated in 1991, culminate in late 1996 with the signing of the final peace accords. UN Human Rights documents, 1 (my addition) UN 1995 Human Rights Commission report (my addition) Independent Expert report in 1995 (my addition)

Excerpts taken from :

Amnesty International’s cite: Guatemala: A Human Rights History of Guatemala. 14 January 2001. <www.west.net/~tmiller/gh/> .

Brown, Cynthia. ed. With Friends Like These: The Americas Watch Report on Human Rights and U.S. Policy in Latin America. New York: Pantheon, 1985.

Prepared by Melissa Sheppard

Submitted 1/16/01

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