The story of Guatemala is written in blood. The country had one of the worst civil wars in the world which lasted for 36 years.
Guatemala gained independence from its Spanish colonizers in 1839. By the 1950s, president Arbenz led land reforms that aimed at improving the lives of the peasants. A majority of the farmlands were controlled by the United Fruit Company, an organization funded by the US. The land reforms affected them adversely. In addition to that, the growth of communism in Guatemala was seen as a threat by the US. The US intervened to overthrow Arbenz. Castillo Armas became the new president. He stopped the reforms and broke all peasant unions. For the next 36 years, the country witnessed war. In 1996, the United Nations intervened to end the war and establish peace.
Picture Credit : Google