Jacobo Arbenz Guzman was a leftist leader of Guatemala in the early 1950's. He was also the first head of state covertly overthrown by the United States during the Cold War. A victim of the United States' anti-Communist paranoia (both within the government and in popular media), his downfall inspired the CIA to attempt bolder schemes, including the infamous Bay of Pigs debacle. While successful in its objective of removing Arbenz, the United States established a precedent of overthrowing democratically elected leaders based on a presumption of Communist sympathies. The irresponsible and fear-mongering actions of the US government and media again raise the fundamental debate of what values the United States is willing to trade for perceived security.
