The name “United Fruit Company” comes up many, many more times in dark pages of history- from the end of the 1800’s into the 1930’s at least, a series of wars popularly referred to as “the banana wars” were fought across south and Central America as well as the many adjacent island nations. What were primarily US fruit companies often backed by the US government exploited local peoples and governments to attempt monopolization of fruit trade. Mercenaries and at times the actual American military were used to threaten or topple governments or seize assets.
Of course foreign meddling didn’t stop in the 30’s nor did the pillaging and brutality in the region by companies like United Fruit, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and many more.
At least 50 years of instability, poverty, and oppression stem from these interests and their meddling. The drug trade and crime culture in Latin America is directly descended from all this as well.
Of course the US government is strongly involved there as well- not only making deals with drug pushers and cartels to launder money to fund covert operations, but also as part of efforts from within American intelligence agencies to use drugs as a way to control and impress “minority” communities as they gained civil rights and increasing presence through society. Drug deals by the US government have also been used as parts of arrangements between the U.S. and the organizations at the root of the drug trade in exchange for disrupting local power balances or supporting US interests in the region.
Many large cartels, guerrillas, and dictator forces were trained and equipped by the United States or given support through the US government. Quite a mess- and largely to profit or serve the interests of a powerful few.
Of course foreign meddling didn’t stop in the 30’s nor did the pillaging and brutality in the region by companies like United Fruit, Nestle, Coca-Cola, and many more.
At least 50 years of instability, poverty, and oppression stem from these interests and their meddling. The drug trade and crime culture in Latin America is directly descended from all this as well.
Many large cartels, guerrillas, and dictator forces were trained and equipped by the United States or given support through the US government. Quite a mess- and largely to profit or serve the interests of a powerful few.