Harsh Times
Focusing on the machinations in and around the Guatemalan Revolution and leading up to the civil war of 1944-1960, Nobel recipient Vargas Llosa has blended historic and fictional characters to tell a story from true events. The narrative shifts back and forth through the presidencies of Juan Jose Arevalo, Jacobo Arbenz, Carlos Castillo Armas, and Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes. The Dominican Republic, Generalisimo Trujillo, and the CIA also play a role. It is heavy on history while personalizing the players. Llosa highlights the conspiracies, collusions, and manipulations of the truth which brought about endless devastation and death to the country with long-lasting consequences.
Sam Zemurray, owner of the United Fruit Company who introduced bananas to the U.S., has profited from paying no Guatemalan tax on his huge profits. When President Jacobo Arbenz comes to power, he plans to bring Guatemalans out of poverty and isolation, and steer the country to democracy. In order to provide education, highways, and public works, United Fruit must pay taxes the same as other growers. Edward Bernays, an American public relations and propaganda expert, begins a propaganda campaign on United Fruit’s behalf which persuades President Eisenhower and the CIA that President Jacobo’s democratic reforms are communism infiltrating Guatemala. A U.S.-backed coup d’état placed Castillo Armas into power, who reversed Arbenz’s democratic policies and returned Guatemala to an oppressive dictatorship.
Interacting with the historical figures is the fictional Martita Borrero Parra, who became interested in politics as a young child listening to her father and his friends. After suffering terrible wrongs by the men in her life, she took back her power by building relationships with political figures and assisting the CIA.
Harsh Times is a challenging read with lots of villains and too few heroes, but rewarding for readers who love a book of intrigue in the world of messy, dirty politics.
