INSURGENCY IN GUATEMALA (FROM POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND INSURGENCY - A COMPARATIVE APPROACH, 1974, BY BARD E O'NEILL ET AL - SEE NCJ-63408)

• NCJ Number: 63414
• Author(s): V COLLAZO-DAVILA
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 43 pages
• Corporate Author: Phoenix Press
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE INSURGENCY IN GUATEMALA DURING THE 1960'S IS EVALUATED BY FIVE STRATEGIC VARIABLES: GOVERNMENT, ENVIRONMENT, ORGANIZATION, EXTERNAL SUPPORT, AND POPULAR SUPPORT.

Abstract

THE REVOLUTIONARY INSURGENCY IN GUATEMALA IS EVALUATED ACCORDING TO FIVE MAJOR STRATEGIC VARIABLES AND THEIR LINKAGES AS PART OF A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON INSURGENCIES. IN TERMS OF THE VARIABLES USED IN THE FRAMEWORK, THE GUERRILLAS FARED WELL ON THREE BUT WERE DOOMED BY GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS AND LACK OF EXTERNAL SUPPORT. THE INTRODUCTION TO THE GUATEMALAN INSURGENCY AND ITS EARLY HISTORY NOTES THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST INSURGENCY TO OPENLY CALL ITSELF SOCIALIST AND TO USE WIDESPREAD URBAN TERROR TACTICS. THE INSURGENCY IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE MANY OF ITS ROOT CAUSES EXIST THROUGHOUT LATIN AMERICA. DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSE ARE GIVEN, INCLUDING ITS DECISIVE ACTION BEGINNING IN MID-1966, AND ITS ABILITY TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF THREATS POSED BY THE INSURGENCY. THE GUATEMALAN CASE IS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE LINKAGES BETWEEN THE STRATEGIC VARIABLES. THE STRONG GOVERNMENT RESPONSE UNDERCUT THE POPULAR SUPPORT OF THE INSURGENTS. THE GOVERNMENT RECEIVED AMERICAN AID AND TRAINING AND USED TORTURE AND TERROR TO PUT DOWN THE INSURGENCY. FOOTNOTES AND A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY COMPLETE THE TEXT. (RFC)