Editing Jacobo Árbenz (section)

===Historical background===
In 1871 the government of [[Justo Rufino Barrios]] passed laws confiscating the lands of the native [[Mayan people]] and compelling them to work in coffee plantations for minimal compensation.{{sfn|Martínez Peláez|1990|p=842}} Several United States-based companies, including the [[United Fruit Company]], received this public land, and were exempted from paying taxes.{{sfn|Streeter|2000|pp=8–10}}{{sfn|Gleijeses|1992|pp=10–11}} In 1929 the [[Great Depression]] led to the collapse of the economy and a rise in unemployment, leading to unrest among workers and laborers. Fearing the possibility of a revolution, the landed elite lent their support to [[Jorge Ubico]], who won the election that followed in 1931, an election in which he was the only candidate.{{sfn|Forster|2001|pp=12–15}}{{sfn|Gleijeses|1992|pp=10–11}} With the support of the United States, Ubico soon became one of Latin America's most brutal dictators.{{sfn|Streeter|2000|p=11}} Ubico abolished the system of [[Debt bondage|debt peonage]] introduced by Barrios and replaced it with a vagrancy law, which required all men of working age who did not own land to perform a minimum of 100 days of hard labor.{{sfn|Forster|2001|p=29}}{{sfn|Martínez Peláez|1990|p=842}} In addition, the state made use of unpaid Indian labor to work on public infrastructure such as roads and railroads. Ubico also froze wages at very low levels, and passed a law allowing landowners complete immunity from prosecution for any action they took to defend their property,{{sfn|Forster|2001|p=29}} including allowing them to [[capital punishment|execute]] workers as a "disciplinary" measure.{{sfn|Streeter|2000|pp=11–12}}{{sfn|Immerman|1982|pp=34–37}}{{sfn|Cullather|2006|pp=9–10}}{{sfn|Rabe|1988|p=43}} The result of these laws was a tremendous resentment against him among agricultural laborers.{{sfn|Forster|2001|pp=29–32}} Ubico was highly contemptuous of the country's indigenous people, once stating that they resembled donkeys.{{sfn|Gleijeses|1992|p=15}} He gave away {{convert|200,000|ha|acre}} of public land to the United Fruit Company, and allowed the US military to establish bases in Guatemala.{{sfn|Streeter|2000|pp=11–12}}{{sfn|Immerman|1982|pp=34–37}}{{sfn|Cullather|2006|pp=9–10}}{{sfn|Rabe|1988|p=43}}{{sfn|McCreery|1994|pp=316–317}}{{sfn|Gleijeses|1992|p=22}}