Guatemala's Prez Strikes New Course with Apology to Cuba

Thought this was interesting, given the 1954 U.S.-led overthrow of the democratically elected government in Guatemala and the subsequent failure of our invasion in 1961 of Cuba.

The newly elected president of Guatemala, Alvaro Colom, has apologized to Fidel Castro and Cuba for allowing Guatemalan land to be used as CIA training bases for participants in the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. He says his decision is a gesture of "friendship and brotherhood" between the 2 countries. Colom also criticized the continuing U.S. embargo of Cuba.

It's good to see Guatemala stand up against the U.S., given our past meddling there. Due to Communist panic at the time, the CIA led a coup in 1954 that toppled the government of Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. Instead of bringing peace to the country, it unleashed decades of dictatorial rule and death. But hey, there weren't no Commies, so it's ok!

With his election, Colom is the first leftist president in Guatemala in more than 50 years. Interestingly, he's also an honorary Mayan priest, an honor bestowed on him as thanks for his past work assisting the beleaguered ethnic Mayan majority.

And if you want to read a depressing chapter in American foreign policy and corporate recklessness, brush up on the history of United Fruit/Chiquita in Guatemala. Who knew eating a banana was such a moral quagmire?