History and Context of Central America

Increasingly more and more immigrants are coming to the United States from Central America . And, if analysis proves correct, over the next five to ten years, this trend will increase as the United States and Central American countries implement a trade agreement that will have widespread negative impacts on many, who will then be forced to migrate to survive. The recent history of Central American countries is rich and varied, and is often marked by United States involvement as well as widespread violence and repression against social movements and labor unions. This overview is an attempt to give organizers some background and context on where immigrants come from and how their history impacts how they may see activists and unions in the U.S. but is in no way a comprehensive overview of this region.

 

Regionally, most in Central America celebrate their independence day as September 15, 1821 when they declared independence from Spain . For a short time, Central America operated as a republic but despite a number of reunification attempts in 19 th Century, each country has acted as its own entity since the 1850s. There is currently cooperation in the region in some areas, but every country has their own unique cultural, social and political history.

 

Where are immigrants coming from?
The majority of immigrants to the United States are still coming from Mexico . However, large numbers of immigrants are coming to the U.S. from Guatemala , Honduras , Nicaragua , and El Salvador . El Salvador and Guatemala currently have the largest number of immigrants to the United States from Central America . While, Panama and Costa Rica are part of Central America, this document solely focuses on the countries with higher numbers of immigrant to the U.S.

 

Country Histories

 

Guatemala

Guatemala 's most recent history has been dominated by its 36 year civil war which left over 100,000 people dead and created over 1 million refugees. However, prior to that event, the United States played a major role in changing the political system in Guatemala . In 1954, the CIA helped overthrow the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. Arbenz's government had instituted policies that set about to try and change the unequal land distribution and to create a more equal society. He established a land reform that threatened many wealthy land owners, including the U.S. owned United Fruit Company. The United Fruit Company lobbied the U.S. to intervene and the U.S. government backed the military action in Guatemala to overthrow Arbenz. After this coup, Guatemalan heads of state became increasingly autocratic. In the early 1960's, factions of the military separated into a guerilla force to challenge these leaders and to create a more democratic system. This served as the start of a 36 year civil war. During the war, the left was represented by the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG). The right consisted of the Secret Anti-Communist Army (ESA) and the White Hand (Mano Blanco) that kidnapped, tortured, and killed anyone they believed to be involved in leftist activities—including union leaders. What followed were years of violence and death. Both the guerrillas and the army were responsible for the deaths of civilians but independent analysis has found that the military and right-wing death squads were responsible for over 90% of the killings of innocent civilians. Those most impacted were the mostly rural, indigenous populations. The government returned to a more democratic style around 1985. But the massacres continued until 1996, when peace accords were signed between URNG and the government.

 

Impact on Union Organizing and Social Movements

The war might officially be over but violence continues in Guatemala . President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman legalized unions when he was in office in the early 1950's but today people attempting to organize are subject to intimidations, death threats, and are sometimes killed. Perhaps the most well known struggle is that of the Coca Cola workers at the Industria de Café INCASA bottling company. Their efforts began in the late 70's and although legal, were met with intimidation and death threats by the Coke Corporation and Guatemalan forces. The President of the Guatemalan bottling plant had ties to the right-wing government officials and used his connections to manipulate the legal system and subjugate workers rights. Union leaders and supporters were tortured and killed. The threat to trade unionists continues today. In the first two months of 2007, three unionists have already been killed in the Southern Port region. This violence is often ignored by authorities and the armed gangs that carry out these murdered are treated with impunity. Additionally, other people involved in advocating for social justice, human rights, and women rights are often intimidated, threatened or murdered as well.

 

Honduras

Honduras is one for the few countries in Central America that did not have a civil war in the past 100 years. However, it has been very involved in other conflicts and had a brief border skirmish with neighboring El Salvador in 1969. In 1954, (the same year that the CIA deposed of the democratically elected president of Guatemala ) banana workers in Honduras had a general strike. Over 40,000 workers went on strike and left thousands of acres of fruit to rot. The strike froze 60% of the Honduran economy. The United Fruit Company influenced the government to arrest union leaders and many were abused. But the company later settled. This was a victory for popular organizing because it proved that it was a legitimate way to fight for rights. Honduras is the most unionized country in Central America .

 

In the 1990s, the banana industry (like many others) began a “race to the bottom” in terms of moving production and factories around the globe to find the cheapest labor and lowest production cost. The three major corporations, Dole, Chiquita, and Del Monte supply 2/3 of the world's bananas. The unionized banana workers in Honduras are among the highest paid in the agricultural industry and are resisting efforts to replace them with independent, non-union, and anti-union producers.

Perhaps the most destructive force in recent history in Honduras was Hurricane Mitch in 1998. This tropical hurricane had a major devastating impact on the country. Hundreds died and thousands were displaced, and many immigrated to the U.S. Many banana plantations took advantage of the confusion and chaos to fire workers and blame it on the hurricane. Some plantations decided not to replant bananas. The victories won by the 1954 strike were disappearing under pressure from foreign companies and Honduran forces.

 

Impact on Union Organizing and Social Movements

Today repression and violence against social justice activists and labor leaders is growing as a weapon of transnational companies and they are often assisted by the Honduran government. In addition, violence against women is wide-spread in Honduras . According to the U.S. State Department, human rights groups accused former security force officials and the business community of colluding to organize "death squads" to commit extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions, particularly of youth. There remains considerable impunity for members of the economic, military, and official elite, exacerbated by a weak, under funded, and often corrupt judicial system. Despite the relative strength of labor unions in Honduras, the International Labor Organization (ILO) notes that various provisions in the law restrict freedom of association, including the prohibition of more than 1 trade union in a single enterprise, the requirement of more than 30 workers to create a trade union, and the requirement that trade union organizations must include more than 90 percent Honduran membership.

 

El Salvador

Like Guatemala, El Salvador had a civil war that lasted 12 years and killed approximately 75,000 people during the 1980's and early 90's. Throughout the 20th century, the majority of El Salvador 's leaders were army officials and any attempts to hold a free and fair election were failures. Many leftists felt the only way to change their government was through armed insurrection. In 1979, the left united under the banner of the FMLN (Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front) and launched an attack on the government of El Salvador . The Salvadorian Armed Forces (ESAF) were poorly trained and frequently carried out large scaled massacres. According to UN reports, over 96% of human rights violations carried out during the war were committed by the military or right-wing death squads. One of the most famous assassinations was of the Archbishop of San Salvador, Oscar Romero, a strong voice in support of the poor of Latin America who had publicly asked the U.S. not to support the Salvadoran military government. In reaction to the violence in 1980, President Carter withdrew aid and the United Nations intervened. Several rounds of peace talks were held and in 1992 the conflict was declared officially over. The agricultural community was decimated during the war and that pushed almost 2 million to immigrate to the US . The economy still suffers and depends heavily on remittances sent by families in the U.S. Poverty still plagues the country and reforms have done little to ease the burden.

 

Impact on Union Organizing and Social Movements

Violence continues to play a role in El Salvador and the country is marked by insecurity, gangs and poverty. Labor organizers have also faced violence, including the highly publicized case of the murder of Jose Gilberto Soto, a Salvadoran immigrant to the U.S. and the President of the Teamsters, New Jersey Local 11. In 2004, he traveled back to El Salvador to meet with port truck drivers and to build solidarity between Teamsters and Central American unions. He was assassinated, shot in the back by three men. The Salvadoran government is suspected to have assisted in the cover-up of the murder as they led a faulty investigation that has yet to turn up any credible suspects. In addition, the ILO has found that the labor laws in El Salvador contain major loopholes that favor companies and often make organizing a difficult, if not impossible task. Many times in El Salvador , the ministry of labor works in collaboration with companies to intimidate, fire and harass workers trying to form a union.

 

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is perhaps the Central American country with the longest history of U.S. intervention. In1909, the U.S. military entered into Nicaragua to oppose President Zelaya who was attempting to restricted foreign access to natural resources. The U.S. maintained its presence until 1933 because of a proposed canal zone. Much of the 20 th century saw Nicaragua ruled by the U.S.-back dictatorship of the Somoza family. The left united under the name Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN) or Sandinistas after Augusto Sandino and actively worked against the Somoza government. U.S. corporations have over the past 100 years exploited much of Nicaraguan resources and land. Nicaragua also became one of the largest importers of U.S. pesticides, including several such as DDT that were banned in the U.S. The Sandinistas and Somoza government waged several years of war and violence that left the country in ruins. The water supply was damaged by pesticide runoff; the land was severely eroded due to deforestation. Elections were held and the country was slowly put back together with the Sandinistas in control. Many, including conservatives in the United States , saw the Sandinistas as a communist force and were unnerved by their plans for the country. Contras, a group that came together to oppose the new government, began to group in Honduras . With the support of the U.S. Government under President Ronald Reagan, the Contras grew in strength. The U.S. Congress restricted aid to Nicaragua and some in the US government sought to circumvent the law by selling arms to Iran and then using the proceeds to support the Contras, this created the infamous Iran-Contra Affair of 1986. The Contras and Sandinistas negotiated a ceasefire and held elections in 1990. The country is still rebuilding after the war and environmental setbacks. It continues to have a legacy of violence.

 

Impact on Union Organizing and Social Movements

Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the world and workers there make the lowest salaries of the region. The statutory minimum wage is set through tripartite (business, government, and labor) negotiations and must be approved by the National Assembly. A different minimum wage, which must be reviewed every 6 months, applies to each sector of the economy—a process labor unions spend a lot of time trying to influence.

 

Nicaraguan women face a huge epidemic of violence both in their homes and in the streets. Nicaragua has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the region. According to a poll released in April 2000 by the Nicaraguan Women's Institute in conjunction with the Government, women comprised approximately 61 percent of the public sector labor force, a number much larger than in the private sector. It also showed that even with comparable educational backgrounds, salaries for male and female workers differed significantly, with men sometimes making twice as much as women in the same positions. Workers are allowed to form labor unions in Nicaragua , however there are often multiple unions (who all have the legal right to bargain with the company) and the ability to legally strike is so difficult, it may as well be illegal.