Vargas, Eisenhower and the Guatemalan Question, 1954: A Foreign Policy Analysis

Abstract

The article explores the formulation and implementation of Brazilian politics in the face of the so-called Guatemalan question in 1954. The article is the result of historical and political research in the Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. About 500 declassified documents (secret and confidential) were considered. Amid the Cold War competition, the article discusses the convergence between Brazilian and US foreign policy on the Guatemalan issue, mainly in three forums: a projected Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs; at the United Nations Security Council; and the Inter-American Peace Commission, linked to the Organization of the American States. The primary sources consulted suggest that there was indeed a predisposition on the Brazilian side to follow the US government’s diplomatic initiatives on the Guatemalan issue. However, it is not possible to confirm any knowledge of the Brazilian side about the PBSUCCESS covert operation. Hence some manipulation of Brazilian diplomats and politicians could have taken place.