236:
democratic government. In response to this threat, the
Guatemalan government acted on the advice of the military attaché at the United States embassy and helped set up several vigilante groups throughout the country. The establishment of several new government death squads also coincided with a rise in US involvement with the counter-insurgency, with the transfer of weapons and techniques that had been used in the
40:
324:. Mano Blanca also sent death threats to one of the leaders of a student organization. Bonpane reported that the leader of Mano Blanca had told him the death threats had been made because he was a communist, and would "give his life for the poor." Overall, Mano Blanca was responsible for thousands of murders and kidnappings, leading travel writer
267:
after the coup in 1954. The members of Mano Blanca were largely army officers, and the outfit received a lot of its funding from planters. It also received information from military intelligence. The MANO was distinct from other "death squads" operating at the same time, as it was initially formed as
258:
Mano Blanca, or the
Movement of Organized Nationalist Action, was set up in 1966 as a front for the MLN to carry out its more violent activities, along with many other similar groups, including the New Anticommunist Organization and the Anticommunist Council of Guatemala. These three groups operated
158:
from being inaugurated as the president of
Guatemala. While initially autonomous from the government, it was absorbed into the Guatemalan State's counter-terror apparatus and evolved into a paramilitary unit of the Guatemalan armed forces, and was responsible for the murder and torture of thousands
235:
After the 1954 coup d'état, the MLN became in effect the party of the
Guatemalan landowners and military. However, the leftist guerrillas in the country were very active during the 1960s, especially after a failed coup on November 13, 1960, by progressive army officers who wished to set up a
285:(PR), an anti-communist group that was the only major reform oriented party allowed to operate under the military-dominated regime. Other targets included the banned leftist parties. The PR drew a lot of its members from the activist base that had been created during the
297:
of the PR from taking power. During the 1960s, Mano Blanca's front man was Raúl
Lorenzana. Lorenzana was close to the Guatemalan military and operated out of the headquarters of the Guatemalan Army's
275:
Armed with the support and coordination of the
Guatemalan Armed Forces, Mano Blanca began a campaign described by the United States Department of State as one of "kidnappings, torture, and
163:(English: Movement of Organized Nationalist Action) which gives the acronym "MANO", (Spanish: hand). The group was variously known by its full name, by MANO, or most popularly by
308:
described the activities of Mano Blanca as being an integral part of the policy of the
Guatemalan government, and by extension the policy of the United States government and the
159:
of people in rural
Guatemala. The group received support from the Guatemalan army and government, as well as from the United States. The group was officially known as the
216:, or MLN). The founders of the party described it as the "party of organized violence." The new government promptly reversed the democratic reforms initiated during the
768:
753:
263:– which linked them to various government, military and police agencies. This network was built on the Committees against Communism created by the
763:
244:
were also sent by the United States, along with military consultants, some of whom were implicated in the setting up of the death squads.
637:
Levenson-Estrada, Deborah (Winter 2003). "The Life That Makes Us Die/The Death That Makes Us Live: Facing
Terrorism in Guatemala City".
758:
293:
in 1952, and these individuals were targeted by the Mano Blanca. When it was founded, the group had the specific aim of preventing
209:
98:
778:
719:
698:
677:
627:
577:
554:
533:
241:
783:
294:
253:
155:
201:
773:
281:
340:
748:
78:
313:
309:
264:
195:
118:
108:
93:
259:
within the United States supported government arm known as the
Regional Telecommunications Center –
336:
316:, a communist politician who was killed in retribution for the killing of West German ambassador
525:
217:
205:
181:
268:
an independent paramilitary organization, unlike the CADEG or the NOA which were primarily
229:
225:
191:
128:
8:
332:
269:
185:
147:
587:
Ibarra, Carlos Figueroa (June 2006). "The culture of terror and Cold War in Guatemala".
654:
604:
321:
715:
694:
673:
658:
623:
573:
550:
529:
276:
608:
519:
646:
596:
709:
688:
667:
617:
565:
544:
317:
650:
568:. In Garrard-Burnett, Virginia; Lawrence, Mark Atwood; Moreno, Julia E. (eds.).
83:
600:
742:
305:
290:
546:
Guerrillas of Peace: Liberation Theology and the Central American Revolution
325:
669:
The American connection: State terror and popular resistance in Guatemala
566:"Military Factionalism and the Consolidation of Power in 1960s Guatemala"
237:
151:
208:
to power. Along with other people with fascist leanings, he started the
328:
to refer to them as "Guatemala's version of a volunteer Gestapo unit."
286:
221:
144:
71:
729:
Washington Post (7 April 1970). "Guatemala Red Killed For Revenge".
570:
Beyond the Eagle's Shadow: New Histories of Latin America's Cold War
394:
392:
390:
388:
521:
Killing Hope: US Military and CIA interventions since World War II
385:
460:
458:
456:
454:
452:
424:
422:
312:. One of the deaths Mano Blanca was responsible for was that
449:
419:
375:
373:
371:
272:
operated exclusively by the military and security services.
439:
437:
39:
482:
409:
407:
690:
Memory of Silence: The Guatemalan Truth Commission Report
619:
The Last Colonial Massacre: Latin America in the Cold War
368:
331:
Mano Blanca was active during the governments of colonel
434:
494:
470:
404:
358:
356:
228:
and which directly impacted the interests of both the
353:
572:. University of New Mexico Press. pp. 64–65.
279:." One of the main targets of Mano Blanca was the
301:and a government safehouse at La Aurora airbase.
740:
636:
398:
728:
714:. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 100–103.
622:. University of Chicago Press. pp. 87–89.
488:
247:
137:
616:Grandin, Greg; Klein, Naomi (30 July 2011).
615:
464:
161:Movimiento de Acción Nacionalista Organizado
28:Movimiento de Acción Nacionalista Organizado
769:Political organizations based in Guatemala
686:
665:
476:
428:
754:National Liberation Movement (Guatemala)
693:. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 112–113.
22:Movement of Organized Nationalist Action
707:
542:
413:
379:
224:that was the main project of president
741:
586:
443:
44:Movimiento de Liberación Nacional Flag
563:
517:
500:
362:
764:1978 disestablishments in Guatemala
13:
143:(Spanish for 'White Hand'), was a
14:
795:
214:Movimiento de Liberación Nacional
759:1966 establishments in Guatemala
38:
687:Rothenburg, David, ed. (2012).
510:
232:and the Guatemalan landowners.
543:Bonpane, Blase (12 May 2000).
27:
1:
549:. iUniverse. pp. 30–50.
346:
339:and was dissolved by general
295:Julio César Méndez Montenegro
254:Julio César Méndez Montenegro
175:
156:Julio César Méndez Montenegro
779:Anti-communist organizations
666:McClintock, Michael (1985).
589:Journal of Genocide Research
248:Mano Blanca as a death squad
210:National Liberation Movement
154:, set up in 1966 to prevent
99:National Liberation Movement
7:
651:10.1215/01636545-2003-85-94
341:Fernando Romeo Lucas García
310:Central Intelligence Agency
265:Central Intelligence Agency
10:
800:
711:The Old Patagonian Express
289:begun by former president
251:
189:
179:
170:
784:State-sponsored terrorism
601:10.1080/14623520600703081
314:César Montenegro Paniagua
202:United States backed coup
124:
119:Guatemalan Party of Labor
114:
104:
89:
77:
67:
57:
49:
37:
26:
21:
465:Grandin & Klein 2011
564:Batz, Giovanni (2013).
287:agrarian reform program
222:agrarian reform program
196:Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes
774:Terrorism in Guatemala
708:Theroux, Paul (2014).
639:Radical History Review
524:. Zed Books. pp.
518:Blum, William (2003).
304:Human rights activist
282:Partido Revolucionario
138:
109:Guatemala Armed Forces
94:Guatemala Armed Forces
16:Guatemalan death squad
399:Levenson-Estrada 2003
337:Kjell Laugerud García
218:Guatemalan Revolution
206:Carlos Castillo Armas
182:Carlos Castillo Armas
749:Guatemalan Civil War
489:Washington Post 1970
299:Cuartel de Matamoros
230:United Fruit Company
226:Jacobo Arbenz Guzman
192:Jacobo Arbenz Guzman
129:Guatemalan Civil War
503:, pp. 233–234.
446:, pp. 191–208.
431:, pp. 112–113.
382:, pp. 100–103.
333:Carlos Arana Osorio
270:front organizations
186:Guatemala Civil War
167:, or "White Hand."
68:Active regions
401:, pp. 94–104.
59:Dates of operation
721:978-0-547-52400-9
700:978-1-137-01114-5
679:978-0-86232-241-0
629:978-0-226-30690-2
579:978-0-8263-5369-6
556:978-0-595-00418-8
535:978-1-84277-369-7
467:, pp. 87–89.
416:, pp. 30–50.
365:, pp. 64–65.
277:summary execution
150:, anti-communist
134:
133:
96:(non-sanctioned)
791:
734:
725:
704:
683:
662:
633:
612:
583:
560:
539:
504:
498:
492:
486:
480:
474:
468:
462:
447:
441:
432:
426:
417:
411:
402:
396:
383:
377:
366:
360:
204:in 1954 brought
141:
125:Battles and wars
60:
42:
33:
19:
18:
799:
798:
794:
793:
792:
790:
789:
788:
739:
738:
737:
731:Washington Post
722:
701:
680:
630:
580:
557:
536:
513:
508:
507:
499:
495:
487:
483:
477:McClintock 1985
475:
471:
463:
450:
442:
435:
429:Rothenburg 2012
427:
420:
412:
405:
397:
386:
378:
369:
361:
354:
349:
318:Karl von Spreti
256:
250:
198:
188:
180:Main articles:
178:
173:
97:
58:
45:
29:
17:
12:
11:
5:
797:
787:
786:
781:
776:
771:
766:
761:
756:
751:
736:
735:
726:
720:
705:
699:
684:
678:
663:
645:(85): 94–104.
634:
628:
613:
595:(2): 191–208.
584:
578:
561:
555:
540:
534:
514:
512:
509:
506:
505:
493:
481:
469:
448:
433:
418:
403:
384:
367:
351:
350:
348:
345:
322:FAR guerrillas
252:Main article:
249:
246:
177:
174:
172:
169:
132:
131:
126:
122:
121:
116:
112:
111:
106:
102:
101:
91:
87:
86:
84:Anti-communism
81:
75:
74:
69:
65:
64:
61:
55:
54:
53:Raúl Lorenzana
51:
47:
46:
43:
35:
34:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
796:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
767:
765:
762:
760:
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
746:
744:
732:
727:
723:
717:
713:
712:
706:
702:
696:
692:
691:
685:
681:
675:
672:. Zed books.
671:
670:
664:
660:
656:
652:
648:
644:
640:
635:
631:
625:
621:
620:
614:
610:
606:
602:
598:
594:
590:
585:
581:
575:
571:
567:
562:
558:
552:
548:
547:
541:
537:
531:
527:
523:
522:
516:
515:
502:
497:
490:
485:
479:, p. 95.
478:
473:
466:
461:
459:
457:
455:
453:
445:
440:
438:
430:
425:
423:
415:
410:
408:
400:
395:
393:
391:
389:
381:
376:
374:
372:
364:
359:
357:
352:
344:
342:
338:
334:
329:
327:
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
306:Blase Bonpane
302:
300:
296:
292:
291:Jacobo Arbenz
288:
284:
283:
278:
273:
271:
266:
262:
255:
245:
243:
240:. A thousand
239:
233:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
197:
193:
187:
183:
168:
166:
162:
157:
153:
149:
146:
142:
140:
130:
127:
123:
120:
117:
113:
110:
107:
103:
100:
95:
92:
88:
85:
82:
80:
76:
73:
70:
66:
62:
56:
52:
48:
41:
36:
32:
25:
20:
730:
710:
689:
668:
642:
638:
618:
592:
588:
569:
545:
520:
511:Bibliography
496:
484:
472:
414:Bonpane 2000
380:Theroux 2014
335:and general
330:
326:Paul Theroux
303:
298:
280:
274:
260:
257:
242:Green Berets
234:
213:
199:
164:
160:
136:
135:
30:
444:Ibarra 2006
261:La Regional
238:Vietnam War
165:Mano Blanca
152:death squad
139:Mano Blanca
743:Categories
347:References
190:See also:
176:Background
148:right-wing
145:Guatemalan
659:143353418
501:Blum 2003
363:Batz 2013
343:in 1978.
115:Opponents
72:Guatemala
63:1966–1978
609:72555904
220:and the
79:Ideology
171:History
90:Part of
50:Leaders
718:
697:
676:
657:
626:
607:
576:
553:
532:
528:–234.
105:Allies
655:S2CID
605:S2CID
716:ISBN
695:ISBN
674:ISBN
643:2003
624:ISBN
574:ISBN
551:ISBN
530:ISBN
200:The
194:and
184:and
31:MANO
647:doi
597:doi
526:233
320:by
745::
653:.
641:.
603:.
591:.
451:^
436:^
421:^
406:^
387:^
370:^
355:^
733:.
724:.
703:.
682:.
661:.
649::
632:.
611:.
599::
593:8
582:.
559:.
538:.
491:.
212:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
