Evening star., 1951-06-24


cessor, Jacob Arbenz, who became
is established in the National
Congress, no less securely than in
the administration.
They now leave no doubt that
they are definitely on the road to
Matchmaking, confiScating = or
otherwise rendering useless -sey-
eral of the largest and most i'm
portant United States investments
. in the country. They have also
provided a strategic base of opera
tions in the Caribbean, almost
next door to the Panama Canal,
for the spies, propaganda agents
and friends of Moscow.
During the Arevalo administra-
ton. they confined themselves
largely to two activities. First
was the unionization of Guate-
malan labor, and the setting up
of a program of action for it.
Their second great concern was
the organization of political action
committees to elect the next, or
present, President.
Labor Leaders
The chief architects of the labor
movement are Manuel Pinto
Usaga, who heads the Syndical
Federation of Guatemala, known
as the Esq. the largest single
unit of which is the railroad en-
ployes' union-and Victor Manuel
Gutierrez Of the CGT, or Confed-
Grafton of Workers of Guatemala,
which contains the unions of the
United Fruit Co. and other agri-
cultural organizations. Pinto and
Gutierrez both are avowed friends
of Russia, If not card-carrying
Communists. Equally. they are
boastful enemies of Uncle Sam.
Their organizations are linked to-
gether in q political action COM
mittee known as the National
Committee for Syndical Unity,
which actually engineered the
election of Arbenz.
Pinto apparently is t. political
leader of the whole union move
ment, while Gutierrez is among
the most powerful figures in the
National Congress. They have
identified themselves and their
organizations with the best-known
international Communist move
ments. Both the CTG and Esq
are integral parts of the CTAL,
or Central American Confedera-
tion of Labor, which is headed by
RuSSia's good friend, Vincente
Lombardo Toledano of Mexico
Both organizations also are affili-
ated with the prot Communist
WFTP. or World Federation OF
Trade Unions. Gutierrez was
elected a member OF the Execu-
tive Committee of the WFTU in
1949.
Each of these men has been in
attendance at nearly all the re-
cent Soviet sponsored peace
meetings"-in Paris in April, 1949,
and in Mexico City in September
of the same year, to mention only
two.
Although former President Are
valo keeps out of the public eye
and lives quietly in Guatemala
City, most local observers believe
he still is potent influence in
the whole leftist and pro-Russian
movement in the country. He is
in direct contact with well-known
leftist leaders. At any rate, most
of the closest collaborators and
friends of his administration are
carrying on under the Arbenz
regime. Many of them are In
higher positions than they previ-
ously occupied.
The official status of pro-Reds
or avowed Communists under the
Arbenz administration is evidence
of the powerful and increasing
political influence of communism
in the little Central American
Republic. In the legislative
branch of the government, Ro-
berto Alvarado Fuentes, constant
associate and collaboration of mill.
tant Communists, signer of nu.
merous Moscow-sponsored ''peace
resolutions" is president of the
National Congress. He would bs
the logical successor to the presi-
dency, in case Of the resignation
or death Of President Arbenz.
Key Commissions Controlled
Two Of the most important
agencies Of the Congress are the
commission on agrarian law anc
the commission on labor code re.
form. The majority of the mem.
bers of both groups are extreme
leftists and pro-CommuniSts
Gutierrez is chairman Of the labol
code reform commission and wa.
the author Of the revolutionary
agrarian law. The American.
owned railroads, the United Frui
Co. and practically all othel
United States enterprises are reg.
ulated by these two laws.
Jaime Diaz Rozzoto. long identi.
fed with all the pro- -Communis
elements of the country, is tn,
appointee Of the President on tn,
three man national election board
The Congress selected the notori.
ously pro-Communist Alfonzt
GRANTEES. (Orantes is co-chairmar
of the Soviet-line "Partisans O.
Peace" committee.) These twt
appointments give pro-C Communis
elements complete control over al
elections in the country.
Moscow-inspired and Moscow
sponsored groups and organiza.
tions are welcome to hold theil
meetings in Guatemala and al.
ways receive the plaudits of the
official and semiof1icial press ant
radio. From May 10 to May IA
the Latin American representa-.
tives Of the World Federation o.
Trade Unions met in G1fafny,n q I<