Thursday, March 10, 2011

Background info for United Fruit Co

So I decided to go with a short poem for my last blog of the midterm. Pablo Neruda uses an American owned company that specializes in the sales of fruit from third world countries - bananas in particular. I have never really been one to read into a poem and try to find the underlying story, but in this one, I feel that we can not ignore what the writer is trying to say.

For some background information, The United Fruit Co was disliked by many of the indigenous people from the Latin Americas. The company specialized in screwing the little guy by land control. What I mean by this is that the company purchased way more land than they would ever use, and then withheld it from peasant farmers who wanted a cut in the banana industry. Capitalism at its finest... right?

So just when we all thought preventing a poor man from supporting his family, we find out the company may have been involved in killing some of the low-lifes. On November 12, 1928 a group of workers were striking against the banana king. Unfortunately for these workers, Mr Banana King got pissed. The Columbia army, led by General Cortés Vargas opened fire on the strikers. The shooting of unarmed strikers, according to some congressman, was ordered by the United Fruit Company. I know the numbers vary greatly, but it is estimated that between 47 and 2000 people were murdered in what is now known as the Banana Massacre. I guess this picture below shows how they meant business.

2 comments:

  1. This is very interesting, and definitely helps me when reading Neruda's poem. Today, I do not hear of many big companies that exploit third world employees quite as much this one did, so learning more about how awful the Banana Republic was helps understand why some of the more grim lines such as "a body spun off, an anonymous chattel,...a branch with its death running out of it in the vat of the carrion, fruit laden and foul." (lines 40-44) were written. It also helps to have a dictionary/google ready for some of the words such as opera bouffe, which just so happens to be a type of farcical opera. This blog was definitely useful when writing my own blog about the poem.

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  2. In 1933, concerned that the company was mismanaged and that its market value had plunged, it was changed up and became United Brands. United Brands becomes crippled with debt(1970) and largest shareholder kills himself(1975). The one thing I thought of was that the United Fruit Company didn't read the Proverbs.

    He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.Proverbs 28:8

    He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.Proverbs 28:27

    One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty Proverbs 11:24

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