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Good Dictator, Bad Dictator: United Fruit Company and Economic Nationalism in Central American in the Twentieth Century

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  • Bucheli, Marcelo

    (U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

Abstract

The US multinational United Fruit Company has been considered the quintessential representative of American imperialism in Central America. Not only did the company enjoy enormous privileges in that region, but also counted on authoritarian governments in dealing with labor unrest. The literature assumes that United Fruit and the dictators were natural allies due to their opposition to organized unionism. This paper shows that this alliance could only survive as long as the multinational provided the dictators with economic stability for the country. However, when the multinational proved to be incapable of doing that, the dictators allied with the working class to confront the multinational and extract higher rents from it.

Suggested Citation

  • Bucheli, Marcelo, 2006. "Good Dictator, Bad Dictator: United Fruit Company and Economic Nationalism in Central American in the Twentieth Century," Working Papers 06-0115, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Business.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:illbus:06-0115
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jensen, Nathan M., 2003. "Democratic Governance and Multinational Corporations: Political Regimes and Inflows of Foreign Direct Investment," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 57(3), pages 587-616, July.
    2. Li, Quan & Resnick, Adam, 2003. "Reversal of Fortunes: Democratic Institutions and Foreign Direct Investment Inflows to Developing Countries," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 57(1), pages 175-211, January.
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