Nolan Discusses 1954 CIA-led Coup in Guatemala

Rachel Nolan, Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, published an article in the London Review of Books (LRB) on the 1954 CIA coup in Guatemala and Vargas Llosa’s newest book Harsh Times.

Llosa’s book rehearses the coup in Guatemala and its muddled aftermath, the CIA’s involvement in the matter, as well as how the coup reverberated across the region. Nolan’s article explores the overthrow of Guatemalan President Árbenz in 1954 and its importance as a model for CIA-backed regime change across Latin America.

The full article can be read on LRB‘s website. Nolan discussed her article and its main takeaways on the LRB Podcast, which can be listened to on their website.

Rachel Nolan is a historian of modern Latin America. Her research focuses on political violence, Central American civil wars, childhood and the family, historical memory, and U.S.-Latin American relations. She is currently completing a book manuscript on the history of international adoption from Guatemala. Read more about Professor Nolan on her faculty profile.