Education
CENTRAL AMERICA

Costa Rica 1948
In 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising against the government of President
Teodoro Picado that left 2,000 dead and fundamentally shaped modern Costa Rica. The
conflict stemmed primarily from factional disputes and a highly contested election.
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Cuba Revolution 1956 - 1959
The Cuban Revolution resulted from rising opposition to the government of Cuban dictator
Fulgencio Batista. Batista assumed power in 1952 when he led a coup against President
Carlos PrÃo Socarrás. Once Batista forced his way into power, he voided the ...

Guatemalan Civil War 1960 – 1996
In 1954, the fairly elected Guatemalan president, Jacobo Arbenz, was ousted by Guatemalan
rebels with assistance from the CIA. Arbenz intended to nationalize the United Fruit
Company, and the United States feared he would try to implement other socialist ...

Nicaragua (Contras) 1978 – 1990
The Sandinista Front for National Liberation, a Marxist guerrilla group inspired by
the Cuban Revolution, was formed in the early 1960s to promote Nicaraguan sovereignty
in foreign affairs and oppose the US-backed Somoza dictatorship. Following numerous
...