ESP – ENG
In his novel «One Hundred Years of Solitude,» Gabriel García Márquez recounts the tragic massacre of workers from a foreign banana company who were fighting for their rights. José Arcadio Segundo, taken for dead, was thrown into a train car, where he awoke hours later, lying on the lifeless bodies of his companions.
The story is fictional but based on the real history of exploitation and human rights violations perpetrated by the American United Fruit Company (UFCO). Founded in the 19th century, UFCO dominated vast areas of land and resources in countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica.
In the 1930s, UFCO wielded almost feudal power over the communities where it operated. In Costa Rica, banana plantation workers faced miserable wages, precarious working conditions, and a lack of basic rights. Against this backdrop, the “Great banana strike” of August 4, 1934, emerged as a collective response to systemic injustices.
The organization of the workers was crucial for the success of the strike. As they united, they began to demand improvements in their working conditions, which included wage increases, shorter working hours, and recognition of their right to decent housing and healthcare. The protest was not only a demand for social justice but also an act of resistance against a system that oppressed them.
Although it was violently suppressed by the authorities, the strike had a significant impact and laid the ground for future labor struggles in Costa Rica and other countries in the region.
The event also highlighted the role of the United Fruit Company (later rebranded Chiquita) in destabilizing Latin America and the Caribbean. Its intervention in local politics and its ability to influence governments contributed to a cycle of exploitation and inequality in the region, leaving a lasting impact that is still felt today.
The Costa Rica banana strike would foster a growing awareness of the importance of labor rights and the sovereignty of Latin American peoples, marking a new chapter in the history of social struggles in the region.
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Text: Andreína Chávez. Artwork: Puñalada.