Caribbean Legion
Encyclopedia
Caribbean Legion is the name of the group of reformist Latin American politicians who plotted to overthrow dictatorship
s in the Dominican Republic
, Venezuela
, Nicaragua
, and Costa Rica
. A 1949 Central Intelligence Agency
analysis described the Caribbean Legion as a "destabilizing force".
In 1949 the Caribbean Legion helped Jose Figueres keep the power during Costa Rica's civil war by bringing troops from other Latin American countries such as Honduras
.
In 1954 members of the Caribbean Legion tried without success to help Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán
, president of Guatemala, to resist a Coup organised by Carlos Castillo Armas with the help of the CIA. This group had been trained in Costa Rica
and one of his members was Ernesto Guevarra.
In 1955 members of the Caribbean Legion trained Costa Rican national troops to resist Rafael Calderón's attempt to overthrow Jose Figueres.
In 1959 the Caribbean Legion helped Fidel Castro
's Cuban revolution by flying shipments of guns from Costa Rica
.
, Ernesto Guevarra, Rolando Masferrer
, Jose Figueres, Jorge Ribas Montes and Rosendo Argüello Ramirez.
As a structured, formal organization, the Caribbean Legion never existed. (The name was coined by U.S. journalist in 1948.) What did exist were the nuclei of exiled leaders from various countries who were, at times, able to coordinate their activities and mobilize foot-soldiers — exiles living throughout the region.
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
s in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. A 1949 Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
analysis described the Caribbean Legion as a "destabilizing force".
In 1949 the Caribbean Legion helped Jose Figueres keep the power during Costa Rica's civil war by bringing troops from other Latin American countries such as Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
In 1954 members of the Caribbean Legion tried without success to help Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán
Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán
Colonel Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán was a Guatemalan military officer and politician who served as Defense Minister of Guatemala from 1944–1951, and as President of Guatemala from 1951 to 1954....
, president of Guatemala, to resist a Coup organised by Carlos Castillo Armas with the help of the CIA. This group had been trained in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and one of his members was Ernesto Guevarra.
In 1955 members of the Caribbean Legion trained Costa Rican national troops to resist Rafael Calderón's attempt to overthrow Jose Figueres.
In 1959 the Caribbean Legion helped Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's Cuban revolution by flying shipments of guns from Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
.
Prominent Members
Members of the "Caribbean Legion" included Fidel CastroFidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, Ernesto Guevarra, Rolando Masferrer
Rolando Masferrer
Rolando Masferrer Rojas , born in Holguín, July 12, 1918, in Oriente province, better known simply as Rolando Masferrer, was a Cuban guerrilla leader, lawyer, congressman, newspaper publisher, member of the Cuban Communist Party and political activist...
, Jose Figueres, Jorge Ribas Montes and Rosendo Argüello Ramirez.
As a structured, formal organization, the Caribbean Legion never existed. (The name was coined by U.S. journalist in 1948.) What did exist were the nuclei of exiled leaders from various countries who were, at times, able to coordinate their activities and mobilize foot-soldiers — exiles living throughout the region.