Jorge Ubico

Jorge Ubico became president of Guatemala after winning a rigged election. He quickly established a dictatorship, suspending civil liberties, and centralizing power.

Ubico continued and expanded the policies of Estrada Cabrera, granting the United Fruit Company vast land holdings, tax exemptions, and control over infrastructure. This deepened U.S. corporate influence in Guatemala.

Ubico enacted a vagrancy law requiring all landless peasants to work a certain number of days per year on coffee plantations or public works. This effectively created a system of forced labor that benefited large landowners.

Ubico resigned the presidency in June 1944 after widespread protests and a general strike. His resignation ended 13 years of dictatorship and paved the way for the Guatemalan Revolution.