Oil, Aid, and Human Rights in 20th Century Guatemala – an Interview with Richard Balzano

Guatemala is not usually thought of as an oil county, and that is of course, largely because it is not one. Today’s interviewee however, traces the fascinating story of a largely forgotten – and largely unrealised – oil rush which threatened to take place there, based on a resource which wasn’t there – or to put it more precisely – wasn’t there in the quantities needed to properly exploit.There is much more to this story, however. Connected to that interest in oil and the desire of US corporations to make profit from it, were the games of the cold war and fears of communism, dictatorships, civil war, and personal ambitionSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Om Podcasten

The Latin American History Podcast aims to tell the story of Spanish and Portuguese America from its very beginnings up until the present day. Latin America’s history is home to some of the most exciting and unbelievable stories of adventure and exploration, and this podcast will tell these stories in all their glory. It will examine colonial society, slavery, and what life was like for the region’s inhabitants during this period. We will look at what caused the wars of independence, how they were won, and what Latin America looked like afterwards. The region’s twentieth century history was marked by extremes – in political ideas, in levels of wealth, and in cultural expression. It was a time of guerrillas, dictators, death squads, powerful corporations, and turmoil. The cold war was played out in extreme here – although filtered through the legacy of colonialism and the region’s own unique heritage. All this and more make Latin American history a fascinating story, and one worth telling. Join me on this podcast as I set about doing so.