PBHistory
Encyclopedia
Operation PBHistory was a covert Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) operation in Guatemala
, which occurred after the fall of the Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán
government in June 1954. By 4 July, the CIA sent a two-man communist
expert team to investigate the possibility of utilizing the documents left behind by the exiled government. The operation was a consequence of Operation PBSuccess
whereby the CIA sought to collect and exploit Guatemalan communist documents.
In order to remain covert the CIA told Castillo Armas that the PBHistory group was businessmen and experts from universities. As a result, Castillo Armas signed the decree allowing for the creation of the National Committee of Defense Against Communism
(Comite de Defensa Nacional contra el Comunismo) on 20 July. Furthermore, the U.S. group would work under the banner of a social research company and would work in cooperation with the Comite de Defensa Nacional contra el Comunismo, which was a subsidized by the CIA. The Guatemalan group had twenty-five members and their duty was to assist the U.S. members whenever necessary.
However, the Guatemalan group was not granted the power to arrest or search house of prominent government officials who had served under Arbenz. This was largely because Armas lacked trust in the Comite. Nevertheless, the Comite was able to conduct personal searches of exiles as they left the country. This proved to be ineffective as very few documents proved to be revealing. By 4 August 1954, a joint-action plan was developed and eight CIA operatives were deployed to Guatemala along with three state members and one member of the United States Information Agency
.
Since the covert operation to overthrew the Arbenz government had progressed so rapidly, the CIA hoped that Arbenz and Guatemalan Party of Labour
(PGT) leaders would not have time to destroy potential incriminating documents, which would link Arbenz to Moscow
. Additionally, the CIA had hoped that the “PTG records left behind in haste would enable the agency’s international Communism Division to reconstruct the PTG’s collective leadership and organizational structure, and perhaps do the same for Moscow-oriented movements throughout the hemisphere.” However, a CIA memorandum to CIA director Allen Dulles indicated that the documents seized “were of such topical nature and, in the main, of such low-level intelligence and propaganda interest, that they did not lend themselves to an impressive bound volume.”
Nevertheless, the group sifted through 500,000 documents and was able to salvage over 50,000 documents for the purpose of exploiting and illustrating communist activities within Guatemala. The documents were copied and microfilmed. The PBHistory analyzed the documents and then handed the originals over to the comite in order to index and file them. Ronald M. Schneider, an extra-Agency researcher who later examined the PBHISTORY documents, found no traces of Soviet control and substantial evidence that Guatemalan Communists acted alone, without support or guidance from outside the country.
The work done by the PBHistory team also served to perpetuate two existing CIA operations, Operation Kufire
and Operation Kugown
.
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...
(CIA) operation in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, which occurred after the fall of the 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....
government in June 1954. By 4 July, the CIA sent a two-man communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
expert team to investigate the possibility of utilizing the documents left behind by the exiled government. The operation was a consequence of Operation PBSuccess
Operation PBSUCCESS
The 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état was a covert operation organized by the United States Central Intelligence Agency to overthrow Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán, the democratically-elected President of Guatemala....
whereby the CIA sought to collect and exploit Guatemalan communist documents.
In order to remain covert the CIA told Castillo Armas that the PBHistory group was businessmen and experts from universities. As a result, Castillo Armas signed the decree allowing for the creation of the National Committee of Defense Against Communism
National Committee of Defense Against Communism
The National Committee of Defense Against Communism, established on 19 July 1954, was a committee formed by Carlos Castillo at the request of the United States Central Intelligence Agency...
(Comite de Defensa Nacional contra el Comunismo) on 20 July. Furthermore, the U.S. group would work under the banner of a social research company and would work in cooperation with the Comite de Defensa Nacional contra el Comunismo, which was a subsidized by the CIA. The Guatemalan group had twenty-five members and their duty was to assist the U.S. members whenever necessary.
However, the Guatemalan group was not granted the power to arrest or search house of prominent government officials who had served under Arbenz. This was largely because Armas lacked trust in the Comite. Nevertheless, the Comite was able to conduct personal searches of exiles as they left the country. This proved to be ineffective as very few documents proved to be revealing. By 4 August 1954, a joint-action plan was developed and eight CIA operatives were deployed to Guatemala along with three state members and one member of the United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
.
Since the covert operation to overthrew the Arbenz government had progressed so rapidly, the CIA hoped that Arbenz and Guatemalan Party of Labour
Guatemalan Party of Labour
The Guatemalan Party of Labour was a communist party in Guatemala. It existed from 1949 to 1998. It gained prominence during the government of Col. Jacobo Arbenz...
(PGT) leaders would not have time to destroy potential incriminating documents, which would link Arbenz to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Additionally, the CIA had hoped that the “PTG records left behind in haste would enable the agency’s international Communism Division to reconstruct the PTG’s collective leadership and organizational structure, and perhaps do the same for Moscow-oriented movements throughout the hemisphere.” However, a CIA memorandum to CIA director Allen Dulles indicated that the documents seized “were of such topical nature and, in the main, of such low-level intelligence and propaganda interest, that they did not lend themselves to an impressive bound volume.”
Nevertheless, the group sifted through 500,000 documents and was able to salvage over 50,000 documents for the purpose of exploiting and illustrating communist activities within Guatemala. The documents were copied and microfilmed. The PBHistory analyzed the documents and then handed the originals over to the comite in order to index and file them. Ronald M. Schneider, an extra-Agency researcher who later examined the PBHISTORY documents, found no traces of Soviet control and substantial evidence that Guatemalan Communists acted alone, without support or guidance from outside the country.
The work done by the PBHistory team also served to perpetuate two existing CIA operations, Operation Kufire
Operation Kufire
Operation Kufire was a program that sought to identify and track all communist party members who had flocked to Guatemala during the Arbenz regime. “Via Kufire, the CIA was intent on charting their movements and monitoring or frustrating their machinations”1...
and Operation Kugown
Operation Kugown
Operation Kugown relied on the media to inform the Guatemalan people on the extent to which communism had infiltrated Guatemala. This was largely derived from the documents seized by the PBHistory team. The analyzed documents were then translated into Spanish and distributed throughout Guatemala...
.