José Manuel Fortuny
José Manuel Fortuny | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 May 1916 Santa Rosa, Guatemala |
| Died | 2005 (Age 89) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Nationality | Guatemalan |
| Other names | Ché Manuel |
| Alma mater | University of San Carlos |
| Known for | Being an adviser to Jacobo Árbenz |
José Manuel Fortuny Arana (22 May 1916 – 2005) was an important communist leader in Latin America. He became well known for his friendship with Guatemalan President Jacobo Árbenz, and was one of the main advisers in his government, which lasted from 1951–54.[1][2] Árbenz was overthrown by a coup engineered by the United States in 1954, an event which drove Fortuny into exile, along with many of his comrades.
Early life
José Manuel Fortuny was born to a middle-class family in the Guatemalan Department of Santa Rosa on 22 May, 1916. He was a law student at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, but did not graduate. Before becoming involved with politics, he had worked variously for the Sterling company, the British Legation, and the broadcaster journal Aire.[3]
Guatemalan Revolution
Revolutionary Action Party
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During the fall of
Árbenz government
Fortuny played the role of friend and adviser to Árbenz through the three years of his government, from 1951 to 1954.[2][4] Fortuny wrote several speeches for Árbenz, and in his role as agricultural secretary,[1] he was involved in crafting Árbenz' landmark agrarian reform bill. Despite his position in Árbenz' government, however, Fortuny never became a popular figure in Guatemala, and did not have the sort of popular following that Gutierrez had.[2][5] In 1952, Fortuny contested an election for the national Congress, but was heavily defeated. His manner was occasionally seen as offensive, and he was seen as putting the interests of the communist movement before those of the Guatemalan working class. Under his leadership, the communist party remained numerically weak, without any representation in Árbenz' cabinet.[5]
Fortuny resigned along with Árbenz following the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état, and went into exile.[7]
Exile and death
Following the U.S.-sponsored coup, Fortuny took refuge in the Mexican embassy for a while, before going into exile.[7] Due to his status as a prominent communist during the Cold War, he was kept under surveillance by the Central Intelligence Agency. During his exile, he spent time in Brazil, Uruguay, and Cuba.[7] He died in Mexico City at age 89, from heart failure.
References
- ^ S2CID 72555904.
- ^ a b c Cullather, Nicholas (1994). "Operation PBSUCCESS: The United States and Guatemala 1952–1954" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
- ^ "Fortuny, José Manuel (1916–)". Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Encyclopedia.com. 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ S2CID 145333696.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-86300-023-2. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ MacLeod, Philip S. "A Brief History of the Partido Guatemalteco del Trabajo: A Companion to an Exhibition of the Partido Guatemalteco del Trabajo Papers". Archived from the original on 12 June 2003.
- ^ a b c Ferreira, Roberto Garcia (13 September 2010). "José Manuel Fortuny: un comunista clandestino en Montevideo, 1958". Jornadas de Investigación de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales (in Spanish).
External links
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