El Podcast

E39: Banana Republic: How a Fruit Company Overthrew Governments

Episode Summary

In this episode, historian Marcelo Bucheli joins us to uncover the shocking true story of the United Fruit Company—how a banana empire shaped coups, corrupted governments, and coined the term Banana Republic. From CIA-backed regime change in Guatemala to propaganda masterminded by Freud’s nephew, we explore how one fruit company came to symbolize imperialism, inequality, and the dark side of globalization.

Episode Notes

Professor Marcelo Bucheli unpacks the political and economic legacy of the United Fruit Company, exposing how bananas shaped coups, corruption, and the myth of the Banana Republic across Latin America.

Guest bio:
Marcelo Bucheli is a professor at the University of Illinois and a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School, specializing in international business history and foreign direct investment. He is the author of Bananas and Business, a deeply researched account of the United Fruit Company’s influence in Latin America.

Topics discussed:

• The rise and operations of the United Fruit Company (now Chiquita)
• The CIA-backed coup in Guatemala and Cold War politics
• The origins and modern usage of the term “Banana Republic”
• Labor, inequality, and racism in the banana trade
• U.S. corporate imperialism and its legacy
• Parallels between United Fruit and modern multinationals (e.g. China in Africa, Wall Street in the U.S.)
• The symbolism of bananas in Latin American literature and politics
• Reflections on the myth of a "golden age" under United Fruit
• The weaponization of PR and propaganda by U.S. firms abroad

Top quotes:

• “Democracy was not good for business. At least, not the kind United Fruit wanted." 
• “Many former workers longed for United Fruit—not because it was just, but because it was better than what came after.”

📺Watch the full episode ➡️ https://youtu.be/YGqejPmUdkg