Decree 900

As president, Arbenz attempted to initiate a program of land redistribution to offer arable land to rural peasants. This took the form of Decree 900, which was enacted in 1952. The measure expropriated all unused land over the size of 223 acres and compensated the owner with government bonds equal to the stated tax value of the land. In the case of United Fruit, some 400,000 acres were expropriated and re-distributed to 50,000 peasants and their families.