1944 - 1950: Arévalo Presidency   First democratic election in Guatemalan history results in the presidency of Juan José Arévalo, an Argentine-trained philosopher. Arévalo dissolves many features of the preceding era, such as the Vagrancy Laws, the repressive labor codes and the secret police. He also begins other progressive reforms such as national literacy programs, farm cooperatives and voter registration drives. 1950 - 1954: Arbenz Presidency   Following Arévalo, Col. Jacobo Arbenz Guzman becomes president. Much to the anger of the United Fruit Company, he enacts land redistribution measures in the form of Decree 900. 1954: CIA Sponsored Counter-Coup   Seeing too much Communist influence in the Arbenz regime and a direct threat to their corporate interests, policy makers in the United States, including the Dulles Brothers, decide that he has to be removed. The US State Dept. initiates a propaganda and destabilization campaign while the CIA leads a small opposition army into Guatemala from Honduras. Receiving little domestic support to fight off the invaders, Arbenz resigns and flees the country. 1954 - 1957: Castillo Armas Presidency   Carlos Castillo Armas chosen by the United States to replace Arbenz as President.