4. Operation Success

Episode 4. With the blessing of President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon, CIA director Allen Dulles officially launches Operation Success, a plan to overthrow the democratically elected government of Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala and replace him with astroturf leader Carlos Castillo Armas.

Forget oil. In 1954, it was all about bananas.

Against the backdrop of the Cold War, US corporate interests and the fear of communism in Latin America set the stage for one of the most disastrous regime change operations in CIA history, plunging a promising democracy into the bloodiest civil war in the history of the continent.

Fruit d’Etat is an original podcast docuseries by Fourth Act Studios, featuring New York Times bestselling author Stephen Kinzer.


Written and produced by Stefano Dozza.
Narrated by Todd Bjurstrom.
Sound design and original music by Reno (Marco Solferini).
Script editor: Nicholas Charlsen.
The original painting featured in the artwork is by Luca Polini.

Featuring excerpts of interviews with Stephen Kinzer, Tommie Sue Montgomery, Rachel Nolan, Richard Nuccio, and Joseph Wippl.