Editing United Fruit Company (section)

==Peak Influence==
(1900–1950)
Monopoly Power: UFCO’s control extended beyond bananas to political and economic spheres, earning it the term “banana republic” for its sway over small nations. By the 1930s, it was the largest employer in Central America, with revenues surpassing many national budgets. Its fleet of 95 ships and ownership of Tropical Radio (a telecommunications network) enhanced its logistical dominance as well as the propaganda dominance.

Corporate Structure: Headquartered in Boston, UFCO was led by executives like Andrew Preston (1899–1910), [[Samuel Zemurray]] (1933–1958), and Thomas Dudley Cabot (1948–1951). Zemurray, a Russian immigrant who sold his Cuyamel Fruit Company to UFCO in 1929 for $31.5 million in stock, became its most influential leader, known for his ruthless business tactics.

Labor and Land Practices: UFCO relied on low-wage local labor, often under harsh conditions, and secured vast land grants from governments in exchange for infrastructure development. In Honduras, it controlled 650,000 acres by 1929, much of it uncultivated to prevent competition. Labor strikes, like the 1934 Colombian banana massacre (depicted in Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude), were met with violence, often backed by local militaries which were paid by company officials or their agents.