Ernesto Gonzalez Rhetoric May 2002 Exploitation of Men by Men            "The United Fruit Company" (UFCO) by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda describes his point of view on the UFCO'S operations in Central America. Neruda's anger is due to exploitation of people where bananas and coffee are grown. He tells how greedy interests of big companies do anything to generate more wealth. Exploitation of poor and ignorant natives in Central America is his main concern. Neruda sees the UFCO as a sacker. The author expresses his discontent about a big company taking advantage of people. Also, he feels offended by greedy politicians virtually selling the country for their personal benefit and by the disrespect of national heroes that once freed those nations. "Banana Republics" is an unacceptable phrase for the author. The origin of that term, according to "Global Perspectives," comes from ". . . the fact that these countries producing bananas are republics." This explanation is obvious, but the author considers it offensive.           Neruda satirizes the Bible in this poem's first lines, and the existence of  large corporations is established:                     When the trumpet sounded,                     everything was prepared on earth,                     and Jehova gave the world                     to Coca-Cola Inc., Anaconda,                     Ford Motors, and other corporations. (1-5) The purpose of the author's list of worldwide famous, economically powerful, monopolistic companies is to give a dimension of the UFCO'S power. These are companies so huge they seem untouchable by governments and nearly divine.           In the next few lines Neruda introduces the UFCO:                     "The United Fruit Company"                     reserved for itself the most juicy                     piece, the central coast of my world,                     the delicate waist of America. (6-9) Neruda views Central America as the part of the continent with the most natural resources. The word "juicy" in line seven is reference to the fruits largely harvested in that area. It is clear also that Neruda considers the whole American continent his homeland: "The delicate waist of America" (9). He uses this term because of the geographic shape of Central America. A place, as implied by its name, located in the middle of the continent.           Neruda believes Central Americans had been disrespected, their struggle against the Spaniards to earn independence forgotten by politicians. He expresses this in the following lines about UFCO:                     It rebaptized these countries                     Banana Republics,                     and over the sleeping dead,                     over the unquiet heroes                     who won greatness                     liberty, and banners,                     it established an opera buffa. (10-16) The rebaptization of these countries by the American company is viewed by Neruda as a sudden identity change. Pride and nationalism was ignored by economic interests. A partnership between Central American governments and the UFCO resulted in a monopoly of the banana industry. According to Jose Gavilan, "Trans-nationals like the UFCO were the only ones making profit out of bananas." There were no competitors. The UFCO got rid of their competitors in various manners. Partnership with corrupt governments made them untouchable. No other banana company could conduct successful business in Central America. "They had everything for themselves," said Gavilan.           In the following lines, Neruda mentioned the surnames of various Central American politicians. He calles them "flies." Neruda criticizes their administrations of tyranny, their greed, similar to a fly's greed for fruit or sweet things, politicians sacking their own country with the help of a trans-national company. Their lack of nationalistic identity and ambitiousness blinded politicians. They are giving away the history and the wealth of these poor countries. Native Americans from Central America, called "Indians" by Neruda, are being exploited. The UFCO and its partners in government had only one purpose: to accumulate wealth. They do not care that "Indians" are being abused and killed. Natives were used as the force of labor on banana and coffee plantations. They were coldly viewed as numbers. "Indians" lost their personal identity, their land, their lives, and were considered tools to harvest crops.           It is barely imaginable that a case like the one of the UFCO in Central America could happen again. It was similar to what happened in most Latin American countries when the Spanish arrived. The beliefs of the natives favored the Spaniards; "Indians" believed they were Gods only because Spaniards were white and had facial hair. The natives received them as Gods. The white men took advantage and abused the condition of the natives. In the case of the UFCO in Central America, politicians opened the doors for exploitation by foreign entities. The leaders of Central American nations were ambitious enough to betray their countries. They permitted, according to Neruda, the UFCO to sack their countries, exploit their people, and steal the wealth of their lands:                     [UFCO] amassed coffee and fruit                     in ships which part to sea like                     overloaded trays with the treasures. (31-33)                     Meanwhile the Indians fall                     into the angry depths of the                     harbors and are buried in the                     morning mists,                     a corpse rolls, a thing without                     name, a discarded number,                     a bunch of rotten fruit                     thrown on the garbage heap. (35-42) Sources Cited Gavilan, Jose. El Banano de Exportacion en Nicaragua. 24 Mar. 2002           <http://www.galeon.com/bananasite/banano.html>. Global Perspectives. 24 Mar. 2002 <http://www.davem2.cotf.edu/earthinfo/camerica/           Caeco.html>. Neruda, Pablo. "The United Fruit Co." 18 Mar. 2002 <http://kikoskikos.homestead.com/           united_fruit_co.html>.