The War for the Free Market. Neoliberalism and Authoritarian Violence in Guatemala (1954-1983)

The article aims to investigate the intellectual origins of neoliberalism in Guatemala and the relationship it maintained with authoritarianism between 1954 and 1983. Identifying Guatemala as a crucial yet neglected site for the dissemination of neoliberal theory in Latin America, the article examines the political thought of Manuel Ayau, who played a prominent role both in the Mont Pelerin Society and other international neoliberal think tanks, as well as in the original spread of neoliberalism in the country. Thus, the first part analyzes the battle of ideas fought by Ayau through the establishment of the Centro de Estudios Económico-Sociales and the Universidad Francisco Marroquín to counter de- velopmentalist policies and the spread of communism. By discussing both the political relationships Ayau maintained with the regimes of Arana Osorio and Ríos Montt and his writings on dictatorship, guerrilla warfare, and human rights, the second part shows how, while critical of the economic policies adopted by the military regimes, he justified the violence they exerted as a necessary defense of property and market order.