 Árbenz was born in 1913 into a middle @-@ class family of Swiss heritage . In 1935 he had graduated from the Escuela <unk> , Guatemala 's national military academy , with excellent grades , and had subsequently became an officer in the Guatemalan army under Ubico . As an officer , Árbenz himself had been required to escort chain @-@ gangs of prisoners . This process had radicalized him , and he had begun to form links to the labor movement . In 1938 he had met and married María Vilanova , who was also interested in social reform , and who became a significant influence on him and a national figure in her own right . Another strong influence on him was José Manuel Fortuny , a well @-@ known Guatemalan communist , who was one of his main advisers during his government . In 1944 , disgusted with Ubico 's authoritarian regime , he and his fellow officers had begun plotting against the government . When Ubico resigned in 1944 , Árbenz had witnessed Ponce Vaides intimidate the congress into naming him president . Highly offended by this , Árbenz had plotted against Ponce Vaides , and was one of the military leaders of the coup that toppled him , in addition to having been one of the few officers in the revolution who had formed and maintained connections to the popular civilian movement . 
