The beginning of the rule of general Castillo Armas was marked with mass arrests in Guatemala. Political opposition and peasants that benefited from Arbenz's agrarian reform were removed. At the same time, the country faced an economic crisis and became dependent on the US aid from the government of President Eisenhower. Castillo Armas was assassinated in 1957 by the member of his guard who was leftist and allegedly acted alone.

That opened the door for Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes. His rule made some of the army officers riot in 1960, and when their coup failed some of them founded the guerrilla movement in Guatemala. Civil war has started and the country plunged in the times of military cleansing operations, curfew measures, political arrests, and murders. Development of Guatemala was modest in those years, although there were some projects finished, especially in architecture.