Guatemala has formally apologized to the family of former president Jacobo Árbenz, 57 years after the U.S.-backed coup that ousted him from office. At a ceremony on Thursday, Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom asked Árbenz’s family for forgiveness. Speaking on behalf of the Árbenz family, Árbenz’s son, Juan Jacobo, called on the United States to follow suit.

Juan Jacobo Árbenz: “My family suffered a lot in exile. We suffered the consequences of an injustice that took place in 1954, when an agency from a very powerful country, the United States, acted on the interests of a powerful North American company called the United Fruit Company, who were condemned in court for being a monopoly. Here started the injustice, and we call on the United States to recognize their errors.”