The general strike of 1954 was a watershed political and economic event in the history of Honduras that ushered in widespread change.
In April 1954, banana workers employed by United Fruit began a wildcat strike in the northern town of Tela, primarily over pay issues.
The strike attracted attention from the role played by the still illegal but increasingly active Communist party, which is sometimes blamed for its influence, both now and at the time.
U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles suggested that Communists from Guatemala had infiltrated Honduras and were ultimately behind the strike.
The Communist party also gained stature, and the government moved to incorporate some of the demands of the workers into reform programs that continued until the 1970s.