Samuel Zemurray ni umwe mu bantu bake bahinduye amateka y’isi mu buryo abantu batigeze bitaho cyane. Yavutse mu 1877 mu Burusiya (ubu ni muri Belarus), avukira mu muryango w’abakene cyane. Ku myaka 14 yaje kwimukira muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika afite inzozi z’ubuzima bwiza n’ishyaka ryo guhindura ubuzima bwe. Mu gihe abandi bari bahanganye n’ubukene, Zemurray yabonye amahirwe mu kintu cyoroheje cyane — igitoki.

Mu myaka ya 1890, ibitoki byapfaga vuba cyane kubera uburyo byoherezwagamo ku masoko y’Amerika. Abacuruzi benshi babifataga nk’ibicuruzwa bitagifite agaciro, ariko Sam Zemurray yabonagamo inyungu.

Yatangiriye kugura ibitoki bimaze igihe ku isoko, akabigura ku giciro gito cyane, akabijyana mu mijyi ya New Orleans n’ahandi akoresheje amato mato. Uburyo bwe bwari bushya kandi bunoze, bituma mu myaka mike gusa aba umwe mu bacuruzi bakomeye cyane muri Amerika.

Ku myaka 21 gusa, yari amaze kuba umuherwe w’igitangaza. Abacuruzi n’abanyamakuru bamwise “Sam the Banana Man”, izina yamugumanye ubuzima bwe bwose. Ariko Zemurray ntiyashakaga gusa kugurisha imbuto; yashakaga kugenzura aho zituruka. Ibi byamujyanye muri Honduras, igihugu gifite ubutaka bwiza bwo guhinga ibitoki ariko cyari gikennye cyane.

Mu ntangiriro za 1910, ubutegetsi bwa Honduras bwagerageje gushyiraho amategeko agabanya imitungo y’abashoramari b’abanyamahanga. Zemurray, wari ugeze ku rwego rwo hejuru rw’ubukire, yabibonye nk’igitero ku nyungu ze.

Yakoze igikorwa cyatangaje isi: yakoresheje amafaranga ye, abacanshuro n’abanyapolitiki kugira ngo ategure ihirikwa ry’ubutegetsi. Mu gihe gito, ubutegetsi bwari bumurwanyije bwarahiritswe, maze ashyigikira Perezida mushya wanyurwaga n’ibitekerezo bye.

Uwo munsi niwo washyizeho itangiriro ry’ijambo “Banana Republic” – risobanura igihugu gito kigengwa n’abashoramari b’amahanga aho ubutegetsi bwa politiki bubaho gusa kugira ngo burinde inyungu z’ubucuruzi. Mu buryo bweruye, Igihugu cya Honduras cyabaye nk’ikigo cy’ubucuruzi cya Zemurray bwite.

Mu myaka yakurikiyeho, Sam Zemurray yagize umugambi wo kwagura ibikorwa bye mu rwego mpuzamahanga. Yaguze imigabane muri sosiyete yitwaga United Fruit Company, yari imaze kuba igihangange mu by’ubucuruzi bw’ibitoki ku isi. Mu mwaka wa 1930, Zemurray yabaye umuyobozi mukuru wayo. Muri icyo gihe, iyi sosiyete yagenzuraga ibyambu, gari ya moshi, amabanki ndetse n’inzego z’umutekano muri Amerika yo Hagati. Abaturage babonaga iyi sosiyete nk’inkumbi ifite amashami hose, bakayita “El Pulpo” — risobanura “Inkumbi” mu rurimi rw’icyesipanyolo.

Mu 1950, mu gihugu cya Guatemala, Perezida Jacobo Árbenz yashyizeho gahunda yo guha abaturage ubutaka butakoreshejwe n’abashoramari. Mu butaka yari agiye gutanga harimo ubwo United Fruit yari yarafashe ariko idakoresha. Zemurray yabibonyemo icyuho gikomeye ku nyungu ze. Yahise akoresha imbaraga ze n’ububasha bwe bwo guhindura ibitekerezo muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, yemeza ko Árbenz ari “umunyakomunisiti” ushaka guteza ibibazo muri ako karere.

Mu 1954, CIA yakoze ibikorwa byo kumuhirika ku butegetsi, bikozwe mu buryo bw’ibanga ariko bifite igisobanuro kimwe: kurengera inyungu z’ubucuruzi bwa United Fruit. Kuba Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika yarinjiye mu bikorwa bya gisirikare kubera sosiyete y’igitoki gusa, byerekanye uburyo amafaranga n’ubucuruzi byari bimaze gufata ubutegetsi ku rwego mpuzamahanga.

Samuel Zemurray yapfuye mu 1961, asize izina rikomeye mu mateka y’ubukungu n’ubucuruzi. Ariko inkuru ye yasize isomo rikomeye: iyo ubukungu budafite umurongo w’ubutabera, bushobora kuba intwaro yo gusenya ubuzima bw’abantu n’amateka y’ibihugu. Zemurray yahinduye ubucuruzi bw’igitoki urubuga rwa politiki, yerekana ko umuntu umwe ashobora kugira ingaruka ku bihugu byinshi akoresheje amafaranga, ubwenge, n’ubushake bwo gutsinda.

Ubu, iyo ufashe igitoki mu ntoki zawe, uba ufite igisigisigi cy’amateka Zemurray yasize inyuma. Ibitoki byoroheje tubona mu isoko uyu munsi bifite inkuru ndende y’ubucuruzi, ubutegetsi, n’uburyo inyungu z’abacuruzi zigeze gutegeka isi. Inkuru ye itwigisha ko ubucuruzi bukwiye kuba isoko ry’iterambere, atari intwaro yo guhindura ibihugu nka za “Banana Republics” abashoramari bakoresha nk’imirima yabo bwite.

Sam the Banana Man yagiye yibagirana mu mateka y’isi, ariko imbaraga ze zigaragara mu buryo bw’isi y’ubu itekereza ku mibanire y’ubucuruzi n’ubutegetsi. Iyo ubukungu bushyizwe hejuru y’ubuzima bwa muntu, ibyo byitwa iterambere bishobora kwangiza byinshi kurusha uko byubaka.