United States involvement in regime change in Latin America

State dinner between US President Richard Nixon and Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle

The US involvement in regime change in Latin America was most prominent during the Cold War, in part due to the Truman Doctrine of fighting Communism, although some precedents exists especially during the early 20th century.

Argentina

In Argentina, right-wing forces overthrow the democratically elected President Isabel Perón in the 1976 Argentine coup d'état, starting the military dictatorship of General Jorge Rafael Videla, known as National Reorganization Process, resulting with around 30,000 victims becoming missing. Both the coup and the following authoritarian regime was eagerly endorsed and supported by the United States government[1] with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger paying several official visits to Argentina during the dictatorship.[2][3] Among the many human rights violations committed during the period were extrajudicial arrest, mass executions, torture, rape, disappearances of political prisoners and dissenters,[4] and illegal relocations of children born from pregnant women (both pregnant before their imprisonment or made pregnant by the continuous rape).[2][4] According to Spanish judge Baltazar Garzón, Kissinger was a witness to these crimes.[5]

The first democratic elections after the end of the military junta’s regime were the Argentine general election, 1983, with Radical Civic Union candidate Raul Alfonsin winning the plurality of votes. But Argentina’s economy was in shambles due to years of bad decisions taken during the military junta following the Washington Consensus.[6][7] The 1998–2002 Argentine great depression caused all sorts of social and political turmoil provoking the resignation of several presidents.

In the Argentine general election, 2003 three Peronistas ran for President. Right-wing candidate and then former President Carlos Menem was seeking re-election and, although he did win the first round, all polls showed that left-wing candidate Nestor Kirchner would win,[8][9][8] thus resulting in Menem to resign his candidacy. Kirchner and his wife Cristina Fernández would then win several consecutive elections.

Brazil

Brazil experienced several decades of right-wing authoritarian governments, especially after the US-backed[10] 1964 Brazilian coup d'état against center-left social democrat João Goulart promoted, according to then President John F. Kennedy, to "prevent Brazil from becoming another Cuba".[11] Brazil's return to democracy saw several consecutive right-wing neoliberal governments following the Washington Consensus ending in endemic inequality and extreme poverty, one of the worst in the Continent.[12]

Chile

Augusto Pinochet meeting George H.W. Bush

After the democratic election of President Salvador Allende in 1970, an economic war ordered by President Richard Nixon,[13] among other things, caused the 1973 Chilean coup d'état with the involvement of the CIA[14][15] due to Allende’s democratic socialist leanings. What follows was the decades-long US-backed military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.[16] In 1988 a presidential referendum was held in order to confirm Pinochet’s ruling for 8 more years. The oppositional Concertation of Parties for Democracy, made of mostly center-left and left-wing parties, endorsed the “No” option winning the referendum and ending Pinochet’s rule democratically. After that free elections were held in 1989 with Concertation winning again. The Concertation and its successor New Majority would rule Chile since then with consecutive victories except for two periods with right-wing candidate Sebastián Piñera attaining the presidency. With time several corruption scandals involving the Pinochet family and the US emerged.[17][18][19]

President Michelle Bachelet was elected for the first time in 2006. Bachelet's father was a General loyal to Allende who was executed by the regime, and she herself was arrested and tortured during Pinochet's dictatorship. She was re-elected in the Chilean general election, 2013

Costa Rica

Costa Rica was the only country in Latin America that never had a long lasting authoritarian government in the 20th century. Its only dictatorship during the period was after the 1917 Costa Rican coup d'état lead by Minister of War Federico Tinoco Granados[20] against President Alfredo González Flores after González attempt to increase tax to the wealthiest, and last only two years. In fact, the US government lead by Democratic President Woodrow Wilson did not recognized Tinoco's rule and, despite the fact that the United Fruit Company was one of the affected companies by González' tax reform, helped the opposition that quickly overthrew Tinoco after a few months of warfare.[20]

Years later Christian socialist medic Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia of the National Republican Party would reach power with democratic means promoting a general social reform and allied to the Costa Rican Communist Party.[21] Tensions between government and the right-wing opposition (supported by the CIA) cause the short-lived Costa Rican Civil War of 1948 that ended Calderón's government and had a short de facto ruling of 18 months lead by José Figueres Ferrer.[21] However Figueres also held some left-leaning ideas and continue the social reformation.[20] In any case, after the war democracy was quickly restored and a two-party system encompassed by the parties of the Calderonistas and Figueristas developed in the country for nearly 60 years.[20]

But, albeit Costa Rica did not have the same conflict as the rest of the region, the Central American crisis did impact the country. Left-leaning President Rodrigo Carazo (1978-1982) supported the FSLN and allow it to operate in the northern border against Dictator Anastasio Somoza which –alongside some controversial Carazo policies like breaking in with the IMF and the World Bank[22] and stop paying the foreign debt- meant economic warfare from Washington that caused hardships in the country.[23] Carazo's successor Luis Alberto Monge (1982-1986) switched these policies entirely[24] becoming a trusted allied of Washington in the war against the FSLN to the point that Monge was accused of hawkish behavior by the opposition and even members of his own party like Oscar Arias.

After years of bloodshed the governments of Costa Rica and Mexico began negotiations for a peace agreement between all the sides, albeit receiving harsh opposition from the Ronald Reagan administration that sought a victory over left-wing forces. Nevertheless, the peace negotiations did succeed ending with the Esquipulas Peace Agreement and granting Costa Rican President Oscar Arias the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts and allowing for democratic election and constitutional reforms in the mentioned countries.

El Salvador

After several peasant and workers uprisings in the country against oligarchic and anti-democratic government, often under the control of powerful American companies' interests like the United Fruit Company, with the appearance of figures like Farabundo Martí who lead these social revolts and were violently crushed, efforts to take the power democratically were often thwarted by US intervention. Civil war spread with US-endorsed far-right governments in El Salvador facing far-left guerrillas.[25][26][27]

When democracy was restored, four consecutive governments of the conservative ARENA in El Salvador were elected. all of which endorsed neoliberal and Washington consensus policies. The result of which were clear with increase in poverty,[28] expand of the inequality gap,[29] and corruption scandals. The first democratically elected leftist leaders in El Salvador were Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front's nominee Mauricio Funes in 2009 and then Salvador Sánchez Cerén in 2014. Like neighboring FSLN, FMLN also was a former guerrilla turn into political parties and both Ortega and Cerén were former guerrilla fighters, albeit their political position were very different, with Cerén continuing Funes’ pragmatic pro-market approach.

Guatemala

Peasants and workers (mostly of indigenous descent) revolts during the first half of the Guatemalan 20th century due to harsh conditions and abuse from landlords and the government-supported American United Fruit Company were brutally repressed. This led to the democratic election of left-leaning Jacobo Arbenz. Arbenz was overthrown during the US-backed 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état leading to right-wing US-endorsed authoritarian governments.[30] and nearly 40 years of civil war in the Central American country.[31] United States president Ronald Reagan, who sought to prevent the spread of communism in Central American countries near the United States, officially met with far-right Guatemalan dictator accused of crimes against humanity Efraín Ríos Montt in Honduras, giving a strong support to his regime.[32]

Nicaragua

United States Marines with the captured flag of Augusto César Sandino in 1932

After the Sandinista Revolution that overthrows pro-American dictator[33] Anastasio Somoza Debayle, Nicaragua faced the USA sponsored rebel far-right Contra guerrilla.

After the return of the democracy, right-wing forces were dominant in the country, with Nicaragua having three consecutive governments of the Liberals. As in other Central American countries these governments endorsed neoliberal economic policies with a quick increase in poverty,[28] inequality and income gap.[29] The first left-wing victory in Central America came from former leftist guerrilla fighter Daniel Ortega and the Sandinista National Liberation Front in Nicaragua in 2006.

Panama

Left-wing Panamanian de facto ruler Omar Torrijos unexpected death in a plane crash has been attributed to US agents in collaboration with Manuel Noriega.[34][35] According to John Perkins's book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man the motive behind it was Torrijo's negotiations with Japanese businessmen to expand the Panama Canal excluding American firms.[36] Torrijos was also a supporter of the anti-Somoza FSLN rebel group in Nicaragua which stained his relationship with Reagan.[37] Torrijos was succeeded by more pro-American dictator Manuel Noriega, who sided with the US interests during Torrijos government.[38][39]

However, increasing tensions between Noriega and the US government also lead to the United States invasion of Panama which ended in Noriega's overthrowing.

Paraguay

Conservative (sometimes described as far-right) Colorado Party in Paraguay ruled the country for 65 consecutive years, including the American-supported[40][41][42][43][42][43] brutal dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner that lasted 35 years, from 1954 to 1989. Paraguay is one of the poorest countries of South America. This dominant-party authoritarian system was temporary broken in the Paraguayan general election, 2008, when practically the entire opposition united in the Patriotic Alliance for Change manage to elect former Bishop Fernando Lugo of the Christian Democratic Party as President of Paraguay. Lugo's government was praised for its social reforms including such as investments in low-income housing,[44] the introduction of free treatment in public hospitals,[45][46] the introduction of cash transfers for Paraguay's most impoverished citizens[47] and indigenous rights.[48]

Nevertheless, Lugo did not finished his period as he was impeached, despite enjoying very high approval ratings and popularity. Lugo's most staunch and conservative opposition was sponsored by USAID.[49] The impeachment was rejected by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,[50] condemned by both right-wing and left-wing governments,[51][52] and considered a coup by UNASUR and Mercosur and treated accordingly with sanctions and suspensions for Paraguay.[53][54] Lugo was later elected President of Senate.

Peru

After left-leaning candidate Victor Raul Haya De La Torre of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance won the Peruvian general election, 1962, CIA-supportedless the forces of moderation are able to bring about orderly change, radical leadership will probably get the chance to try its method."[55] military commanders made a coup accusing Haya of voters' fraud, establishing a military junta under Ricardo Pérez Godoy.

Another CIA-sponsored government in Peru was Alberto Fujimori and Vladimiro Montesinos's regime,[56][57] However, Montesino's extreme corruption and authoritarian leanings eventually lead to the downfall of Fujimori's government.

Several democratic governments followed including Fujimori's opposition leader Alejandro Toledo, APRA leader Alan García and left-leaning Ollanta Humala. Albeit at one point signaled as "chavista" (close to Venezuela's Hugo Chávez), Humala kept Peru as part of the Pacific Alliance and its economic influence.[58]

Uruguay

After 150 years of right-wing governments from the so call "traditional parties" in Uruguay, the US-backed[59][60][61] Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay started after the Military-led 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état that suppressed the Constitution of Uruguay of 1967 empowering President Juan María Bordaberry as dictator. Trade union leaders and political opponents were arrested, killed or exiled, and human rights violations were abundant.[62] Democracy was finally restored in the Uruguayan general election, 1984.[63]

Uruguay's first left-wing government in history came after Brod Front's nominated Tabaré Vazquez's victory in the Uruguayan general election, 2004, winning with 50% of the votes, over the 35% of his main rival Jorge Larrañaga of the Colorado Party. Vazquez enjoyed high popularity rates during his first tenure and afterwards, with up to 70% popularity[64] He was succeeded by fellow Broad Front member and former guerrilla fighter José Mujica who gained 54% of support on the second round in the Uruguayan general election, 2009, and then Vázquez was re-elected during the Uruguayan general election, 2014, also with some 54% of support.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Military Take Cognizance of Human Rights Issue" (PDF). National Security Archive. 16 February 1976.
  2. 1 2 "Kissinger approved Argentinian 'dirty war'". The Guardian. 6 December 2003. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Transcript: U.S. OK'd 'dirty war'" (PDF). The Miami Herald. 4 December 2003.
  4. 1 2 Goni, Uki (22 July 2016). "How an Argentinian man learned his 'father' may have killed his real parents". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "CNN.com – Spanish judge seeks Kissinger – April 18, 2002". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  6. ↑ Undurraga, Tomás (2015). "Neoliberalism in Argentina and Chile: common antecedents, divergent paths". Revista de Sociologia e Política. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  7. ↑ Cooney, Paul (2007). "Argentina's quarter century experiment with neoliberalism: from dictatorship to depression". Revista de Economia Contemporânea.
  8. 1 2 "Menem pierde el invicto y la fama". Página/12.
  9. ↑ Uki Goñi (May 15, 2003). "Menem bows out of race for top job". The Guardian. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ Skidmore, Thomas. The Politics of Military Rule in Brazil, 1964-1985.
  11. ↑ http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nsa/2014%20Annual%20Report.pdf
  12. ↑ "Introduction: Lula's Legacy in Brazil". Nacla. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  13. ↑ Peter Kornbluh. "Chile and the United States: Declassified Documents Relating to the Military Coup, September 11, 1973".
  14. ↑ McSherry, J. Patrice (2011). "Chapter 5: "Industrial repression" and Operation Condor in Latin America". In Esparza, Marcia; Henry R. Huttenbach; Daniel Feierstein. State Violence and Genocide in Latin America: The Cold War Years (Critical Terrorism Studies). Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 0415664578.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ "CIA Activities in Chile — Central Intelligence Agency". Cia.gov. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  17. ↑ Corte revoca mayoría de procesamientos en caso Riggs, El Mercurio, 3 January 2007 (in Spanish)
  18. ↑ Pinochet family arrested in Chile, BBC, 4 October 2007 (in English)
  19. ↑ Cobertura Especial: Detienen a familia y principales colaboradores de Pinochet, La Tercera, 4 October 2007 (in Spanish) Archived 11 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "How Costa Rica Lost Its Military". bailey83221.livejournal.com. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  21. 1 2 Lorenz, Christopher Michael. "COSTA RICA AND THE 1948 REVOLUTION DECEMBER 7, 2001 ETHICS OF DEVELOPMENT IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT TERM PAPER". El Espíritu del 48. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  22. ↑ Jones, Howard. "The Foreign and Domestic Dimensions of Modern Warfare". Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  23. ↑ Molina, Iván; Palmer, Paul. The History of Costa Rica: Brief, Up-to-date and Illustrated. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  24. ↑ Clarke, Mary. Gradual Economic Reform in Latin America: The Costa Rican Experience. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  25. ↑ Francesca Davis DiPiazza. El Salvador in Pictures. p. 32.
  26. ↑ (No author.)"Supply Line for a Junta," TIME Magazine March 16, 1981. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  27. ↑ [7] CIA World Factbook. Accessed online February 21, 2008.
  28. 1 2 Fischman, Gustavo; Ball, Stephen; Gvirtz, Silvina. Crisis and Hope: The Educational Hopscotch of Latin America. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  29. 1 2 Baer, Werner; Maloney, William (1997). "Neoliberalism and income distribution in Latin America". World Development. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  30. ↑ Doyle, Kate; Osorio, Carlos (2013). "U.S. policy in Guatemala, 1966–1996". National Security Archive. National Security Archive Electronic. George Washington University. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  31. ↑ "CIA and Assassinations: The Guatemala 1954 Documents". George Washington University NSA Archive (Republished).
  32. ↑ "With Friends Like These: The Americas Watch Report on Human Rights and U.S. Policy in Latin America" Cynthia Brown, Pantheon Books, 1985, p. 202
  33. ↑ Menjívar, Cecilia (2006). "When States Kill: Latin America, the U.S. and Technologies of Terror". Journal of Latin American Studies. Cambridge University Press. 38 (2): 432. JSTOR 3875517.
  34. ↑ "Noriega Strategy Unfolds Attorneys Hope To Drag Past U.S. Role Into Trial." By Warren Richey. Sun Sentinel, May 1, 1991.
  35. ↑ "Soviet "Active Measures": Forgery, Disinformation, Political Operations" (PDF). Inside the Cold War. United States Department of State Bureau of Public Affairs. October 1981.
  36. ↑ Perkins, John. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2004. See pages 156–157 regarding Roldós' alleged assassination.
  37. ↑ Holly Sklar. Washington's War on Nicaragua (South End Press), p. 24.
  38. ↑ Koster, R.M.; Guillermo Sánchez (1990). In the Time of the Tyrants: Panama, 1968-1990. New York City: Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-02696-2.
  39. ↑ Priestley, George (1986). Military Government and Popular Participation in Panama. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, Inc. ISBN 0-8133-7045-0.
  40. ↑ Richard S. Sacks. "The Stronato". In Hanratty, Dannin M. & Sandra W. Meditz. Paraguay: a country study. Library of Congress Federal Research Division (December 1988). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  41. ↑ Stanley, Ruth (2006). "Predatory States. Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America/When States Kill. Latin America, the U.S., and Technologies of Terror". Journal of Third World Studies.
  42. 1 2 http://www.kstatecollegian.com/2006/10/11/exiled-professor-advocates-equality-democracy/
  43. 1 2 http://motherearthtravel.com/history/paraguay/history-7.htm
  44. ↑ http://www.rabobank.com/content/images/Paraguay-201101_tcm43-105909.pdf
  45. ↑ "PARAGUAY: Mixed Results for Lugo's First 100 Days – IPS". Ipsnews.net. 25 November 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  46. ↑ [8]
  47. ↑ "The boy and the bishop". The Economist. 30 April 2009.
  48. ↑ "The Bishop of the Poor: Paraguay's New President Fernando Lugo Ends 62 Years of Conservative Rule". Democracynow.org. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  49. ↑ Viana, Natalia (April 10, 2013). "USAID's Dubious Allies in Paraguay". The Nation. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  50. ↑ IACHR, 23 June 2012, IACHR Expresses Concern over the Ousting of the Paraguayan President
  51. ↑ "Argentina "no convalidará el golpe en Paraguay" mientras que Brasil sugirió que quedaría fuera de la Unasur y el Mercosur" [Argentina "will not support the coup in Paraguay" and Brazil suggested that it would be left out of Unasur and Mercosur] (in Spanish). La Nación. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  52. ↑ Orsi, Peter (2012-06-24). "Does Paraguay risk pariah status with president's ouster?". Associated Press.
  53. ↑ http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/7074
  54. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/30/paraguay-suspended-mercosur?newsfeed=true
  55. ↑ Central Intelligence Agency (1 May 1963), NIE 97-63, Political Prospects in Peru, Foreign, Relations of the United States, 1961-1963, Volume XII, American Republics, United States Department of State, FRUS XII-429
  56. ↑ Center for Public Integrity, U.S. Shrugged Off Corruption, Abuse in Service of Drug War, archived from the original on 2007-12-08
  57. ↑ Golden, Tim (November 6, 2000), "C.I.A. Links Cited on Peru Arms Deal That Backfired", New York Times
  58. ↑ "Presidents of the Pacific Alliance bring to a close the III Business Summit, attended by over 700 participants". Alianza Pacífico. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  59. ↑ Latin American Dictators of the 20th Century: The Lives and Regimes of 15 Rulers
  60. ↑ "REAGAN RIGHTS POLICY CALLED WEAK IN 4 LATIN NATIONS". The New York Times. 17 April 1983.
  61. ↑ "To Save Dan Mitrione Nixon Administration Urged Death Threats for Uruguayan Prisoners".
  62. ↑ Lessa, Alfonso (1996). Estado de guerra - de la gestación del golpe del 73 a la caída de Bordaberry. Editorial Fin de Siglo.
  63. ↑ "Remembering the 1984 elections". Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  64. ↑ "Vázquez es el líder político más popular de Uruguay". El Observador. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
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