"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents." -- Smedley Butler
1954 Guatemala - The CIA overthrows the democratically elected Jacob Arbenz in a military coup. Arbenz is replaced with a series of facist dictators whose bloodthirsty policies will kill over 100,000 Guatemalans in the next 40 years. Non of them are democratically elected.Two extended excerpts from a Reddit thread discussing the Pope's recent comment that "many powerful people don't want peace because they live off war."
1959 Haiti- The U.S. military helps "Papa Doc" Duvalier become dictator of Haiti. Not democratically elected
1961 Ecuador - The CIA-backed military forces the democratically elected President Jose Velasco to resign. Vice President Carlos Arosemana replaces him; the CIA fills the now vacant vice presidency with its own man. (who is a rightwing nut and is not democratically elected)
1963 Dominican Republic - The CIA overthrows the democratically elected Juan Bosch in a military coup. The CIA installs a repressive, right-wing junta. (not democratically elected)
1963 Ecuador - A CIA-backed military coup overthrows President Arosemana, whose independent (not socialist) policies have become unacceptable to Washington. A military junta assumes command. (not democratically elected)
1964 Brazil - A CIA-backed military coup overthrows the democratically elected government of Joao Goulart. Puts a millitary junta in power (Not democratically elected) and later it is revealed that the CIA trains the death squads of General Castelo Branco (who is one of the facist dictators US puts in power).
1965 Dominican Republic- A popular rebellion breaks out, promising to reinstall Juan Bosch as the country's elected leader. The revolution is crushed when U.S. Marines land to uphold the military regime by force. The CIA directs everything behind the scenes. Openly protect facist dictator that they had put in power AGAINST the wishes of the people.
1971 Bolivia - After half a decade of CIA-inspired political turmoil, a CIA-backed military coup overthrows the leftist President Juan Torres. In the next two years, dictator Hugo Banzer will have over 2,000 political opponents arrested without trial, then tortured, raped and executed. (The dictator is not democratically elected either)
1973 Chile - The CIA overthrows and assassinates Salvador Allende, Latin America's first democratically elected socialist leader. The CIA replaces Allende with General Augusto Pinochet, who will torture and murder thousands of his own countrymen in a crackdown on labor leaders and the political left. (not democratically elected)
Between 1973 and 1986 there are many different attempts to put facist dictators in El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. But they mainly fail and just leads to civil war without US getting their facist puppet governments.
1986 Haiti- Rising popular revolt in Haiti means that "Baby Doc" Duvalier will remain "President for Life" only if he has a short one. The U.S., which hates instability in a puppet country, flies the despotic Duvalier to the South of France for a comfortable retirement. The CIA then rigs the upcoming elections in favor of another right-wing military strongman. However, violence keeps the country in political turmoil for another four years. The CIA tries to strengthen the military by creating the National Intelligence Service (SIN), which suppresses popular revolt through torture and assassination. (this does not happen by popular demand or democratic elections)
1989 Panama - The U.S. invades Panama to overthrow a dictator of its own making, General Manuel Noriega. Noriega has been on the CIA's payroll since 1966, and has been transporting drugs with the CIA's knowledge since 1972. By the late 80s, Noriega's growing independence and intransigence have angered Washington ... so out he goes. (Noriega was not democratically elected and his removal was not done by democratic means either, just US being US)
1990 Haiti - Competing against 10 comparatively wealthy candidates, leftist priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide captures 68 percent of the vote. After only eight months in power, however, the CIA-backed military deposes him and put facist dictators to rule Haiti. (not democratically elected)
2002 Venezuela - The CIA attempts to overthrow the democratically elected government of Venezuela. America attempted to put Millitary dictators in power, however, the coup soon unravels when thousands of anti-coup protesters surround the presidential palace demanding Hugo Chavez's reinstatement.
And this is ONLY what the CIA admits to. [note this list includes only actions in the Americas, not Asia or the Middle East]
Posted for future reference. Comments closed.
