Mapping Regimes Changes Committed by the U.S.
Since emerging as a global superpower following World War II, the U.S. has intervened in the political affairs of a significant number of countries. While not every endeavor has been successful, the United States has orchestrated numerous regime changes that have achieved their objectives. Many of these nations sought to establish communist governments and dismantle imperialism within their territories. The U.S. has adhered to the belief in the "domino effect," a theory suggesting that once a place adopts communism, neighboring regions are prone to follow suit, thus squashing any attempted deviation from what they consider acceptable. This map highlights five notable instances of democratically elected governments being overthrown by the U.S. or the CIA.
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CHILE
In 1973, Chile witnessed a pivotal moment as Salvador Allende, the first democratically elected Marxist president in history, was ousted in a coup orchestrated by the United States. Tragically, Allende took his own life during the coup. Throughout his presidency, Allende pursued a progressive agenda that included the nationalization of healthcare and key industries, such as copper reserves. Additionally, he implemented policies aimed at providing free education and meals for children, as well as redistributing land to address social inequalities.
IRAN
Mohammad Mossadegh, a revered figure in Iran, stirred controversy by nationalizing the country's oil industry in 1951. This move targeted him in the eyes of U.S. and British leaders, as the oil reserves were previously controlled by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Mossadegh advocated for the profits to benefit the Iranian people, prompting the U.S. and Britain to plot his removal. Despite Mossadegh's defiance, a CIA-led coup ousted him, restoring power to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran's last Shah. Through bribery, propaganda, and strategic alliances, the CIA orchestrated Mossadegh's downfall, despite an initial failed attempt. Eventually, Mossadegh was placed under house arrest, while the Shah resumed control until the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
GUATEMALA
In 1951, Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán was elected president of Guatemala. Arbenz's implementation of a land reform program aimed at redistributing large estates to the landless was met with strong disapproval by the U.S. and capitalists. Operation PBFortune, also known as Operation Fortune, was a clandestine operation carried out by the United States to depose Guatemala's democratically elected President Jacobo Árbenz in 1952. This operation, sanctioned by U.S. President Harry Truman and devised by the CIA, was catalyzed by the lobbying of the United Fruit Company. Árbenz's land reform policies posed a direct threat to the economic interests of the United Fruit Company, prompting their advocacy for his removal. Additionally, U.S. apprehension about Árbenz's perceived communist leanings further fueled the coup initiative.
The plan garnered support from the United Fruit Company and several right-wing dictators backed by the U.S., including Anastasio Somoza García of Nicaragua, Rafael Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, and Marcos Pérez Jiménez of Venezuela. These leaders, feeling threatened by the democratic reforms in Guatemala, collaborated to undermine Árbenz's government. They armed the exiled Guatemalan military officer Carlos Castillo Armas to lead an invasion from Nicaragua. In 1954, Operation PBSuccess, featuring Castillo Armas prominently, successfully ousted Árbenz's government.
THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected leader of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ascended to power in 1960, advocating for the Pan-Africanist movement and the sovereignty of Congo. Prior to his leadership, the Congo had been colonized by King Leopold II of Belgium in the late 19th Century, during which Belgium's ruthless tyranny inflicted utter devastation upon the Congolese people. Despite Lumumba's efforts, the United States and Belgium, fearing the realization of Congolese sovereignty due to the abundant natural resources in the DRC, orchestrated several unsuccessful attempts to assassinate him. Subsequently, they resorted to supporting rival politicians financially to oust Lumumba, culminating in his overthrow and subsequent arrest.
Tragically, on January 17th, 1961, Patrice Lumumba was assassinated. Presently, the Congo remains under the oppressive rule of the United States and other Western powers, forcing the people of the Congo to endure brutal working conditions for the extraction of cobalt and other natural resources.
IRAQ
Iran was a democracy during the late 1940s and early 1950s, electing Abdul-Karim Qasim as prime minister in 1958. When Qasim chose to nationalize its oil industry instead of allowing foreign exploitation, it drew attention as a target for intervention from abroad. In 1959, the United States succeeded in the overthrow of Iran's democracy.
Subsequently, the Shah was installed on the throne, ruling for 25 years amidst escalating repression. This repression culminated in the late 1970s with the eruption of the Islamic revolution, which brought to power an anti-American group of mullahs. Their regime began by seizing American diplomats as hostages and subsequently spent decades oppressing the Iranian people while actively working to undermine American interests globally.
Had the United States allowed the Middle East the right to self-determination, they might have witnessed a thriving democracy at its core over the past 50 years and the regime currently in power in Iran would likely never have ascended.