Latin America and the USA: Dictators – Drugs – Discord – In 3 Parts
Almost all Latin American crises of the 1960s and 1970s were influenced by the USA. Whether it was Brazil’s dictatorship, the coup in Chile or the Cuban Missile Crisis – at some level, American politics were involved. Brazil’s first “national security” dictatorship was established in 1964 with the support of the United States. Washington, fearing an expansion of a perceived communist threat following the Cuban Revolution, rallied behind the coup leaders – making Brazil the first “national security” dictatorship in the region. Many opponents of the regime fled to Chile, where Augusto Pinochet seized power in a coup – also with the support of the United States. Almost simultaneously, the secret services of Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay joined forces under the code name “Operation Condor” to track down and eliminate their opponents. But in Nicaragua, a bloody civil war broke out and brought the leftist Sandinistas to power. This gave rise to a period of hope across the continent for greater independence from the United States. But Ronald Reagan’s inauguration in 1981 marked a new era in relations with Latin America. Corrections: 06:55 This happened in 1970, not a few months earlier. 08:33 The correct date is 1971.
Part 1: Below Part 2 and Part 3
Nearly all of Latin America’s crises have been shaped by the United States. In the 1980s, the US supported anti-communist forces in Nicaragua and the controversial strongman Manuel Noriega in Panama. In the early 1980s, Panama avoided a civil war, but a shadowy figure came to power: Manuel Noriega, a long-time CIA agent and protégé of the United States. His main opponent, guerrilla leader Hugo Spadafora, accused Noriega of drug trafficking. In 1988, the US Department of Justice in Florida brought charges against Noriega, including for his links to Pablo Escobar’s Medellín cartel. Noriega refused to step down, which led to the US invasion of Panama and his arrest. In Nicaragua, the Sandinistas introduced sweeping reforms after coming to power in 1979. Fearing the spread of a socialist revolution in Central America, the United States armed counter-revolutionary militias known as the Contras. A brutal guerrilla war followed. In Chile, ruler Augusto Pinochet faced growing opposition. In a 1988 referendum, the United States supported the democratic opposition through its ambassador, Harry Barnes. Pinochet was subsequently forced to step down. But another crisis was already unfolding: in 1989, the economic crisis in Venezuela, a traditional ally of the United States, reached its peak.
Part 2:
To this day, the USA has a hand in almost all the crises affecting Latin America. Colombia, for example, sank into chaos in the 1990s. The cartels took over the country. People fled to the United States. Today, President Trump exploits this situation, using it to boost his popularity. In Venezuela, Hugo Chávez’s victory in the 1998 presidential election sent shockwaves through the country. His radical reforms met resistance from Venezuela’s economic elites, who subsequently organized a coup. But in a dramatic turn of events, Chávez returned to power just 48 hours later. After his return, he blamed the United States for the attempted coup. In the 1990s, Colombia intensified its fight against drug trafficking with the help of the United States. The country was on the brink of collapse, as drug cartels and FARC guerrillas put increasing pressure on the government. With massive US support — and despite numerous human rights violations — President Álvaro Uribe implemented “Plan Colombia”, which was intended primarily to crack down on drug traffickers. But the drug routes simply shifted: Honduras became a new hub for cocaine. Because of ongoing human rights abuses, many Colombians left their country for the United States. Donald Trump exploited the resulting migration crisis, making it a central theme of his 2015 election campaign. Meanwhile, China stepped up its influence in Latin America. Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela negotiated an agreement with Beijing without informing Washington, a long-standing ally.
Part 3:
