Aah, Latin America, where your terrorists of the mind are never more than two hours away from Harlingen, Texas. You would expect that the United States would support democracy in this region in order to surround itself with like-minded, sympathetic neighbours. Would you be right? Play on, kids!
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
El Salvador
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Venezuela
Give us your tired Nazis, your poor dictators and your huddled masters. Nobel Prize winner Hank Kissinger knew all about the brutality of the Argentine dictatorship in the 1970s, and gave the government a big thumbs up. Others who learned from Argentina’s dirty war on terrorism? Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, both of whom were senior government officials while this was going on. Oh, Mothers of the Plaza del Mayo!
The US has always supported the right to bare arms. In fact, in 1964 President Johnson authorized sending untraceable weapons to the military in Brazil to support a coup against democratically elected President Joao Goulart.
A military coup put Augusto Pinochet into power in Chile in 1973; he would brutalize his people for the next 17 years. Did the US denounce the anti-democratic coup? No – the CIA gave it material assistance. As political philosopher Hank Kissinger truly said: “I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go Communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people.”
The US has sent over $1 billion (with a b) to Colombia for the “war on drugs.” Most of that has gone to the military, which is conducting its own “war on citizens.” This wouldn’t have anything to do with protecting the Cano-Limon Pipeline from rebel attacks, would it? My, how cynical this game has made you!
“Who shall rid me of this troublesome Priest?” If you’re the vicious military rulers of El Salvador, the Americans will help you rid yourself of troublesome Priests, and aid workers, and peace workers, and union leaders and innocent peasants…
The original banana republic! Anybody remember Jacobo Arbenz? Of course not – the US sponsored a coup in 1954 to rid the country of the leftist nationalist (democratically elected) President. Guerillas and paramilitary forces killed over 200,000 Guatemalans over the next 40 years – democracy (in jackboots) on the march!
Hey, kids. Nice try, but no cigar. (You’re too young, anyway.) First, the US supported the democratically elected Aristide government, then it supported a military coup, then Aristide again. Democracy – not for the indecisive!
Nope. Despite the will of the people, the US forced Honduras to support the contras, using Honduras as a staging ground for an illegal war against Nicaragua.
Children, children, children – you’re going to have to do better than Nicaragua! The US committed all manner of terrorist atrocities against the democratically elected (and very popular) Sandinista government!
While he was useful to them, the Americans turned a blind eye to the drug smuggling of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. And the torture. And the disappearances. And the corruption. Yes, he was really useful. Really, really useful. Really, really, really…
Democratically elected Hugo Chavez is reviled everywhere – except Venezuela. The US supported a coup against him, and is currently placing economic pressure on the country to punish the people for supporting him. Democracy, American style: my way or the highway!