History of Latin America Part 2: How the U.S. Overthrew 24 Governments [Modern History] #380

Why did the U.S. intervene so extensively?

At the beginning of the program, a startling research report is introduced, revealing that 24 governments were toppled in just over 40 years. While one might assume this refers to a dictatorship, the subject is the United States, a nation that prides itself on being the world's leading democracy. Their objective was to spread neoliberal economic policies throughout Latin America. The history is laid bare of how the U.S., fearing potential losses for its corporations, used the CIA to forcibly orchestrate regime changes.

The events in Chile are symbolic.

A particularly detailed case discussed is Chile in the 1970s. The nationalization policies implemented by the Salvador Allende administration for the benefit of its citizens ironically drew the suspicion of American corporations. The CIA worked behind the scenes to incite a coup. After the Allende administration collapsed, the subsequent Pinochet regime implemented radical economic policies. Listen to the full episode to discover the harsh reality the people of Chile faced as a result.

Similar histories unfolded in other nations.

The episode explains that similar interventions continued not only in Chile but also in Guatemala and Brazil. The background to how economists known as the 'Chicago Boys,' dispatched from the U.S., permeated neoliberalism across the region was driven by American interests. What kind of contradiction existed between the ideals championed by a democracy and its actual conduct? This content explores the dark realities of power structures that aren't visible in standard history textbooks.