By Daniel DePetris
The United States' relationship with military coups is topsy-turvy. During the Cold War, Washington was often an enabler and plotter of coup attempts against governments seen as sympathetic to communism, allied to the Soviet Union, or just plain troublesome. In many cases, the U.S. supported coup regimes after they consolidated power. The list is too long to count: Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, Greece in 1967, Chile in 1973, and El Salvador in 1979 to name a few. Washington's desire to hold fast to its reputation as a beacon of liberty and individual freedom was outweighed by its desire to contain the Soviets.
This piece was originally published in Newsweek on July 28, 2023. Read more HERE.