US Accused of Abducting Venezuelan President Amid Long History of Regional Interventions

The United States faces renewed accusations of interference in Latin America after an attack on Venezuela this Saturday. Venezuelan officials claim the operation included the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro. U.S. support for coups and dictatorships in the region has long been alleged by its critics. Former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez and his successor, Maduro, repeatedly accused Washington of backing attempts to overthrow their government. The following are key U.S. interventions in Latin America since the Cold War. **1954: Guatemala** On June 27, 1954, Colonel Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán was removed from power by a U.S.-backed coup. His elected government had introduced land reforms that threatened the interests of the American-owned United Fruit Company. A military dictatorship replaced him. **1965: Dominican Republic** The U.S. sent more than 20,000 troops to the Dominican Republic during a civil war. President Lyndon B. Johnson stated the goal was to prevent what he called a "communist dictatorship." The intervention helped ensure the victory of a conservative, U.S.-aligned faction. **1973: Chile** The U.S. government, under President Richard Nixon, supported a military coup against the elected socialist president, Salvador Allende. General Augusto Pinochet took power and led a brutal 17-year dictatorship. U.S. involvement included economic pressure and covert aid to opposition groups. **1983: Grenada** U.S. forces invaded the small Caribbean island nation of Grenada. The stated reasons were to protect American medical students and restore order after a violent internal power struggle. The action removed a Marxist-led government. **1989: Panama** The U.S. launched an invasion of Panama, called "Operation Just Cause," to depose its former ally, General Manuel Noriega. The U.S. government accused Noriega of drug trafficking and endangering Americans in Panama. He was captured and taken to the U.S., where he was tried and imprisoned. **2009: Honduras** The Honduran military, which had close ties to the U.S., arrested and exiled President Manuel Zelaya. While the U.S. officially condemned the coup, critics argue it was slow to act and its actions ultimately legitimized the new government. The U.S. later restored aid.