From the Banana Wars to Operation Condor: A Timeline of U.S. and CIA Interventions in Latin America

For more than a century, the United States has intervened politically and militarily across Central America, South America and the Caribbean to defend commercial, strategic and ideological interests. While President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1934 Good Neighbor Policy pledged non-intervention, the Cold War and economic pressures led Washington to back a range of covert and overt actions — many involving the Central Intelligence Agency, founded in 1947.

Key episodes

Late 1800s–1920s — The Banana Wars
US forces repeatedly intervened throughout Central America and the Caribbean to protect the investments and access of US corporations, particularly in the banana and shipping industries. These operations established patterns of intervention that endured for decades.

1934 — Good Neighbor Policy
President Franklin D. Roosevelt formally announced a policy of non-intervention in Latin America, but geopolitical rivalries and commercial interests soon complicated that pledge.

1954 — Guatemala
Elected president Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán pursued land reform and nationalisations that alarmed US business interests. Under Operation PBSuccess, the CIA supported and trained forces that helped topple Árbenz; Carlos Castillo Armas assumed power. Guatemala subsequently endured a civil war from 1960 to 1996, with deep human-rights consequences.

1959–1961 — Cuba and the Bay of Pigs
After Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, the Eisenhower administration and then President John F. Kennedy authorised CIA-backed plans to train Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro. The 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion failed when Cuban forces repelled the exiles, signalling a major Cold War confrontation in the hemisphere.

1961–1964 — Brazil
João Goulart pursued social and economic reforms and maintained ties with socialist governments. The CIA supported pro-US politicians and anti-communist groups, contributing to the erosion of Goulart's position and the 1964 military coup that brought an authoritarian, US-aligned regime to power until 1985.

Early 1960s — Ecuador
Following a decade of relative stability, Washington grew concerned about President José Velasco Ibarra and Vice President Carlos Julio Arosemena's left-leaning sympathies. The CIA channelled support through labour organisations to bolster anti-communist forces. Political instability culminated in military intervention and a government that severed ties with Cuba.

1963–1971 — Bolivia
Covert US funding backed leaders friendly to Washington and aided the November 1964 coup led by General René Barrientos, which ousted President Víctor Paz Estenssoro. After leftist President Juan José Torres nationalised US interests in 1970, the US quietly supported opponents; General Hugo Banzer overthrew Torres in 1971 and ruled until 1978.

1970s — Chile
President Salvador Allende's plans to nationalise copper alarmed US business and strategic interests. The CIA provided support to opposition groups and propaganda efforts that contributed to the 1973 military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet. Allende died during the assault on the presidential palace; Pinochet's regime then governed Chile with severe repression for 17 years.

1975 — Operation Condor
During the 1970s, a transnational campaign of repression coordinated among right-wing military regimes in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay facilitated intelligence sharing, cross-border persecution of dissidents and large-scale human-rights abuses. Research by Latin American organisations and academic partners attributes numerous deaths and disappearances to the operation.

1981 — El Mozote, El Salvador
In the context of a brutal civil war (1980–1992), the Atlacatl Battalion — an elite unit trained and equipped with US assistance — massacred about 1,000 civilians in El Mozote. The episode intensified debate about US military aid and human-rights responsibilities in counterinsurgency campaigns.

1983 — Grenada
Following internal violence within Maurice Bishop's government and concerns about Cuban influence, the United States launched Operation Urgent Fury, invaded Grenada, detained Cuban personnel, and installed a government aligned with US interests.

1989 — Panama
Under Operation Just Cause, US forces invaded Panama to remove Manuel Noriega, whom Washington accused of drug trafficking. The invasion resulted in significant casualties and raised questions about proportionality and civilian impact.

Aftermath and legacy

These episodes illustrate recurring tensions between economic interests, Cold War anti-communism and strategic priorities that have driven US engagement in Latin America. The interventions left long-term political, social and humanitarian consequences, including authoritarian regimes, human-rights abuses and enduring debates about sovereignty, accountability and regional diplomacy.