Over the slightly less than a hundred years from 1898 to 1994, the U.S. government has intervened successfully to change governments in Latin America at least 41 times. That amounts to once every 28 months for an entire century (see table).
Direct intervention occurred in 17 of the 41 cases. These incidents involved the use of U.S. military forces, intelligence agents, or local citizens employed by U.S. government agencies. In another 24 cases, the U.S. government played an indirect role. That is, local actors played the principal roles, but they would not have acted or succeeded without encouragement from the U.S. government.
| COUNTRY | YEAR | EVENT SUMMARY |
| Cuba | 1898-1902 1906-09 1917-23 | Spanish-American War Ousts elected Pres. Palma; occupation regime U.S. reoccupation, gradual withdrawal |
| Dominican Rep | 1916-24 1961 1965 | U.S. occupation Assassination of Pres. Trujillo U.S. occupation of Sto Domingo |
| Grenada | 1983 | U.S. occupied the island; oust the government |
| Guatemala | 1954 | CIA-organized force ousts Pres. Arbenz |
| Haiti | 1915-34 1994 | U.S. occupation U.S. troops restored constitutional government |
| Mexico | 1914 | Veracruz occupied; US allows rebels to buy arms |
| Nicaragua | 1910 1912-25 1926-33 1981-90 | Troops to Corinto, Bluefields during revolt U.S. occupation U.S. occupation Contra war; then support for the opposition in the election |
| Panama | 1903-14 1989 | U.S. Troops secure protectorate, canal U.S. Armed Forces occupied the nation |
U.S. INDIRECT INTERVENTION
Government/Regime Changes In Which The U.S. Is Decisive
| COUNTRY | YEAR | EVENT SUMMARY |
| Bolivia | 1944 1963 1971 | Coup uprising, overthrow Pres. Villaroel Military coup ousts elected Pres. Paz Estenssoro Military coup ousts Gen. Torres |
| Brazil | 1964 | Military coup ousts elected Pres. Goulart |
| Chile | 1973 1989-90 | Coup ousts elected Pres. Allende Aid to anti-Pinochet opposition |
| Cuba | 1933
| U.S. abandons support for Pres. Machado U.S. sponsors Col. Batista coup to oust Pres. Grau |
| Dominican Rep. | 1914 1963 | U.S. secures ouster of Gen. José Bordas Coup ousts elected Pres. Bosch |
| El Salvador | 1961 1979 1980 | Coup ousts reformist civil-military junta Coup ousts Gen. Humberto Romero U.S. creates and aids new Christian Demo junta |
| Guatemala | 1963 1982 1983 | U.S. supports coup vs elected Pres. Ydígoras U.S. supports coup vs Gen. Lucas García U.S. supports coup vs Gen. Rios Montt |
| Guyana | 1953 | CIA aids strikes; Govt. is ousted |
| Honduras | 1963 | Military coups ousts elected Pres. Morales |
| Mexico | 1913 | U.S. Amb. H. L. Wilson organizes coup v Madero |
| Nicaragua | 1909 1979 | Support for rebels vs Zelaya govt U.S. pressures Pres. Somoza to leave |
| Panama | 1941 1949 1969 | U.S supports coup ousting elected Pres. Arias U.S. support ousting VP Chanís govt U.S. supports coup by Gen. Torrijos |