Thread by @WilliamBllum

Real interference in election:
#Lebanon, 1950s: CIA provided funds to support the campaigns of Camille Chamoun & selected parliamentary candidates; other funds were targeted against candidates who had shown less than total enchantment with US interference. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

Real interference in election campaigns:
#Indonesia, 1955:
A million dollars were dispensed by the CIA to a centrist coalition’s electoral campaign in a bid to cut into the support for President #Sukarno’s party and the Indonesian #Communist_Party. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Vietnam, 1955:
The US was instrumental in South Vietnam canceling the elections scheduled to unify North and South because of the certainty that the North Vietnamese communist leader, Ho Chi Minh, would easily win. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

British Guiana/Guyana, 1953-64:
For 11 yrs, 2 of the oldest democracies in the world, GB & US, went to great lengths to prevent Cheddi Jagan – 3 times the democratically elected leader – from occupying his office. Using a wide variety of tactics. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

Japan, 1958-1970s:
CIA emptied the US treasury of millions to finance conservative Liberal Democratic Party in parliamentary elections, “on a seat-by-seat basis”, while doing what it could to weaken & undermine its opposition, the Japanese Socialist Party. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Nepal, 1959:
By the CIA’s own admission, it carried out an unspecified “covert action” on behalf of B.P. Koirala to help his Nepali Congress Party win the election. It was Nepal’s 1st national election ever. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Laos, 1960:
@CIA agents stuffed ballot boxes to help a hand-picked strongman, Phoumi Nosavan, set up a pro-American government. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Brazil, 1962:
The @CIA and the Agency for International Development expended millions of dollars in federal and state elections in support of candidates opposed to leftist President João Goulart, who won anyway. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Dominican Republic, 1962:
As matters turned out, the winner, Juan Bosch, was ousted in a military coup seven months later, a slap in the face of democracy which neither Martin nor any other American official did anything about. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Guatemala, 1963:
The US overthrew the regime of General Ydigoras because he was planning to step down in 1964, leaving the door open to an election; an election that US feared would be won by the former president, critic of US foreign policy, Arévalo. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Bolivia, 1966:
The CIA bestowed $600,000 upon President René Barrientos and lesser sums to several right-wing parties in a successful effort to influence the outcome of national elections. Gulf Oil contributed two hundred thousand more to Barrientos. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Chile, 1964-70:
Major US interventions into national elections in 1964 and 1970, & congressional elections in the intervening years. Socialist Salvador Allende fell victim in 1964, but won in 1970 despite a multimillion-dollar CIA operation against him. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Portugal, 1974-5:
In the years following the coup in 1974 by military officers who talked like socialists, the CIA revved up its propaganda machine while funneling many millions of dollars to support “moderate” candidates, in particular Mario Soares and his "Socialist Party".

#Australia, 1974-75:
Despite providing considerable support for the opposition, the US failed to defeat the Labor Party, which was strongly against the US war in Vietnam & CIA meddling in Australia. The CIA used methods to unseat the man who won election. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Jamaica, 1976:
A CIA campaign to defeat social democrat Michael Manley’s bid for reelection, featuring disinformation, arms shipments, labor unrest, economic destabilization, financial support for the opposition, and attempts upon Manley’s life. Despite it all, he was victorious

#Panama, 1984, 1989:
In 1984, the CIA helped finance a highly questionable presidential electoral victory for one of Manuel Noriega’s men. The opposition cried “fraud”, but the new president was welcomed at the White House. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Nicaragua, 1984, 1990:
In 1984, the United States, trying to discredit the legitimacy of the Sandinista government’s scheduled election, covertly persuaded the leading opposition coalition to not take part. williamblum.org/aer/read/156

#Nicaragua, 1984, 1990:
1990, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Washington’s specially created stand-in for the CIA, poured in millions of dollars to defeat Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas in the February elections. williamblum.org/aer/read/156