Every Time the United States Overthrew a Foreign Government

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And as promised, here is the script from my video:

Who’s overthrowing governments?
I’m…not overthrowing governments. I’m Mr. Beat. Come on! Y’all know me. Still the same old G.
But guess who HAS overthrown governments? The United States government. Like, a lot.

(clips)
Oh regime change? The United States definitely knew her.
A coup, which is short for coup d'etat, is a sudden, forceful, and illegal overthrow of a government. In this video, let’s look at every time the United States did a coup, or heavily influenced a coup. How many times has the United States overthrown a foreign government? Well, estimates range from 14 all the way up to more than one hundred. According to my own estimates, there have been 27, at least 27 worth mentioning.  Yeah, I know. That’s a lot. And these were the SUCCESSFUL coups, not the ones that failed. Because there are so many, I’ll keep it brief for each one. We’ll break it up into 3 periods: The Imperial Expansion Era, The Cold War Era, and the War on Terrorism Era

Alrighty then. Here’s every time the United States overthrew a foreign government…oh…and I should mention…that we know of. Here’s every time the United States overthrew a foreign government THAT WE KNOW OF. SO FAR.

-The Imperial Expansion Era-
During the Imperial Expansion Era, the United States was a bit more brazen with their imperialism. They didn’t try to hide it.
#1 Hawaii
On January 17, 1893, American and European businessmen, with aid from the United States military, overthrew Queen Liliuokalani because her Hawaii First policy basically threatened their profits. Now, many don’t realize that the United States didn’t annex the islands until more than five years later. In the meantime, these business leaders just started their own government there. As you probably already know, Hawaii eventually became a state, but the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom remains one of the most controversial land grabs in American history.
Over the next several decades, the United States went bananas with the Banana Wars, a series of American interventions in Central America and islands in the Caribbean Sea. Hold on, I gotta take this. Hello? No. No! The name “Banana Wars” was popularized by a historian named Lester Langley, who wrote multiple books on American intervention in Latin America, and he called them that since many of these interventions protected the United Fruit Company, which made a lot of money off of…you guessed it…bananas.
#2 Colombia
In 1903, after Colombia wouldn’t let the United States build a canal through this part of their territory, the United States government encouraged Panamanian rebels who lived in the area to declare independence. The American president at the time, Theodore Roosevelt, sent warships to block Colombian troops from stopping the revolt. And yep, after the Panamanians gained independence, the new country of Panama almost immediately signed a favorable canal treaty with the United States.
Also in 1903? 
#3 Honduras
The United States military supported a coup by Manuel Bonilla, who was more friendly to American business interests like the aforementioned United Fruit Company. Over the following years, the American military would repeatedly protect Bonilla from OTHER attempted coups. Ah yes, Honduras, the original “banana republic.”
#4 Cuba
Well, the United States originally acquired Cuba after defeating another imperial power, Spain, in the Spanish American War. At first, the United States promised Cuba they’d have independence. But then, the Americans…like…just…wouldn’t go away. Congress passed the Platt Amendment, which said the United States could intervene any time it wanted to against a government it did not approve of. And it did just that. The American military hung around Cuba until 1909.
Hey speaking of 1909…
#5 Nicaragua
That year, the United States helped overthrow President Jose Santos Zelaya because he wanted to build a canal across the country that competed with the Panama Canal. And yeah, Zelaya threatened American business interests. American soldiers would support rebels and ended up occupying the country on and off for the next two decades.
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#6 Mexico
In 1913, Henry Lane Wilson, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and of no relation to his boss, President Woodrow Wilson, was very involved helping overthrow the democratically elected president of Mexico, Francisco Madero, who threatened American oil interests. Well Woodrow Wilson would end up firing Henry Lane Wilson, but he kept American forces there anyway after continued instability in the country over the next few years in what became known as the Mexican Revolution.
#7 Haiti
In 1915, American troops straight up invaded and occupied Haiti after a mob killed the country’s president, Vilbrun Sam. Ya see, American banks had lent a lot of money to Haiti and they wanted the American military to get that money back.
Hey, eyes down here buddy. Why are you staring at my forehead, anyway? Pervert!
The Americans disbanded Haiti’s army and controlled local politics in the country for years.
#8 Dominican Republic
On May 15, 1916, American troops landed in Haiti’s neighbor to the east, the Dominican Republic, to “restore order” and then promptly ran the government. Well, the real reason they were there was to protect an American-owned sugar cane plantation. They sidelined locally-elected leaders and installed American-friendly military leaders in their place. The United States military would occupy the Dominican Republic until September 18, 1924.
You could imagine, all this led to a lot of anti-American sentiment throughout Latin America. Well props to the American presidents Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt, who mostly ended regime changes. Hoover and FDR, in particular, implemented what became known as the Good Neighbor Policy, in which the United States pledged to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors and avoid direct military intervention in Latin America. No more military occupations. 
But then World War Two happened, and…
-The Cold War Era- 
During the Cold War, the United States got more sneaky with the coups. And of course, it was always in the name of stopping the spread of “communism.” Ew, this is a little ripe.
#9  Iran
Yeah this one’s a bit more famous.
In 1953, after Iran’s democratically-elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mosaddegh nationalized British-controlled oil, hurting American companies, the CIA…as well as the MI6, the British secret intelligence service, paid mobs, bribed officials, and spread propaganda to cause chaos in the country. Eventually they aided in a straight up coup of Mosaddegh, replacing him with Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, a king more friendly to American business interests. Pahlavi would rule with an iron fist, and the people of Iran would eventually revolt against him in what became known as the Iranian Revolution, which yep, led to the Iranian Hostage Crisis. I have a video about that.
#10 Guatemala
In 1954, Guatemala’s President, Jacobo Árbenz began to take unused property from the aforementioned United Fruit Company to give it to poor farmers. In response, the CIA aided rebels, ran radio Psyops, and bombed targets to scare Árbenz into resigning. 
This was actually the second time the United States tried to overthrow the government. The first time, two years prior, was unsuccessful.
A military dictatorship followed, sparking decades of civil war and mass killings.
#11 The Democratic Republic of the Congo
In 1960, after the Congo gained independence from Belgium, citizens there elected Patrice Lumumba as their Prime Minister. Well, the United States feared he was a bit too friendly with the Soviet Union. The CIA would help Belgium assassinate him, and eventually the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko took over and terrorized the country for more than 30 years.
#12 Dominican Republic (again)
On May 30, 1961, rebels ambushed and assassinated Rafael Trujillo, the dictator of the Dominican Republic. And guess who supplied weapons to the people who assassinated him? The CIA.
#13 Ecuador
After José María Velasco Ibarra, the President of Ecuador, got a little too friendly with Communist Cuba, the CIA used propaganda, forged documents, and straight up bribery, to overthrow him on November 7, 1961. Two years later anticommunist rebels within Ecuador overthrew the next President, Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy, after he too was a bit too friendly with Cuba. 
#14 Iraq
There is growing evidence that the CIA also helped plan and carry out the overthrow of Abdul-Karim Qasim, who was then executed by firing squad on February 9, 1963^1. Qasim had been open to closer ties to the Soviet Union and communism.
#15 Brazil
After Brazil’s President, João Goulart pushed for land reform and more worker rights, this freaked out…you guessed it…American business interests. In early 1964, the United States provided logistics and military aid to help rebels overthrow Goulart and install a harsh military dictatorship which would rule for the next 21 years.
#16 Guyana
The Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA, helped Britain overthrow Cheddi Jagan, the Chief Minister of what was British Guiana at the time. After Jagan got elected, he became a bit too cozy with Marxism and the Soviet Union. 
#17 Bolivia
After Bolivia’s President, Juan José Torres became friendly with Cuba and nationalized the country’s mines, the CIA gave intelligence and other aid to rebels. On August 21, 1971, these rebels ultimately overthrew Torres and replaced him with Hugo Banzer, who…you guessed it…would rule Bolivia as a brutal dictator for the next seven years. Although strangely later in the 1990s he’d return to power after Bolivians ELECTED him.
#18 Chile
Well Chileans elected a Socialist named Salvador Allende as their president. After he nationalized the copper mines and threatened American business interests, the CIA caused chaos by disrupting the economy and giving millions of dollars to rebels for them to conduct military strikes. On September 11, 1973, Chilean military rebels bombed the palace and killed Allende. Augusto Pinochet took over as a brutal dictator and would routinely torture and disappear citizens over the next 17 years.^2
Yeah…uh…I think these are starting to sound redundant. 
#19 Grenada
On October 25, 1983, the United States military, along with a coalition of six different Caribbean countries, straight up invaded the country of Grenada to overthrow its Marxist government. Officially, President Ronald Reagan said the invasion was to protect American medical students, but we now know the main goal was actually to stop Soviet influence. The United States installed a more American-friendly government. Most of the world condemned the invasion of Grenada, but most Americans actually approved of it at the time.
#20 Panama (again)
On December 20, 1989, President George H.W. Bush sent thousands of American troops to overthrow and arrest Manuel Noriega, a former CIA asset turned drug-running dictator. OPERATION JUST CAUSE. No seriously. The United States called it “Operation Just Cause.” Noriega had become…eh…a bit too defiant and was threatening American interests near the Panama Canal. It was a quick, somewhat massive military operation that lasted less than six weeks and ended with Noriega in an American prison.
But by then the Cold War was winding down, bringing us to a new era.
-The War on Terrorism Era-
#21 Haiti (again)
OPERATION UPHOLD DEMOCRACY. No seriously. The United States called it “Operation Uphold Democracy.” So cringe bruh. In 1994, President Bill Clinton sent 25,000 troops to “convince” Haitian military leaders under the command of Joseph Raoul Cédras to step down without a fight. In his place returned Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was overthrown three years prior despite being democratically elected. It was a rare case of the United States intervening to RESTORE a democracy it liked. What’s also interesting about this coup was that there is some evidence that suggests the CIA may have helped Aristide be overthrown the first time. Oops. On February 29, 2004, military rebels overthrew Aristide from power AGAIN, and he and others later accused the United States for playing a role in it.
(and then 9/11 happened, and everything changed)
#22 Afghanistan
On September 11, 2001, a group known as Al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes to launch coordinated terrorist suicide attacks on American soil, known as the September 11 attacks, or simply 9/11, which I have a video about…duh! In response to these horrific attacks, the United States invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban regime because they were harboring Al-Qaeda. The United States teamed up with the Northern Alliance, a group of Afghan rebels, to quickly take control of the country. This began the longest war in American history, the War in Afghanistan, which ended with the Taliban returning to power in 2021.
#23 Venezuela
On April 11, 2002, rebels overthrew Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chávez. There is some evidence that American diplomats helped organize it. However, the coup was short-lived. Like, REALLY short-lived. Chávez was back in power within 48 hours.
#24 Iraq (again)
On March 20, 2003, American troops led an invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein, the country’s brutal dictator. How did the United States justify this invasion and overthrow? Well, President George W. Bush and his administration had claimed Saddam had weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorists. No such weapons were ever found, but American soldiers did capture Saddam and eventually executed him. The invasion destabilized the entire region and led to a long, bloody insurgency. Oh I also have a video about the Iraq War. (pointing)
#25 Libya
In 2011, both American and NATO airpower helped rebels overthrow the dictator Muammar Gaddafi. And boy did those rebels…um…yeah they took care of him. Sure, the mission was officially to “protect civilians,” but it quickly turned into yet another regime-change operation. Libya fragmented into rival governments, and has basically been in constant chaos ever since.
And here’s some very recent history…
#26 Venezuela (again)
On January 3, 2026, American forces carried out a military strike in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would oversee a new government and is currently holding Maduro and Flores in prison as they await trial for illegal drug-related charges.
So that’s it. I think? (turns around) Oh crap, there’s another one.
#27 Iran (again)
Yep, literally as I was making this video, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and around 40 senior members of the country’s regime. 
Why? Well, I don’t know if we have a good grasp why yet. But that’s it. I think? (turning around) Yeah, that’s it. I hope.

A big inspiration for this video was the book Overthrow by Stephen Kinzer. I highly recommend it. I actually bought it and read it soon after it first came out, like 20 years ago.

And look, I know that wasn’t all of them. There were more times the United States probably overthrew foreign governments. I got tired, ok? If you can think of more, let me know in the comments below. Oh, and if you work for the CIA, please let me know of all the secret ones that I left out in the comments as well. Thanks for staying curious!
___________________________________________________________________________-
^1. Wolfe-Hunnicutt, Brandon (2017). "Oil Sovereignty, American Foreign Policy, and the 1968 Coups in Iraq". Diplomacy & Statecraft. 28 (2). Routledge: 235–253
^2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_abuses_in_Chile_under_Augusto_Pinochet

Sources/further reading:
Overthrow by Stephen Kinzer
Purchase here: https://amzn.to/3OOeHbq
The Banana Wars: United States Intervention in the Caribbean, 1898-1934 by Lester Langley
Purchase here: https://amzn.to/3Oqa6Mv 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change 
The Untold History of the United States by Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick
Purchase here: https://amzn.to/3MSAqOX 
Levin, Dov H. (January 1, 2019). "Partisan electoral interventions by the great powers: Introducing the PEIG Dataset". Conflict Management and Peace Science. 36 (1): 88–106.