In a striking condemnation of US foreign policy, prominent Dominican theologian and intellectual Frei Betto has characterized American interventions in Latin America as “imperialist terrorism” and “crimes against humanity.” During an exclusive interview with Prensa Latina, the renowned author of “Fidel and Religion” delivered a comprehensive critique of historical US involvement in regional regime changes.
Betto articulated that such aggressive actions constitute severe violations of sovereignty and independence across Latin American and Caribbean nations. The intellectual provided a detailed historical account of American-backed operations that resulted in the deposition, disappearance, or death of democratically elected leaders throughout the region.
The theologian cited numerous case studies, beginning with Jacobo Árbenz, Guatemala’s democratically elected president who was overthrown in a 1954 coup orchestrated by the White House. Árbenz subsequently died under suspicious circumstances—officially recorded as accidental drowning—during his exile in 1971.
Betto further documented a pattern of interventionism, noting that in the same year as the Guatemala coup, the United States facilitated the establishment of a military dictatorship in Paraguay. This was followed by systematic dismantling of democratic institutions across the continent: Brazil (1964), Argentina (1966 and 1976), Bolivia (1966 and 1971), Uruguay, and most notably Chile in 1973.
The analysis extended to include the cases of Chilean President Salvador Allende, Panama’s progressive leader Omar Torrijos, and Maurice Bishop, the elected prime minister of Grenada in 1979. Concluding his assessment with a powerful declaration of solidarity, Betto exclaimed: “Long live the people of Venezuela!”