The consequences of CIA-sponsored regime change in Latin America

The CIA intervened regularly in Latin America politics during the Cold War, in some cases going as far as bringing about regime change. We study the economic, political, and civil society effects of CIA-sponsored regime change in five Latin American countries and find that these actions caused moderate declines in real per-capita income and large declines in democracy scores, rule of law, freedom of speech, and civil liberties. Our findings show that any benefits to come out of these interventions should be weighed against the large costs that were imposed on the people living in these countries.