@hightor,
hightor wrote:
I'm not defending the current regime. But — as with the Cuban revolution — the main goal of the USA was to make sure the revolution failed. We pretty much drove these struggling governments into the other (Soviet) camp and lost any hope of exerting a democratic or moderating influence. The more repression the better.
I am surprised at your evident lack of understanding of the origins of the Castro and Ortega governments. You are simply substituting your own preconceptions for the facts and truth of the origins of these repressive regimes. Castro was a Marxist from the start and needed no prodding from the U. S. He started confiscating property and executing "class enemies" ( with mass drumhead courts in the sports stadium in Havana) within weeks after entering Havana and started receiving clandestine Soviet help soon afterwards.
The Soviets were directly involved in the support of the Sandinista revolution from the very start and used their foothold there to export revolution to Neighboring El Salvador. Our Navy and intelligence forces routinely monitored the Soviet Military and intelligence forces in Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador from ships in the Gulf of Fonseca.
