The Durable Farce of 'Interim Leadership'
The claim that an 'interim leader' is balancing U.S. demands and domestic expectations is a recycled narrative. FIRST INSTANCE: In 1954 , following the CIA-orchestrated coup against democratically elected President Jacobo Árbenz in Guatemala, Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas was installed as president. His 'interim' rule immediately reversed Árbenz's land reforms, restoring control of vast tracts to
the United Fruit Company (Declassified CIA documents, 1997). The 'balance' was quickly struck in favor of external corporate interests. REPETITIONS: In 2002 , during a failed coup attempt against Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, Pedro Carmona Estanga declared himself 'interim president.' His first acts included dissolving the national assembly and supreme court and reversing Chávez's oil
policies, directly aligning with U.S. and corporate criticisms of Chávez (Venezuelan National Assembly Archives, 2002). The coup was swiftly reversed by popular uprising. In 2019 , after what the Organization of American States (OAS) controversially called an 'irregularity-riddled' election (OAS Report, 2019), Jeanine Áñez declared herself interim president of Bolivia following Evo Morales's
resignation under military pressure. Her interim government quickly privatized state assets and shifted foreign policy, including renewing ties with the U.S. while suspending relations with countries like Cuba and Venezuela (Bolivian Official Gazette, 2019). She was later arrested for sedition and terrorism. OUTCOMES: In each case, the 'interim' period was characterized by a rapid reorientation of