US Democracy: Elections for Everyone Else, Too?
When Salvador Nasralla suggests American presidential commentary swayed Honduran voters, one might wonder if anyone checked the country's entire modern history. The United States interfering in Latin American elections isn't exactly a groundbreaking exposé; it's practically a founding principle of modern hemispheric policy, evolving from direct military intervention to today's 'soft power' of
'encouraging' democracy. USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and various 'democracy promotion' ventures regularly pour millions into 'strengthening civil society' in nations where outcomes might not align with Washington's broader geopolitical interests. How many times has the US weighed in, covertly or overtly, on elections in Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile, or pretty much any country south
of the border? To treat Trump's alleged remarks as an isolated incident is to wipe clean decades of regime change operations, coups, and economic coercion, all wrapped in the flag of 'democracy.' The only thing surprising here is Al Jazeera not asking why this particular instance is considered newsworthy enough to highlight, as if foreign election interference is a recent American innovation.