7. Salvador Allende, Chile (1973)
In 1970, Salvador Allende became Chile’s first democratically elected socialist president. Concerned about his leftist policies, the U.S. initiated Project FUBELT to prevent his rise to power. Despite these efforts, Allende was inaugurated. Over the next three years, the U.S. continued covert operations, including funding opposition media and strikes to destabilize his government. On September 11, 1973, a military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet overthrew Allende, leading to a 17-year dictatorship marked by human rights abuses. (npr.org)
