CIA: Declassified Season 1 Episode 10 The Deadly Phantom Coup

In the tenth episode of CIA Declassified season 1, entitled "The Deadly Phantom Coup," viewers are taken on a dramatic journey through the stories of two pivotal moments in the history of Central America. The episode focuses on the United States' involvement in the overthrow of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 and the attempted coup against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in the late 1980s.

The episode begins by detailing the events leading up to the coup in Guatemala. In 1950, Arbenz was elected president with a platform that promised land reform and better living conditions for the country's impoverished majority. The United Fruit Company, a powerful U.S.-based corporation that held extensive land holdings in Guatemala, was threatened by Arbenz's policies and hired U.S. public relations firm Edelman to launch a propaganda campaign against the president. The United States government, led by President Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, saw Arbenz's policies as a threat to American interests and decided to take action. The CIA organized a covert operation aimed at removing Arbenz from power and installing a more U.S.-friendly leader in his place.

The episode features interviews with several former members of the CIA who were involved in the Guatemala operation, as well as historians and experts on the region. Viewers learn about the tactics the CIA used to undermine Arbenz's government, including the distribution of leaflets and propaganda, the arming of anti-government rebels, and the use of CIA-backed radio stations to spread misinformation. Despite the fact that the United States was officially neutral during the conflict, the CIA's involvement in the coup was no secret. The episode explores the moral ambiguity of this situation, as well as the long-term consequences of the coup for Guatemala and the region as a whole.

The second half of the episode focuses on the attempted coup against Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua. Ortega, a Sandinista leader, was elected president in 1984 with support from the U.S.-backed Contra rebels. However, tensions between the Ortega government and the Contras continued to mount, and in 1987 a group of high-ranking Contra officers decided to attempt a coup. The episode features interviews with several CIA officers who were involved in the counter-coup operation, as well as with journalists and historians who covered the conflict.

Viewers learn about the complex web of relationships and alliances that existed within the Contra movement, and about the role of CIA operatives in helping to thwart the coup attempt. The episode explores the personal stories of those involved, as well as the political and strategic calculations that guided their actions. Overall, the episode provides a fascinating look at the often murky and morally ambiguous world of covert operations, and raises important questions about the role of the United States in shaping the political landscape of Central America.