The United States has never been able to tolerate disobedience from the Global South, especially when that defiance threatens to inspire others. For Washington, the mere possibility that a small nation might prioritise its people over profits—or worse, succeed in doing so—is an existential threat. Chomsky called this the threat of a good example, and it remains one of the guiding principles of U.S. foreign policy.
What has changed since 1992? The machinery of repression has been fine-tuned. The rhetoric is slicker, but the results are just as devastating. Whether through coups, sanctions, or outright military intervention, the U.S. continues to target any government that dares to challenge its dominance or offer an alternative model of development. The list of victims has grown, and the consequences—economic destruction, political chaos, and human suffering—are staggering.
Venezuela: The Resource Curse Meets U.S. Wrath
Venezuela’s sin is simple: it refused to hand over its oil wealth to U.S. corporations. When Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998, he used Venezuela’s petroleum riches to fund ambitious social programs, cutting poverty in half and expanding access to healthcare and education. His policies were enormously popular domestically but intolerable to Washington, which viewed Chavez’s Venezuela as a dangerous example of resource nationalism.
The response? A 2002 coup attempt—backed by U.S. funds and blessed by Washington—that briefly removed Chavez from power. When that failed, the U.S. turned to economic warfare, imposing sanctions that have since been expanded under every administration, from Bush to Biden. These sanctions, sold as a response to corruption and authoritarianism, have devastated Venezuela’s economy, reducing its ability to import food and medicine. The suffering of ordinary Venezuelans is not collateral damage; it’s the point. It’s a clear warning to other resource-rich nations: nationalise your assets at your peril.
Cuba: A Persistent Thorn in Washington’s Side
For more than six decades, Cuba has been the ultimate "bad example." Despite a brutal U.S. embargo, the island nation has maintained universal healthcare, high literacy rates, and a focus on social welfare that puts many wealthier nations to shame. Its crime? Refusing to bow to U.S. imperialism and showing that there’s an alternative to neoliberalism.
Under Obama, there was a brief thaw, with steps toward normalisation of relations. But Trump slammed the door shut, ramping up sanctions and placing Cuba back on the state sponsors of terrorism list—a designation as absurd as it is punitive. Biden, despite campaign promises to reverse these policies, has largely maintained them. Cuba’s economy remains strangled, not because it poses a threat to the U.S., but because it represents hope for others.
Haiti: Democracy Denied
Haiti has long been a laboratory for U.S. imperialism, and its history since 1992 is no exception. In 1994, the Clinton administration sent troops to restore President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, ousted in a 1991 coup. But this was no act of benevolence; Aristide was forced to accept neoliberal reforms, including the elimination of tariffs on imported rice, which destroyed local farmers and deepened poverty.
When Aristide resisted these dictates during his second term—raising the minimum wage and advocating land reform—the U.S. orchestrated his removal in 2004. Since then, Haiti has been ruled by a series of U.S.-backed governments that have done little to address the country’s systemic inequality and corruption. In 2021, after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, Washington supported an unelected interim government, once again sidelining demands for democratic reform. The result is a nation in perpetual crisis, a stark reminder of what happens when you defy the empire.
Bolivia: Lithium’s Price Tag
Evo Morales’s Bolivia was a rare success story in the Global South. Elected in 2006 as the country’s first indigenous president, Morales nationalised Bolivia’s natural gas and lithium industries, using the revenues to slash poverty and empower historically marginalised communities. But Bolivia’s vast lithium reserves—critical for batteries and green technologies—made it a target.
In 2019, Morales was ousted in a U.S.-backed coup after his re-election sparked unfounded allegations of fraud. The coup government, led by Jeanine Anez, reversed Morales’s reforms, privatised key industries, and unleashed a wave of violence against indigenous protesters. While Morales’s party regained power in 2020, the coup sent a chilling message: resource nationalism will not be tolerated, and indigenous-led governments are especially unwelcome.
Nicaragua: The Return of the Sandinistas
The Sandinista government of Daniel Ortega has faced relentless U.S. hostility since returning to power in 2007. Ortega’s government has implemented social programs to reduce poverty, improve literacy, and expand healthcare, but his refusal to align with U.S. interests has made him a target. Sanctions, propaganda, and support for opposition groups have destabilised the country, despite Ortega’s continued electoral victories.
While Ortega’s increasingly authoritarian tendencies deserve scrutiny, they cannot be understood in isolation from U.S. interference, which has exacerbated divisions and undermined Nicaragua’s democracy. The Sandinistas remain a symbol of resistance to imperialism, and for that, they remain under siege.
The Sahel: New Frontiers of Repression
In Africa, the U.S. has increasingly used the language of counterterrorism to justify its interventions. Mali provides a recent example. After expelling French troops and seeking closer ties with Russia, Mali’s government became a target of Western ire. The broader strategy is clear: any attempt by African nations to assert autonomy—whether by rejecting IMF austerity or diversifying their alliances—is met with destabilisation efforts, often cloaked in the language of security.
The Fallout of Suppressing Good Examples
The U.S.’s obsession with crushing good examples has profound consequences. It leaves nations impoverished, democratic movements stifled, and entire regions destabilised. Worse, it creates a chilling effect: governments that might otherwise pursue progressive policies instead capitulate, fearing Washington’s wrath. The good examples that survive, like Cuba or Venezuela, are forced to do so under siege conditions, limiting their ability to inspire others.
Domestically, this hypocrisy corrodes the U.S.’s moral authority. How can a nation claim to champion democracy while systematically undermining it wherever it challenges its interests? The result is global cynicism, anti-American sentiment, and a world increasingly disillusioned with the promises of liberal democracy.
Conclusion: A Fight Worth Fighting
The "threat of a good example" exposes the fragility of U.S. hegemony. A system that depends on crushing alternatives is not sustainable, and the cracks are already visible. But the persistence of nations like Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia also shows that resistance is possible—and that the fight for a more just and equitable world is far from over. The task ahead is clear: amplify these examples, support their survival, and challenge the imperial system that seeks to extinguish them. If these small nations can resist, so can we.
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