141. Trump’s Latin America Playbook: How the CIA Toppled a Regime (Ep 2)

The Rest Is Classified

Goalhanger

History

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How did the CIA mastermind one of the most audacious coups in world history? What does it take to remove a world leader? And what does the future hold for Latin America with Donald Trump now at the helm of US foreign policy? Listen as David and Gordon recount the story of the 1954 Guatemalan coup and delve into whether Cuba will be the next state on Donald Trump's hit list. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠ to see David and Gordon live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 4 September. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign-up ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories. Members also get curated reading lists, special book discounts, prize draws, and access to our private chat community. Just go to ⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠ or join on Apple Podcasts. ------------------- Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED for more information. T&C's apply. ------------------- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ ⁠⁠https://nordvpn.com/restisclassified⁠⁠ Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee ------------------- Email: ⁠⁠therestisclassified@goalhanger.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@restisclassified⁠ Video Editor: Joe Pettit Social Producer: Emma Jackson Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe Producer: Becki Hills Head of History: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	For exclusive interviews, bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to series,
0:09.0	first look at live show tickets, a weekly newsletter, and discounted books,
0:13.1	join the Declassified Club at the rest is classified.com.
0:29.6	Music The U.S. is trying to affect regime change in Central America.
0:38.3	But it's not 2026. It's 1954. And it's not Cuba or Venezuela, it's Guatemala. Welcome to the rest is classified.
0:40.3	I'm David McCloskey.
0:42.3	And I'm Gordon Carrera.
0:43.3	And dear friends, we are now on the second episode of our exploration of the CIA's
0:53.3	coup in Guatemala in 1954.
0:56.3	We left off last time, Gordon, with the primary weapon in this covert war against the
1:03.4	obviously despicable red communist Guatemalan regime of Arben's.
1:09.6	The main tool being the radio station corded, the airwaves.
1:15.1	Yeah.
1:16.1	And we left off last time with this radio station that the CIA had set up that is actually
1:21.4	in the outskirts of Miami, getting ready to broadcast and getting ready to spread disinformation across all of Guatemala.
1:31.3	That's right. We're in the optimistically entitled Operation Success.
1:36.4	You dress for the job you want, Gordon.
1:38.6	Which the CIA is planning to use psychological operations.
1:44.2	A little bit of paramilitary operations and covert action to overthrow this regime in Guatemala,
1:50.1	a optimistic?
1:51.9	Let's see how optimistic it is as the story unfolds,
1:55.5	because it is going to be a remarkable tale of a close-run operation,
	...

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