"The USA has in the past been an active opponent of democracy, directly aiding the overthrow of elected leaders in: Iran 1953, Guatemala 1954, Dominican Republic 1965, Chile 1973, and Nicaragua in the 1980s. The US also covertly backed the overthrow of legitimate or democratically-elected leaders in: Congo 1961, Brazil 1964 and Cyprus 1974. In the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, the US reinstalled electoral democracy on its own terms, while in the cases of Iran, Guatemala and Chile, the regime changes led to extended periods of oppressive US-backed dictatorships. The US has supported multiple authoritarian regimes, often when said regimes were being opposed by democratically-promising elements. These include: Stroessner?s Paraguay, Argentina?s military dictatorship 1976-83, Nicaragua under the Somozas, Haiti under the Duvaliers, Salazar?s Portugal, Franco?s Spain, Greece?s 1967-74 dictatorship, brief dictatorships in Turkey, South Korea and Taiwan from the 1940s-1980s, Marco?s Philippines and Mobutu?s Congo/Zaire.
The US has also opposed undemocratic governments on behalf of other undemocratic governments, backing authoritarian anti-communist regimes against communist opponents (Korean and Indo-China wars), anti-Moscow communists (China, Ceau?escu?s Romania, Khmer Rouge in Cambodia) against pro-Moscow opponents, authoritarian nationalists against Islamists (Iran versus Iraq), and a semi-absolute monarchy against authoritarian nationalists (Kuwait against Iraq). The US currently supports the repressive monarchy of Saudi Arabia which is being threatened by domestic anti-Western Islamists. The US has also supported undemocratic governments against similarly undemocratic opposition, such as the financing of the Mujahedeen during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, and UNITA?s protracted insurgency in Angola