The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 37Honduras: The CIA Strikes

I flew to Panama in 2009, right after the democratically elected Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was overthrown in a coup. I wanted to meet with Panama’s movers and shakers and with people who had hands-on experience in Latin American politics.

I talked with business, government, and nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders from Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, and the United States. I also talked with teachers, taxi drivers, waiters, shopkeepers, and union activists. Most were convinced that the coup happened because Zelaya had advocated a 60 percent increase in the minimum wage, which had infuriated ...