I’ve made the point multiple times that the function of the CIA wasn’t new. Everything the CIA did after 1948 was done prior but at the risk of being arrested and tried for crimes. The whole idea of the CIA was to continue doing the illegal operations but under the protection of the US government with a NATIONAL SECURITY stamp or get out of jail free card to provide protection and give them authority of the state.
In the late 1800’s there was political reform in central America. Leaders, who were inspired by actions across the world were springing up to lead efforts to make life better for their fellow countrymen. Pres Jose Santos Zelaya of Nicaragua was one of them. The U.S. felt was strongly about his nationalist actions that he would be on the short list of having to be overthrown.
Zelaya’s father was an army colonel and farmer (coffee) and sent Jose to school in Europe (Belgium) where he married and returned to Nicaragua after graduation. He would join the country’s liberal party and embraced secularism where many other countries were organized around the catholic religion. In 1893, Zelaya would emerge as the country’s new president (he was 40 yrs old) after much infighting.
He built roads ports rail, raise government buildings and more than 140 schools. He paved streets installed street lamps imported the countries, first car, legalize, civil marriage and divorce and founded the country's first baseball league. He encouraged businesses to be created and promoted a union of the five central American countries in order to develop an inter-oceanic canal. Sounds very Qaddafi like, I see red flags for the US and UK control freaks.
Every president since US Grant had pushed for a similar canal project. In 1876, a government commission concluded that Nicaragua possessed the best capability for construction and maintenance of such a canal. In 1889, a private company chartered by Congress began the project. The company was called Nicaragua Canal Company (NCC). It was a combination of a couple of companies to including NCC and Maritime Canal Company of Nicaragua. Historical documents say the company became insolvent, which as a US chartered company (meaning taxes are paying for it) it means it was on purpose, otherwise funding would have continued using bonds or other mechanisms.
One group of people hoped that the Nicaraguan Canal company failed. These members were part of a Paris based syndicate that owned large pieces of land in Panama. The French engineers had tried to build a canal in Panama, but failed and was stuck with the land. however, if they were able to find a buyer in order to facilitate a canal, they would become very wealthy. To do this, it would be necessary to get the United States to change their mind from Nicaragua to Panama.
The man they hired to do this was William Nelson Cromwell. He was a Washington lobbyist and corporate law aficionado Cromwell made the ideal partner for the French canal syndicate in Washington DC. Phillippe Bunau-Varilla led the French syndicate. Cromwell’s first tactic was to slow the Nicaraguan Canal progress, which he used friends in Congress in the state department to do. In 1901 the assassination of President McKinley brought Theodore Roosevelt into office, which also aided in Cromwell's work. In 1902 Roosevelt asked Congress to appropriate $140 million for the canal across Nicaragua. Cromwell approach Senator Mark Hanna the leader of the republican party and made a $60,000 contribution to the Republicans, charging it to the canal company as a business expense. Much to his chagrin the money was approved for the Nicaraguan bill and it appeared that the panama canal was dead in the water.
However, Cromwell was not finished Nicaragua where to company to manufacture, postage stamps for the country one of the stamps depicted the Momo Tombo volcano. It just so happens that two volcanoes had occurred in the Caribbean in 1902 in Martinique and St. Vincent Cromwell used those events to convince Congress that building a canal in Nicaragua contained too much risk. He began by planting a story in the New York sun, which was false reporting that the volcano had irrupt it. He then sent letters to each senator with the Nicaraguan stamps of the Volcano. On the letter he wrote messages that it was crazy to build a canal in a country that was geologically unstable. No one understood in Washington DC that the volcano in Nicaragua was very far from where the canal was being built and would have no effect on the canal whatsoever. Mark Hanna would appear in front of Congress and make an impassioned speech on using Panama instead of Nicaragua, due to the eminent dangers of the v within three days of receiving the Momo Tombo stamps Congress voted to approve the Panama route instead of the Nicaraguan route. Cromwell was paid $800,000 for his efforts in 1902.
Senator Morgan complained after the vote about the corrupt and influential pro Panama lobby and the lies that had miss lead his colleagues June 29. President Roosevelt signed into law, the construction of the panama canal. In the panama canal museum, there is a block of the Momo Tombo stamps displayed.
During the time that the Americans were planning on building the canal in Nicaragua, there was no problems with President Zelaya. However, now that they did not need him, he had fallen out a favor. Secretary of State, John hay praised Zola's ability, high character and integrity, and even admitted how very popular he was with the masses in Nicaragua. After Congress chose the Panama Canal, there was a notable change both in Washington, and in the American officials, residing in Nicaragua.
His efforts to unite central America was seen as a threat President Roosevelt plunged into the canal project with unrestrained energy. However, before he could build anything in Panama, there was a problem Panama actually belong to Columbia, and no one had talk to the Columbian officials win the US approach to Columbia with an offer
, Colombian leaders said that they needed more money in order to surrender the property and authority for the canal. Secretary of state hey wrote to President Roosevelt you have two alternatives build in Nicaragua or interfere with Columbia to secure the Panama route. He obviously chose the second.
November 1903, the commander of an American gun boat (Nashville) anchored off the coast of Panama, awaiting orders from Washington, meanwhile, preventing any landing of armed forces with hostile intent into Panama. He was puzzled to be there on that specific date since no revolution had broken out, however the next day one did… agents of the US government had assembled a group of rebels, they proceeded to the Panama capital city, and declared Panamas independence.
While no army was in Panama City, there was a larger one not very far away. The commander at that location gathered up 500 men and went to the rail station and demanded to be taken to Panama City. The American manager of the railroad station basically told him he only had a single car available so the officer and several of his staff officers were told to board and once they arrived, they were arrested by the US forces a second American warship (Dixie) brought 400 Marines ashore. The next day the US recognized the Republic of Panama has a new country separate from Columbia. Eight more warships arrived, basically forming a blockade denying access to Panama. Roosevelt’s next cabinet meeting, Attorney General Philander Knox stated “oh Mr. President do not let so great an achievement suffer from any taint of legality”. At the same meeting Secretary of War Elihu Root said “You have shown that you were accused of seduction and you have conclusively proven that you were guilty of rape”.
Meanwhile in Nicaragua, Pres Zelaya took no retaliatory actions against the US for screwing Nicaragua out of the already contracted canal which had already began to be built. Zelaya, instead, invites the newly created Panamanian government to Nicaragua for a dinner. Zelaya had proceeded to work on a united Latin America effort to trade with and gain recognition on the world stage.
He worked with Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rico on this initiative. Zelaya worked with Honduras and El Salvador’s military to military adventures and the US didn’t like it. That would have not warranted his overthrow bc it encouraged business for the #InternationalSyndicate His mistake was a couple things. First, he united Nicaraguan nation and thru the British out of controlling their ports. Of course the US immediately tried to take up the slack. They wanted logging rights, mining rights, etc.
George Emery, a lumber merchant bought the rights to mine mahogany cedar for the Pullman Palace Car Company and other fancy manufacturers in the US. The rights required him to build a railroad through the forest he was mining and to plant 2 trees for every one he harvested. He, of course, did neither; because they all care so much about the environment don’t ya know?
The government began demanding the railroad construction begin as well as the planting. Emery went immediately to the State Department for assistance/protection from his obligation. Pres Roosevelt in 1904 asserted the right of the US to intervene in any country in the Western Hemisphere that it judged to be i need of intervention. Well that’s specific…
Roosevelt leaves in 1909 and in comes William Howard Taft, who was very business friendly. Philander Knox to be Secretary of State. Knox was a big #InternationalSyndicate guy having worked at Carnegie Steel and worked with William Nelson Cromwell to organize the company into US Steel. He had as a client La Luz and Los Angeles Mining Company. They had the gold mining contract in Nicaragua. Knox was family friends of the Fletcher family that owned La Luz.
The Fletcher family was very influential. Gilmore Fletcher managed La Luz, his brother worked at the State Department. eventually being an undersecretary. Neither liked Zelaya because they could not buy him or control him and he exacted payment/enforcement for his citizens. The Fletchers and Knox began colluding to overthrow Zelaya. The plan was that Emery, who was in default of his contract with Nicaraguan would claim Nicaraguan was responsible for Emery’s company losing money.
Knox immediately took up the issue to investigate. Knox dashed off a cable to the Nicaraguan representative in Washington DC warning him that the unnecessary, unwarranted, and dilatory delay in settling this claim threatened the good will that existed between Nicaraguan and Washington. Much to both of their surprise, Zelaya met all Emery’s demands and quickly accepted the settlement Emery proposed. Under the provisions Emery gave up his concession and received $60,000 in compensation.
Knox was pissed that he had been outplayed by the backward country and began spreading rumors that Zelaya was secretly working with Japan and Europe to build a competing canal. Keep in mind, Knox, the US Secretary of State knew this to be a lie. Within a short period of time an America tobacco merchant was jailed in Nicaragua. Knox began spreading rumors of the merchant being mistreated/tortured. Knox deployed statesmen and reporters to Nicaragua to blow this up and out of proportion. They wrote Zelaya was leading a reign of terror. Sound familiar?
President Taft steps in and announces action will be taken. A local Nicaragua town (Bluefields) which housed many US businessmen began working on the overthrow. The American consul, William Moffett who was kept apprise of the entire operation, worked with General Juan Jose Estrada and on Oct 10, 1909 Estrada would announce he was the president of Nicaragua. He immediately appeals to the US government for recognition, just like Panama.
The money used to bribe the locals and pay for the coup came primarily from La Luz mining company. Their accountant Adolfo Diaz collected money from other US companies. They trained a militia with the money collected. However, once Zelaya heard of the revolution he sent his army forces and quickly put a stop to the inept militia. Knox was watching from Washington and became frustrated. He needed a excuse to use the US military.
A call went out in the meantime for mercenaries and US companies began recruiting them. Lee Roy Cannon was a mercenary with experience in El Salvador, Honduras and was retired in Guatemala answered the call. Leonard Groce who worked for La Luz both carried out operations in the effort to overthrow the government of Zelaya. They were captured and admitted to mining a river to blow up a ship carrying 500 soldiers. They were tried and convicted of treason and executed. Unfortunately for Zelaya, the US press would continue to lie for Knox and it was the opening they were looking for to overthrow Zelaya using US forces because both of these guys were US citizens despite the fact that neither lived in the US nor had any intention of returning.
Knox immediately contacted the local governments of Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rico but they refused to get involved. Knox sent a cable to the Nicaraguan consul in DC and demanded Zelaya resign. Knox sent an overwhelming force to Panama to stage attacks into Nicaragua unless the president resigned. On Dec 16, 1909 Zelaya resigned.
Jose Madriz who decided the US rebel trained forces had to be expelled. He took necessary actions to do so and before anyone was able to even fire a shot, William Moffett the local US consul sent the commander of the Venus a note that the consul had set up a neutral zone. He had no authority to do so but it had worked when the US Navy working with the #InternationalSyndicate sugar plantation owners in Hawaii overthrew the Queen there so they decided to try it again. The navy ships pulled in and sent Marines ashore.
The commander of the Marines was none other than Major Smedley Butler. The same guy we are to believe revealed a plot to overthrow the US government under Roosevelt. Major Butler knew they had no authority to be ashore and engage a foreign government in hostile actions at the request of a consul civilian. Quoting Major Butler’s assessment of the forces the US government had covertly trained against the legitimate government of Nicaragua: “Unless something drastic was done, the revolution world fail” He acknowledges he is intervening in a revolution against a democratically elected government and does it anyway. He goes on “It didn’t take a ton of bricks to make me see daylight. It was plain that Washington would like to see the revolutionaries come out on top”. He was happy to help and did so.
Butler wrote a letter to the local army commanders surrounding his location that they could attack but if they used bullets and hit an American the full force of the US military would be brought to bare against them. The army demanded he disarm the militia the US had funded and trained. Butler refused saying they posed no threat to American civilians because they’d be shooting away from them. Smart ass major to be sure.
Pres Madriz believed he could negotiate with the US. The US refused and then began insisting he resign as well, which he did. Finally, the US had what they wanted all along, General Estrada became an installed dictator on behalf of the #InternationalSyndicate US controllers.
Thus Nicaragua became the first US installed dictator with a Washington DC directed coup. The Hawaii overthrow was approved by DC but managed locally. Nicaragua took it to the next step. I wanted everyone to understand Operation Gladio regime changes didn’t start in 1942 with the stay behind units. Every aspect of the activities of the CIA existed before the 1948 creation of the CIA. By WW2 this was old hat. The big difference is the military, the corporations, the government officials were all guilty of crimes by doing what they did…both internationally and federally. The CIA changed all of that. It took all of the illegal activities and put them under the umbrella of a government entity that the congress gave a get out of jail free card to and a rubber stamp to classify all their crimes so you won’t know the truth of what is being done in your name anywhere around the world.
Minions, all around the world. The question might be - where do the orders originate? What entity is really in charge?