The 1980s brought revolutionary wars, CIA-sponsored conflicts, and the violent birth of a new democratic era.
Episode 2: The war began with Nicaragua’s Sandinista revolution, which promised egalitarian change through a literacy movement. However, the administration of U.S. President Ronald Reagan secretly supported the Contra rebels, sparking a civil war that plunged the country into chaos and suffering.
Panama has gone from Omar Torrijos’ diplomatic victory over the Panama Canal to Manuel Noriega’s sinister collaboration with both the CIA and drug cartels. Hugo Spadafora’s murder began his brother’s campaign to focus American public and political attention on Panama, ultimately leading to the U.S. military invasion and the ouster of Manuel Noriega.
In Chile, the opposition has won a dramatic popular victory, ending Augusto Pinochet’s rule and sparking hopes for democracy, despite continued US influence.
Meanwhile, democracy in oil-rich Venezuela teeters on the brink of collapse under President Carlos Andres Pérez amid a debt crisis, curfews and riots, paving the way for the rise of Hugo Chávez and a new wave of regional upheaval.
Published February 17, 2026
