smjames, wolf: i'm talking about current US policies. e.g there was a coup in Honduras in 2009, and the USA was basically alone in the world in publicly supporting the coup leaders. Also, the venezuela 2002 where the coup leading groups basically received the bulk of us aid money in the country both before and after the coup failed (a coup in which they abolished the constitution, parliament and the courts, and the army imposed a figure-head free to rule by decree while tanks shot protesters in the street). The US were major public cheerleaders for that coup, with US Congressmen describing the new military Junta as a return to freedom.
Also, Bush propping up the Colombian right-wingers from 2002-2008 at a time they've been accused of absolutely vile human rights abuses with thousands of known victims, and Bush called them the "Model Democracy" of Latin America.Then, Colombia 2008 emboldened by US support start bombing neighboring nations (Ecuador) and accusing all their neighbors of being filthy terrorists. Again, to applause from the political classes in USA, and only prevented by widespread international condemnation. This came very soon after Ecuador decided not to renew the lease on the US airbase in their nation.
And I'm leaving out a LOT of shitty stuff they've pulled in other nations in support of right-wing extremists and undermining elected governments (e.g. Bolivia). Not to mention the whole regime-change things that got us into this huge mess worldwide.
These are all current things, completely leaving out the Reagan-era stuff.