In the wake of the Cold War, dictatorial regimes sprang up throughout the world, capturing international attention with news of…
Ceaușescu and the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia: The Early Years of Dealing with a Dictator
The Romanian Führer. The West’s “favorite communist.” Both of these descriptions have been used to describe Nicolae Ceaușescu, the rapacious…
Pinochet’s Trip to London: How the Arrest of the Chilean Dictator Inspired Unprecedented Global Transparency
In October 1998, the British government arrested former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet at the London Bridge hospital, where he was…
Spain’s Post-Franco Emergence from Dictatorship to Democracy
Spanish leader Francisco Franco died November 20, 1975 at the age of 82 after 36 years in power, first as…
Chile’s 1988 Plebiscite and the End of Pinochet’s Dictatorship
The 1970s and 1980s were a long, dark time for Chile. The September 11, 1973 coup against Socialist president Salvador…
“You’re nothing but a two-bit dictator” – Dealing with the DR’s Rafael Trujillo
Known as “El Jefe,” or “The Chief,” Rafael Trujillo ruled as dictator of the Dominican Republic for more than 30…
The Peace After Chaos—Genocide in Burundi
Welcome to Burundi For former United States Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe, Joseph C. Wilson IV, the…
Lessons from Haiti: Why Security-Only Interventions Fail
Haiti has been plagued with instability for much of its existence, despite being the second country in the Americas to…
Captivating Times in India—What it Means to Travel Across the World as a Foreign Service Officer
Upon joining the Foreign Service, most officers are immediately assigned to locations all over the world. Postings can vary from…
Methodist Missionary: A Future Ambassador’s Historical Experience in South Korea
Korean Christianity appears to observers as embedded in Korean history and tradition. However, this is not the case, as Korean…