Analyzing the Extent of United States Involvement in the Success of the 1964 Brazilian Coup d'état

This essay investigates the extent to which United States involvement contributed to the success of the 1964 Brazilian Coup d'état. Utilizing a historiographical approach, the author analyzes declassified U.S. government documents alongside scholarly perspectives from historians such as Parker, Roett, and De Poli.

The argument posits that while internal anti-communist sentiment provided the foundation for the coup, U.S. influence—specifically through Operation Brother Sam, long-term military assistance, and financial pressure—was a deciding factor in the coup's rapid and resounding success. The work is distinguished by its balanced evaluation of conflicting academic viewpoints and its synthesis of immediate tactical interventions with long-term strategic geopolitical influence.