Secret Historical Fun Fact: CIA $$ in a Paper Bag

How U.S. Funded Willy Brandt

Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador has been complaining again about U.S. interference in Mexican democracy by funneling money via USAID to right wing opposition groups. His complaints, which are unlikely to have much effect, are a reminder, not only that old habits die hard, but that deployment of the financial weapon in service of empire now tends to proceed through semi-overt pathways, viz the $5 billion invested in Ukraine by the National Endowment for Democracy in the years prior to 2014, as opposed to straightforward covert cash transactions. Regarding the latter approach, one arresting example comes to mind.