Which Nicaraguan leader aided the United States in attempts to intervene in Cuba and the Dominican Republic?

• A. Anastasio Somoza Debayle
• B. Fidel Castro
• C. Augusto Pinochet
• D. Hugo Chávez

Answer: (A)

During the Cold War, the United States often relied on regional leaders who would cooperate with anti-communist interventions and allow U.S. forces to operate from their territories. Anastasio Somoza Debayle fits this pattern as the Nicaraguan leader who maintained a close alliance with the United States and permitted U.S. logistical support, bases, and cooperation for actions aimed at countering leftist movements in the hemisphere. That cooperation included assisting efforts related to attempts to intervene in Cuba and influence events in the Dominican Republic. Fidel Castro led Cuba and opposed U.S. intervention, while Augusto Pinochet (Chile) and Hugo Chávez (Venezuela) were not the figures who aided these specific U.S. intervention efforts.