Dictator Overthrows and Coups

Comments discuss the difficulties, methods, and outcomes of overthrowing dictators via military coups, insurrections, protests, or regime changes, referencing examples from countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Turkey, and Russia.

➡️ Stable 0.8x Politics & Society
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Keywords

TPLF US AU USSR en.m USA EU wikipedia.org power military dictator government coup regime au country democracy leader

Sample Comments

onetimemanytime Aug 11, 2020 View on HN

It's really simple and sad: he has been in power since 1995. God knows what he has done as an absolute dictator. Also, to stay in power, tens or hundreds of thousands of others have helped him and they have their own fiefdoms.Losing that and risking jail, isn't going to happen because people want change. So people better be lucky, because if they lose this revolt, they will be crushed mercilessly. Not sure EU /USA has any say over him, after all staying in power is his goal.

unmole Apr 10, 2022 View on HN

The peaceful protests for closer ties to the EU didn't achieve anything. And the democratically elected president was ousted by force. It's not hard to imagine that those opposed to the new regime would see armed insurrection as the logical means of achieving their aims.

hsnewman Jan 8, 2021 View on HN

Looks to me like they stood down, being complicit with the insurrection. This often is how 3rd world nations are overthrown by dictators with the militarys help.

croes Sep 1, 2024 View on HN

Until your government is overthrown by the military in a coup d'état.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Brazilian_Congress_atta...

somewhereoutth Jan 3, 2026 View on HN

Of course that would be great, but pretty unlikely with just a decapitation strike. Like most dictators, Maduro was not holding the country in a superhuman iron grip, but instead the representative of various elites and factions that kept him in power for their own interests. However given how easy this operation has been, there is a suspicion that one or more factions colluded with the US, and may now be consolidating control - and then maybe a peaceful transition back to democracy? We shall se

pbhjpbhj Mar 5, 2022 View on HN

Only if the military aren't likely to pull a coup - look at Turkey, seems like a dictator getting too big for their boots and then knocked back by the military happens every decade or so there?

linuxftw Apr 17, 2019 View on HN

Cool talking point. Unfortunately, doesn't match reality. The democratically elected government was deposed via military coup. When the US wants regime change, it usually gets it.

goatlover Jan 3, 2026 View on HN

It's still military interference in a soverign nation to effect regime change.

type0 Aug 2, 2017 View on HN

I don't think it would collapse but we might see a terrible junta dictatorship there in a near future

tharne Feb 28, 2022 View on HN

That's a much bigger ask than you seem to realize. Overthrowing a dictator is an incredibly bloody undertaking. Even if you win, there's no guarantee that whoever takes control of the country will be any better.