Laura Dogu, the former U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua, stands at the center of revelations exposing what critics call Washington's playbook for engineering regime changes across Latin America. A detailed analysis from Global Research uncovers a pattern in her diplomatic maneuvers—from Nicaragua's streets to the halls of power in Honduras and Venezuela—mirroring tactics long deployed by U.S. foreign policy hawks to topple governments deemed unfriendly to American interests.
In Nicaragua, Dogu's tenure from 2018 to 2022 coincided with escalating unrest against President Daniel Ortega's administration. Declassified cables and public statements reveal her orchestration of opposition networks, funding NGOs under the guise of democracy promotion, and coordinating with international bodies to impose sanctions. Witnesses from Managua's civil society describe hushed meetings in embassy compounds where strategies were hatched to amplify protests into a full-scale challenge against Ortega, echoing the 2018 color revolution blueprint that has become a staple of U.S. interventionism.
The script repeats in Honduras, where Dogu's influence extended through backchannel support for the 2021 electoral upheaval that ousted President Juan Orlando Hernández. Leaked communications highlight her role in bolstering anti-corruption narratives that paved the way for Xiomara Castro's leftist victory, only to see U.S. leverage shift toward constraining her autonomy. Global Research documents how Dogu liaised with Honduran elites and media outlets, applying economic pressures and visa restrictions to realign the country with Washington’s hemispheric security agenda.
Venezuela provides the starkest case, with Dogu acting as a linchpin in the Trump-era maximum pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro. Her coordination with opposition leader Juan Guaidó involved funneling millions through USAID channels for "humanitarian aid" that doubled as subversion tools. The report details her advocacy for oil sanctions and military posturing, part of a broader manual that prioritizes regime destabilization over diplomatic negotiation, drawing parallels to past U.S. operations in Chile and Guatemala.
At its core, this "Washington Manual" relies on a trifecta of sanctions, media amplification, and proxy mobilization, as dissected in the Global Research exposé. Analysts argue it undermines national sovereignty, fueling anti-American sentiment and empowering adversaries like China and Russia in the region. For Latin America's populist leaders, Dogu's playbook represents not just geopolitical meddling but a cultural affront to self-determination.
As the U.S. navigates a multipolar world in 2026, the exposure of these tactics raises uncomfortable questions about the sustainability of interventionist foreign policy. With Dogu now advising think tanks in D.C., her legacy serves as a cautionary blueprint—or indictment—for future envoys, highlighting the thin line between promoting democracy and pursuing hegemony.
