THE PATTERNS OF "SUCCESSION CRISES" IN U.S.-LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS
Stage One: Identification
Citizens of the country identify the dictator with the U.S.
Stage Two: Distance and Dissociation
Fearing a revolutionary outcome, the U.S. begins to distance itself from the dictator.
Stage Three/Four: The Alliance Game
If moderates ("the middle sectors") ally with the left, then the U.S. pushes the military to oppose the dictator and support the moderate opposition.
If moderates do not ally with the left and the left becomes more extreme, then the U.S. supports a military solution.