From Hidden to Overt: CIA's Strategy to Influence Global Elections Revealed

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Global democracy is facing an increasingly stark paradox: elections, which should embody the sovereignty of the people, often become arenas for foreign power contests. If in the past interventions were carried out covertly through intelligence operations, nowadays such practices are becoming more open, even frequently expressed without embarrassment in public spaces.

History records that meddling in elections is not a new phenomenon. During the Cold War era, the United States, through the CIA, systematically conducted covert operations to influence election outcomes in various countries. One example occurred in Japan in 1958, when Washington sought to ensure victory for the pro-Western camp in ways so concealed that they were only revealed decades later.

A similar approach also took place in post-war Italy. When the threat of communism grew stronger, the US government poured in large funds and ran secret propaganda to support candidates aligned with its interests. The logic behind these operations was simple: maintaining the global balance of power by ensuring that key countries remained within the Western political orbit.

However, one principle that was almost always upheld during that time was secrecy. The architects of these operations understood that foreign involvement, if exposed, could trigger negative reactions from voters. Democracy, in this logic, still had to appear pure, even if behind the scenes there were complex manipulations.

Now, the landscape has changed dramatically. In recent years, election intervention practices have entered a new phase: from covert operations to open support. Cross-border political statements, campaigns via social media, and overt diplomatic signals have become new instruments in influencing public opinion in other countries.

The actions of former US President Donald Trump serve as the most blatant illustration of this change. He openly provided support to foreign candidates, from Japan to Eastern Europe, using language almost identical to domestic campaigns. Support that was once conveyed through secret channels is now announced publicly, even via social media.