Blaming foreign intelligence agencies has long been a part of Sri Lankan politics, particularly among left-nationalist political blocs since the end of the civil war. During times of political turmoil, conspiracy narratives often seem normal in Colombo. Yet no clear answer has emerged as to why such powerful agencies allegedly worked against them.

Given this background, the recent claim by Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, a Sri Lankan geopolitical analyst and author, has once again sparked controversy about foreign intelligence operations in the island nation. In a recent YouTube interview, Abeyagoonasekera disclosed his conversation with former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was overthrown in 2022 following the people’s uprising known as Aragalaya.

According to Abeyagoonasekera, Gotabaya Rajapaksa allegedly conveyed to him directly that his ouster was orchestrated by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He claimed this was why Rajapaksa did not use force to suppress the protest campaign, alleging that his entire defense network had been taken over by the CIA and that CIA personnel had followed him during his visit to Singapore. This statement recalls earlier remarks by Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabaya’s brother, who alleged that India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in collaboration with Western agencies such as the CIA and MI6, conspired to rally the opposition led by President Maithripala Sirisena against his presidency. After leaving office for nearly 50 days, Mahinda Rajapaksa told Pakistan’s DAWN newspaper: “Pakistan helped us, especially Musharraf. What happened in my........

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