1) Latin American Left: the Pink Tide: 1999-present?
Two recent pieces on the status and prospects of the progressive governments, social movements and multilateral institutions collectively known as the ‘Pink Tide’.
Raúl Zibechi: Taking stock of ‘Progresismo’ in Latin America [source]
Immanuel Wallerstein: The Latin American Left Moves Rightward [source]
(NB I have the utmost respect for both these writers, but the optimist in me has to say that it is surely too early to mark the high water of the ‘Pink Tide’.)
2) Upcoming elections:
Argentina: Presidential, Second Round.
The Kirchners have been in power 12 years and have left a legacy of “trade protectionism, social welfare and defence of the working class”.
Pre first round introduction to candidates:
Argentina: The End or a New Path for Kirchernismo? [source]
Post-first round analysis of the 2 candidates to contest the second round in November:
Argentine presidential run-off in November but with completely different scenario [source]
Venezuela: Mid Term.
First and foremost of the ‘Pink Tide’, Venezuelan Bolivarianism, in alliance with the Cuban Revolution, is the trail blazer of the Latin American progressive project. The transition to a ‘post-Chavez Chavismo’ under Nicolas Maduro has been marked by a wide variety of destabilization from foreign-backed opposition forces:
This article high-lights the historic high level of female and youth candidates but also warns of the threat of opposition violence in the upcoming midterm elections:
Peace at Stake in Venezuela’s Upcoming Assembly Elections [source]
This article quotes polls showing the PSUV, of the Chavista President Maduro, ahead in voting intentions:
Maduro Makes Moves toward Economic Reform as New Poll Predicts PSUV Win [source]
3) Developments and Context:
Brazil:
Since 2003 Brazil has seen a remarkable transformation due to good economic growth and political leadership within Latin America and on the World stage through organizations such MERCOSUR and BRICS. This has been achieved with progressives at the helm, firstly Lula da Silva, but also his successor Dilma Rousseff. Presidents can serve only 2 terms in Brazil, and Rousseff won her second before a corruption scandal decimated her authority.
This article gives evidence that Rousseff has moved to the right in order to head off impeachment attempts:
The United States Wins In Brazil, Raul Zibechi [source]
Mexico
The disappearance of the 43 students one year ago lead to a marked increase in protest to the ongoing drug fuelled violence in Mexico, which began under the previous President Felipe Calderon and continues under Enrique Peña Nieto. This article assesses the dramatic repercussions of the event a year on.
Ayotzinapa, State Violence and Terror By Laura Carlsen [source]
Nicaragua
Russia joins China in the construction of an alternative to the US dominated Panama canal in Nicaragua, a member of the radical progressive block ALBA.
Russia Interested in Joining the Nicaragua Canal Project (Sputnik – Russian news agency)
Guatemala
Political new-comer wins Guatemalan Presidential elections in the aftermath of wide spread protests that brought down the previous government in the most populous Central American state:
Comedian cowboy who wanted to become president, finally makes it in Guatemala [source]
Cuba:
The US isolated on World Stage:
World Discusses the Blockade on Cuba at the UN [source]
Peru:
Ollanta Humala, who defeated right-wing candidate to win the 6-year Presidency in 2011 on a progressive ticket, has seen his approval drop to 12% and faces increasing protest, presumably due to him quickly tacking to the right after his election victory.
Act of Treason: Secret US Sites in Peru Nil NIKANDROV | 13.10.2015 | [source]
Bolivia:
Evo Morales, first indigenous President of in the Americas, marks 10 years in power. Bolivia is a key member of the radical progressive alliance ALBA.
10 Years of Evo Morales, Telesur. [source]
Oh those student days at the University of Mexico!
Some Time Ago!
To understand current Latin American political events, we must go back to- Some Time Ago!
A. The major problem with Latin America has been the imperialist United States.
1. The USA has invaded Latin America more that 100 times.
2. It has sabotaged the first successful slave rebellion in history, in – Haiti.
3. The USA stole, by force and violence, and in violation of the United Nations Charter, Half of the territory of Mexico, with-the-Major-aim-of-expanding-its-Slave-Territories (to a nation that had abolished slavery in 1824, upon its achievement of independence from Spain; that fact is never mentioned; in Hollywood’s movies on the battle at the Alamo).
4. The USA assassinated the leaders of the Mexican Revolution of 1909-1919, Zapata, and Villa.
5. It militarily invaded at Vera Cruz, tipped the balance of the Civil War, and buried the Mexican Revolution, its people, and its economy, in a sea of blood.
It overthrew the Democratically elected government of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz in 1954, and buried their Democratic Republic in a sea of blood, massacring in excess of 100,000 Native Americans.
5. It placed one of its citizens in command of Nicaragua.
6. It installed fascist dictators in Panama, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Argentina, Chile, and Haiti, (often repeating the process every few decades).
7. Executed 21 Puerto Rican Nationalists in Ponce, on 1937,
8. The above is the short-list of terrorist atrocities against Latin Americans committed by both Democrat and Republican gang political servants of Americas’ Oligarchs.
Recommended reading – for those with strong stomachs:
Benjamin Keen: A History of Latin America
Juan Antonio Corretjer: Albizu Campos y La Masacre de Ponce
CLR James: The Black Jacobins
*The point of the above:
The Cuban Revolution squeezed through with the promise of social justice and – eventually – a democratic republic. It was not only the fault of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara for leaving the Cuban people, and the peoples of Latin America, (and those of North America as well), in the eternal Stalinist political never-never land void of a visionless future, where the choice was between the all-knowing and all-seeing, and live-forever-never-die and always-right supermen with all the answers, and none of the future. Before God and history the lack of democracy in Cuba (and Soviet Russia and China and N. Korea), is more the fault of the terrorist criminal imperialist murderers of the Americas own highly flawed Democratic (but now never to live again) Republic.
Che Guevara went on a hegira to build a world revolution based on Resistance, Negation, Opposition, Anger, Emotion, but —Blind, without Vision. This Argentinian did not dare utter, even a squeak of a Vision, only platitudes (socialism is good capitalism is bad,). *The Berlin Wall was to keep the CIA out (I read that in “The Worker”). And the Gulag?
Fidel’s “Declarations of Havana” had exposé without instructions. There was no Yellow Brick Road. First, we get rid of Batista; next, we tell the Americans where to go; And then??? Then??? what??? Ask Khruschev??? “Fidel seguro, a los Yanquis dales duro.” Y entonces?
Khruschev was asked several times (no room for detail here). He was asked; -what about Trotsky? what about some sort of democracy? You recall, he had made a fairly strong speech criticizing Stalin, but then, nothing. Maybe, he hadn’t a clue.
I know; it’s suppertime; you guys want to go and eat. So I’ll conclude:
There is good news.
That guy from Venezuela. What’s his name? The guy who sang, who won elections, who got cancer, yes, him, that guy.
Hugo Chavez saved the Revolution in Latin America; hell; he may have saved the revolutions in all the world. He held his ground through the ballot box, as a VISION. He empowered all the people, young and old as well as military age. He built upon Revolution. He was a military veteran, and like Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the leaders of Novorossiya, he moved on.
Ugly Gulag dead ends were avoided. Human visions he advanced. Imperialists are not Democrats. He let us know that. Latin America and the world wants political and and and (not a typo) economic freedom. He said that.
Listen Stalinists: There are no short cuts. The Latin Americans are teaching us that one cannot avoid the goal of Democratic Republics and the empowerment of peoples (including little old ladies and children).
Listen Liberals: There are no short cuts. We must be prepared to bear arms to defend our Republics. The fascists are scum and do not fight fair. They are coming; we must stop them.
For the Democratic Republics!
IMAGINE
Peter that’s a fantastic comment…thank you so much…from your friend, Ann
Marx didn’t come up with a blue print either-undemocratic I suppose. But this is what I know of his conception of “Scientific Socialism: a scientifically planned, democratically administered by the direct producers, economy geared toward meeting human need. Surely, we have the technological expertise for implementing such social arrangements and have had them for quite some time. A post capitalist world is more a necessity today than at any time in our previous history. That time for transition is now.
Cheers,
RR
Maybe:
Agree with tenor of what you are saying.
Very little written on the subject by Marx. In his preface to Vol I of Capital, Marx wrote- he would not discuss socialism as the world had not yet experienced any, therefore he would stick to analyzing capitalism.
Little support for Democratic @ or Republican forms of governments by Marxists, mostly sniping at them for not being ideal. Few suggestions for improvements. Lenin belittled Democracy by referring to it as “Bourgeois Democracy.” Then he supported the ideal of “Dictatorship of the Proletariat.”
*Dictatorship of the anything was a loser. Like support for the Berlin Wall. One can expose hypocrisy; but then, just what flavor do you like?
Many years ago I was asked by a beautiful Trotskyist girl what my vision of the future was, — & I answered it pooorly (and didn’t get laid). At least after marriage, children and grands, I have Vision, (am not sectarian & can also discuss, & listen).
Imperialism is an easy hit. But what to replace it with requires some learning, some humility, some respect for the rights of others.
Democratic Republics, Social Justice (light banking Glass Steagal-like right to work, Bill of rights right to home, Habeas Corpus, debated and voted on controls) with much loving Anarchist chaos, elections with no money allowed to be spent, same media for all political parties, FDRs 4 Freedoms, – something like that.
Each new generation – no debts. Can change constitution. Jefferson ideas.
Last night or this am read that there was a vote at the UN to lift sanctions against Cuba and “big surprise”, the 2 countries voting against were Israel and the USA.
I hope the Pink Tide will turn into a Crimson Tide Alabama winner style and become more than a political label.
To do so it needs a real Code Pink based on woMAM values, not woMAN ones.
When women embrace male patriarchal values, we get Nulands and their ilk.
Time to return to our aboriginal roots of 100,000 years ago when womem governed with love and real men served womem and their children.
More at thelovegovernment.com.
Need more Latin American sitreps, moderators and Saker! Our neighbors to the south (comrades, partners?) are largely unknown to people in the US and Canada. We need much more info on what is going on there since most Norteamericanos don’t speak or read Spanish, to their peril!
Glad you think so, Im going to try and do one every wednesday.
Hi Dennis, yeah, Hilary is a man in womens clothing.
Hillary is… Lady Macbeth come to life: ‘Come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk of human kindness for gall!’
Thanks Jack.
The Nil Nikandrov article on the US invasion – yes, that’s what it is – of Peru is really scary. Explains why Peru joined TTP.
Nuclear depots/arsenals transported into Amazonia?
Are they planning a South American ‘Samson Option’ to hold the region to ransom?
US ‘foreign policy’ is like cancer – just when the patient thinks its been beaten, it pops up again in yet another place..
That they are apparently contemplating the practicalities of shifting around nuclear weapons in preparation for WWIII is incredibily disurbing. However, no LA country is going to be trusted with nucelar technology like Isreal. (including Colombia has been described as the Isreal of LA.) South America, and the andean region specifically, hangs in the balance: if Colombia and Peru kicked out the US military etc Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia would be much more secure.
As one who was deeply involved in the 80’s in the Central American solidarity movement, I find myself deeply disappointed in the direction taken by once promising Latin American countries, especially formally leading lights Bolivia and Ecuador.
The proposed Nicaraguan canal mentioned above in passing – with no recognition given of the extensive and severe ecological consequences – only re-enforce the impression that much of the Left still remains ignorant of far ranging and historical looting of nature done in the name of progress.
But Don, if a new canal gives power to the multipolar world, I think its a sacrifice that needs to be made…its so sad to think and say this, but now are the times of these evil ways…and Putin said in his UNAS that we should imagine an energy source that is nature friendly…so he has something up his sleeve….the Russians have obviously invented a new source of power…its time has come..but the Russians cannot release any details until it cannot be weaponized…and that requires a strong multipolar world.
Check out Dimitri Orlovs article about this
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article43176.htm
Im a massive fan or Orlov; i recently finished his Five Stages of Collapse. I followed the link and now am eagerly awaiting part V. as i want to hear about what this naturelike energy is going to be.
As one who was deeply involved in the 80’s in the Central American solidarity movement, I find myself deeply disappointed in the direction taken by once promising Latin American countries, especially formally leading lights Bolivia and Ecuador.
The proposed Nicaraguan canal mentioned above in passing – with no recognition given of the extensive and severe ecological consequences – only re-enforce the impression that much of the Left still remains ignorant of far ranging and historical looting of nature done in the name of progress.
thanks so much Jack for the great easy to read sitrep…very compact and helpful
Glad you think so, Thankyou.
Please tell me this is not true: Maduro is selling Venezuela’s gold?
Venezuela will never see that gold again. Also, what does plan to sell when he runs out of gold?
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-10-29/venezuela-sells-billions-gold-repay-its-debt
I can’t confirm that, unfortunately. Venezuela has been hit hard by the low oil prices, and by the full spectrum destabilisation being waged against it by the foreign backed opposition. The latter is an escalation following the death of Chavez as opposed to something completely new. Maduro’s performance being the subject of much debate.
It does seem to me that the article uses extremely biased language and false assertions: namely that because the 12 billion of debt is due in 2016 Venezuela’s gold will ‘be gone soon’. When this debt is due, the Venezuelan government can simply raise more debt to pay the due bonds. The interest rate it will have to pay will depend on the prevailing market circumstances. This is normal practice.
Which leaves us with the good news the Venezuelan gold is 58% of total foreign reserves.
NB The ‘worst news’ that the article finishes on is, complete nonsense.
Common to Latin countries is their richness in natural resources but widespread poverty of its people due to the unfair distribution of these resources. The ones (like Chavez, Evo, Maduro, etc) trying for a more fair distribution of thre resources have got enormous opposition at home and from abroad (US). They get immediately “names” like “dictator”, “Hitler” etc by the MSM. In Mexico there is no democracy, the 2 political parties that hold and change power between them (PRI and PAN) are totally controlled by interests alien to Mexicans. It has been an independent candidate (López Obrador) rumored to have won elections before but by some strange reason just “lost” by a small margin the the candidate from PRI or PAN. Mexico is in total disarray right now with the organized crime spreading like cancer throughout the whole country. Even the capital (Mexico city) previously considered immune to organized crime has been taking over by different cartels. Anyone wonders how this can be possible? The answer is that the criminals and police, politics, military, etc very often cooperate. They are in fact tightly intertwined. As an example Mexico is probably number one in kidnappings in the world, still many remain unreported because relatives of the victim do not trust the police that can be involved. Honest journalists trying to report on cartels and official corruption are often killed and not seldom tortured before killing. Murders are so common that make hardly on the news, besides the official attitude is to downplay the ongoing violence of the country as to pretend that nothing happens. All this has made the Mexican society to live in constant fear and suspicious from about everyone. I always wonder why we do not hear more about this in the MSM?.I suppose that is due to the ruling party/president being an asset puppet of the empire. I am aware some of the crimes are just so grotesque (like the 43 students “disappeared”) that it has been impossible to stop it, but these crimes continue to happen all the time maybe in a smaller scale but putting them together we realize that the 43 “disappeared” is just the tip of the iceberg of all the atrocities which are happening in Mexico.
All of you are missing the fulcrum of the USA’s plan to save their economy. Haiti and Dominican Republic. These two fiercly independent countries have fallen under the neo-liberal targeting sights of the USA and it’s western lackeys.
The goal is to fuse these two countries together, make them one country to bypass it’s laws and exploit the gold mines in the border area. This gold will help the USA to put it’s money on the gold standard again.
Do you have any sources for this plan for a united HispaNola?
In Spanish, go to the Blog of Manuel Miranda. I am going to translate them soon. The Clintons are making a killing in Haiti, Chelsea will be very happy with her inheritance. She came, she saw, she got paid.
Oh and it will be called the Republica Bi-nacional Quisqueya. The European Union constantly promotes joint projects so that the governments for both sides have to do everything together in order to enjoy funding. The ability to deport illegals from Dominican Republic has been severly curtailed creating large Haitian only areas.
Just a note from México. I haven´t heard this much in the news about the 43 disappeared, but one reporter says that the area used to grow pot for Colorado, but since legalization switched to growing poppy for heroin in Iguala. Apparently the gov and his wife were making hundreds of thousands of dollars per month (a princely sum down here) on the heroin biz. The other part the news won´t touch is the fact that the security forces down here, well armed by US aid, have torture sites. This is known of since a victim escaped and reported on a couple of the sites.
I do know folks (locals) who won´t answer a number on a cell call if they don´t recognize it. Lots of kidnappings for a bit of cash. I know one guy who´s family paid $30,000 usd to get him back. Lots of the well off don´t flaunt it these days. Lots of payoffs to guys with guns for protection. Still and all, I feel safer than in the states. US is just another narco state these days.
Also, news junkie post covers Haiti, gold and Clinton initiatives pretty well.