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(global corporate piracy), World Bank/IMF indebtedness (the tool of the global corporate predators), and the murderous US "war on drugs" (war on peasants and lefists), as country after country has elected leftist (majorityist) governments that represent the real interests of their people. These US policies gravely harm the majority of people, rape the economies of poor countries--already devastated by decades of often US-backed fascist rule--and create grave social problems, driven by greed--vast numbers of people without enough food to eat, and deprived of land to grow it on, vast numbers of illiterate people, due to the irresponsibility of the rich and their resistance to fair taxes and social spending, a crisis in health care that makes our own look easy to solve, and, in some places, a culture of violence around drug trafficking and rightwing paramilitary crimes that is fed by the US billions in armaments flooding into the area.
But Latin America is experiencing a genuine peaceful, democratic, leftist revolution against their rich elites and their collusion with the US government and US and other global corporate predators. And I think that this revolution--which has achieved presidential electoral victories in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Nicaragua, with big in-progress, leftist movements in Peru, Paraguay and Mexico (likely to win in the next election cycles)--is even beginning to touch rightwing dinosaurs like Colombia and Guatemala. The hallmark of this revolution is South American self-determination and regional cooperation. The first thing that it had to accomplish was solidarity on the issue of the Bush Junta's many attempts to interfere in Venezuela. When Bush visited several countries two weeks ago, he got lectured in public from Brazil to Mexico--in what appears to be common theme of both leftist and rightist governments, on the SOVEREIGNTY of Latin American countries. And in Colombia, Uribe, a rightist and recipient of billions in military largesse from Bush (compliments of US taxpayers), has been obliged to distance himself from a plot to assassinate Hugo Chavez and other nefarious rightwing paramilitary activities.
Frankly, I was astonished to hear Mexican President Felipe Calderon (rightist/corporatist) lecturing Bush on Venezuelan sovereignty. He is more than likely not sincere, but that he felt compelled to say this in public indicates the power of the Bolivarian revolution that started in Venezuela, and of which Chavez is a major spokesman. Simon Bolivar, the great revolutionary hero, dreamed of a "United States of South America." And the continent is swiftly headed toward a South American "Common Market," in which global corporate predators, such as those who are Bush's masters, have to compete on equal terms. This is WHY Bush visited South America--to try to break this up. But he failed, colossally, at least on the surface. Uruguay just rejected his "free trade" deal, obviously concluding that it is better off with Mercosur (the South American trade group--likely precursor of a S/A Common Market.) And he significantly failed in stirring up animosity to Chavez and Venezuela. Indeed, I think that he had conditions placed on him--conditions for the visit--by the presidents of Brazil and Uruguay, that he not bash Chavez in public. The president of Argentina (who described Chavez as "my brother"--in the context of Bushite/rightwing plots against Chavez), invited Chavez to hold a anti-Bush huge rally in Argentina during Bush's visit to Brazil/Uruguay.
I think that it is VERY likely that the people are astir in Colombia and Guatemala as well--because of the obvious, visible benefits of the Bolivarian revolution and Latin American regional cooperation. They can't help but see that some of the Venezuelan oil profits have been used to help bail Argentina out of World Bank debt, to the great benefit of the Argentinians and their economy--creating a healthy trading partner for every government in the region. They can't help but see school funding and medical care for the poor, and small business loans and grants, and land reform, blossoming in Venezuela, in a major government efforts to bootstrap the poor into a healthy economy. They can't help but see how vital it is to have clean elections, and to organize to elect people who truly represent them. It's working everywhere else. Why not in Colombia and Guatemala? THIS is why Uribe has to distance himself from the rightwing paramilitaries. And, apparently, he, too, sees the advantages of Bolivarianism--at least to the extent of "Latin America for Latin Americans". He can't help but see these advantages. They are apparent to all. And if Bolivarianism leads to prosperity for the region, Colombia, Guatemala and any who are still doing unfair "free trade" agreements with the US will be left out!
Chavez and the Bolivarian revolution are changing the face of politics in Latin America. And I think that socialist Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia, sums it up best, when he said: "We want partners, not masters." He is not anti-capitalist, anti-US, or anti-corporate. He is pro-Bolivia. He wants a FAIR deal for Bolivia, in its negotiations with foreign corporations that wish to exploit Bolivia's oil, gas, minerals and other natural resources. He wants the workers to be protected. He wants the environment to be protected. He wants economic and social justice. Trade is not inimical to these things. Trade can enhance them (and often has throughout history). He wants FAIR trade.
This Bush trip was a watershed. US domination is over. And it is only a matter of time before the people of Colombia and Guatemala--and any other stragglers--insist that they, too, benefit from the rejection of US domination and its onerous "free trade" policies, and profit from their resources, labor, industry and creativity. The prosecutions of rightwing paramilitary drug traffickers and murderers in Colombia is the harbinger of this change, inside the few remaining US client states.
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