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--the "first world" election team, organized by Hillary, with the "OAS" name on it, which conducted the phony recount in Haiti. The OAS has had a good rep, as election monitors, until now. This U.S. takeover of the Haitian election, using the 'OAS" name, is very ominous. Neither the OAS nor any other reputable election monitoring group in the world would touch the phony, U.S.-inflicted, martial law election in Honduras. Hillary had to call in groups like John McCain's "International Republican Institute" (which sent Mad Tea Party types to insult and intimidate Honduran voters). Very messy, invalid and illegitimate. And the OAS still hasn't recognized that election, nor have most Latin American countries. So then, the U.S. just takes over the "OAS" name, for this fraudulent election?
This is bad shit.
Daniel Ortega had the right idea. Some time ago he proposed creating an alternative to the OAS, without the U.S. as a member. I think it's time for Latin America to re-visit that proposal. The U.S., France and Canada should have NOTHING TO DO with elections (or any other internal affairs) in Latin America. They are the worst sort of "interested parties"--the U.S. with a notorious history of interference in Haiti; France, the former Haitian slavemaster; and Canada, with a rightwing/corporate government sleazily trying to get a cut of $9 billion in aid money. There isn't a country in Latin America that the U.S. hasn't fucked over, often enough with Canada's collusion--and Haiti is perhaps THE worst example of it. And France has a particular interest in banning the majority party in Haiti--Lavalas, Aristide's party--and keeping Aristide out of the country, because Aristide said that France owes Haiti billions of dollars in slavery reparations. Together, these "first world" behemoths are preventing the majority in Haiti from expressing their will and electing the government THEY want. And Insulza has apparently allowed the OAS name to be dragged into this. He needs to be gone, and/or the OAS side-lined.
If Haiti were part of South America, it would have come under UNASUR's jurisdiction, and, though that EU-type institution is still young, its first action was to help defeat a U.S.-instigated rightwing (white separatist) coup in Bolivia (in late 2008), and it was unanimous in doing so. All South American countries (even Colombia) joined that effort. But UNASUR does not include Central America/the Caribbean, unfortunately. And, in fact, Central America/the Caribbean is the U.S. "circle the wagons" region against UNASUR (Latin American unity; acting collectively in its own interest and to protect each other's sovereignty). It is the most important goal of the U.S. to prevent such solidarity in Central America/the Caribbean and to "divide and conquer" it in South America, if it can.
The only counter-force--to U.S. bullying and domination in Central America/the Caribbean--is ALBA, the Venezuela-Cuba organized barter trade group with about a dozen members. The U.S.-organized rightwing coup in Honduras was likely primarily aimed at splitting Honduras off from ALBA and intimidating other members and potential members. They were successful as to El Salvador, which was about to join ALBA when the Honduran coup came down, and withdrew its application immediately afterward. (El Salvador borders Honduras; Honduras is the traditional steppingstone for U.S. aggression in the region.) Next up for a U.S./fascist coup attempt is probably Nicaragua (leftist government, member of ALBA). Central America/the Caribbean is, in a sense, "up for grabs," as to U.S. domination vs. democracy, whereas South America is pretty solid as a democratic region, at this point. Colombia is still a big problem--but Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay and even Chile (RW billionaire president) and Peru (U.S. "free trade for the rich") seem firmly democratic--no going back.
Democracy is not nearly as secure in Central America/the Caribbean, precisely because of U.S. interference (including CAFTA--U.S. "free trade for the rich"--and massive U.S. military presence, with the U.S. "war on drugs" creating mayhem and bloodshed wherever it goes--for instance, in Mexico). And it appears that the OAS is not only doing nothing to bolster democracy in this region, but it is COLLUDING with the U.S. to destroy it.
I am for reforming institutions, where possible, not upheaving them--because I am a true conservative. Unlike the radical right of the Reaganites, the Bush Junta and the Mad Tea Party, and the radicals of predatory capitalism, true conservatives CONSERVE--whether it is beneficial programs (like Social Security), beneficial trade (small businesses), beneficial regulation (of banks, of Wall Street), human rights, the legal system that protects human rights, traditions of fairness and equality, community cohesion/social order, peace and the environment. We need to conserve all things that are beneficial, including conserving individual and community/national wealth (not wasting trillions on unjust war). Peaceful change is the most beneficial to the most people. (Radical change can very disturbing and dislocating. For instance, if you cut the U.S. military budget by 90% tomorrow, what are you going to do with all those unemployed people?) If an institution can be changed for the better, I'm for that, rather than tossing everything out and "reinventing the wheel."
So if something can be done to change the OAS for the better--such as evicting the U.S. as a member--I would prefer that option. But clearly something must be done. There is NOTHING more important than WHO is monitoring Latin American elections. (Monitoring involves helping to set up election systems not just dropping in on election day.) If the U.S. were to start interfering in this matter--as it has done in Honduras and now in Haiti--the consequences could be dire for Latin American democracy.
It is not only that the U.S. now has THE most dishonest, non-transparent and corporate-controlled election system in the democratic world--complete with 'TRADE SECRET' voting machines all over the land, now controlled (80%) by ONE, private, far rightwing-connected corporation (ES&S, which just bought out Diebold)--and that the U.S. can hardly be called a democracy any more--but, more than this, the multinational corporate/war profiteer interests that control the U.S. government have NO good intentions in Latin America. They would install fascist dictators everywhere if they could. They would KILL masses of people--as they have been PAYING the Colombian military to do (with our tax money)--thousands of trade unionists, teachers, human rights workers, political leftists, journalists, peasant farmers and others, murdered.
THAT is what U.S.-run elections in Latin America will produce--political "cleansing" in preparation for U.S. "free trade for the rich." So this is not a side issue. This is THE issue.
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