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in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, Tabare Vasquez in Uruguay--all Leftists--and with Lula da Silva in Brazil and Michele Batchelet in Chile (both Center-Left, in strong alliance with the Leftist governments). The Leftist alliance now includes Paraguay as well; with Leftist governments also elected in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and Center-Left in Guatemala.
Argentina's former president, Nester Kirchner, was the one who rescued Argentina from total World Bank/IMF/neoliberal meltdown, with help from Chavez/Venezuela to pay off World Bank loans and get out of debt. Argentina was a basketcase--totally looted and ruined by 1st world investors. Kirchner--and, I must say, the Argentinian people themselves--performed something of a miracle in turning things around. To that point--Kirchner's election--there was huge civil unrest, and the toppling of one government after another, which were corrupt or clueless. Kirchner brought the first stability to the situation, and began the big turnaround. When Kirchner's term was up, Argentinians then elected his wife as president--Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner--who has proven equally strong and is a Leftist as well. (She is the current president.)
When the Bushwhacks sent their dictate down to South American leaders, that they must "isolate Chavez," Nestor Kirchner replied, "But he's my brother!" That statement characterizes Latin American reaction to the Bushwhack campaign against Chavez. Most South American leaders reacted this way, to the dirty Bushwhack "divide and conquer" campaign, and to the lies about Chavez. Lula Da Silva (Center-Left, Brazil) has been an especially strong friend and ally of Chavez, though his politics are more to the center. Michele Batchelet (Center-Left, Chile) has also been a strong defender of Chavez. But Argentina has been a stalwart--both Kirchners are close friends and allies of Chavez, and have also been very helpful and supportive in particular Bushwhack-created crises, such as the Bushwhack/Colombia effort to start a war with Ecuador/Venezuela last March, and the fascist coup attempt in Bolivia this last September. What I would say, on the whole, is that South America is largely unified on certain solid principles: the sovereignty of Latin American countries; opposition to U.S./corpo meddling and aggression; social justice goals. (Even the rightwing president of Mexico publicly lectured Bush--on his Latin American tour in March 2006--on the "sovereignty" of Latin American countries, using Venezuela as an example!)
When the Bushwhacks tried their coup in Bolivia this last September, Brazil and Argentina were two major keys in defeating the coup. The fascists in Bolivia's eastern provinces wanted to secede from the Leftist national government of Evo Morales (the first indigenous president of Bolivia--these foul fascists are also white supremacists; that's who the Bushwhacks were allying with in South America). Bolivia's gas/oil reserves are located in these eastern provinces. The plan was to instigate civil war, and split off the gas/oil rich provinces into a fascist mini-state in control of the resources. The coup was funded and organized right out of the U.S. embassy. The fascists rioted, trashed government and NGO buildings, beat up the indigenous, blew up a gas pipeline, took over an airport and wouldn't let President Morales' plane land, and machine-gunned 30 unarmed peasant farmers. Brazil and Argentina--Bolivia's chief gas customers--made it very clear that they would not recognize nor trade with a secessionist state in Bolivia. Also, in the midst of the buildup to this coup attempt, adjacent Paraguay voted for a Leftist president (Fernando Lugo), possibly cutting off a route of U.S. military support to the secessionists. Michele Batchelet (Center-Left, Chile) called the meeting of UNASUR (South America's newly formalized Common Market) and got a unanimous vote in support of the Morales government. UNASUR sent a delegation to Bolivia, to investigate the murders, and start peace talks with the saner elements among the fascist minority--and the result was a peaceful vote this year on Bolivia's new Constitution.
The point I'm trying to make is that, even more important than whether a government is Left vs. Center-Left, is the solidarity that South American leaders are exhibiting when one of them becomes a target of U.S./corpo aggression, or has a particular crisis or need. Each country is different, and is following its own path to social justice and self-rule. But something is binding them strongly together, and they are newly experiencing that brotherhood/sisterhood. It is important to understand this aspect of what is happening in Latin America. It is not just the overwhelming trend toward the Left; it is also a new realization of their strength in numbers and common purposes. And I would say that Hugo Chavez--and those who elected him--is at the center of this new cooperative spirit. Venezuela started things off by helping Argentina during their World Bank/IMF-created economic crisis. Venezuela has also been the generator of barter arrangements, such as trading free or low cost gas for Argentinian beef, or for Cuban doctors and Cuba's literacy program. Everyone's problems can be solved with cooperation.
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