By Alvaro Cruz Rojas, Chief Editor  
Translated By Carly Gatzert

April 12, 2006

El Salvador - El Mundo - Original Article (Spanish)   

President Hugo Chavez: Filling the Void Left
By the U.S., With Ever-Increasing Oil Revenue.

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For decades, Latin America was referred to as the United States' "backyard."  Today, such as statement could be regarded as reckless, since the United States appears to be losing allies by the handful in the region.  Almost all of South America appears to be shifting to the left, partially because North America has abandoned the region, but also due to deception of native upper-class criollo [native] oligarchs.

A Washington Post article last week suggested that while the Bush Administration sinks deeper and deeper into Iraq, abandoning Latin America and contributing only a paltry sum of money in aid, Venezuelan Head-of-State Hugo Chavez distributes hundreds of millions of dollars to allied parties and governments throughout the hemisphere.

Talk about historical ironies. For decades, the United States sponsored corrupt military dictatorships in Latin America with no regard for establishing democracy or stimulating economic growth in the region. Now, Hugo Chavez finances parties with dubious democratic credentials, who are burdened by the resentment and confrontation between social classes. In this sense, the right seems to be more independent of Washington than the left appears to be of Caracas or Havana.

The United States isn't "losing" Latin America. Rather, it is us, Latin Americans, who are losing our own countries, our own democracy, our own social peace, and our liberty.

(Footnote): In one day, the United States invests in Iraq the same amount that it will donate to Central America in an entire fiscal year. This figure dramatically reflects U.S. abandonment of the region.