The Two Faces of Latin America

After several years of standardized, right-wing regimes in which people don’t betray each other, but rather support each other — including in crimes against the people and their libertarian movements — Latin America is now showing two well defined faces: the regimes that follow the mandate of the United States, and those that follow the mandates of the people.



In the former category, Honduras stands out with a regime born from a coup d’état in which the first official act of President Porfirio Lovo was to open the second United States military base in that country. The coup was and is followed by a series of crimes and human rights violations which places Honduras among the countries that still use political violence as a means of governing. Moreover, it is one of the countries that, in a short period of time, has been charged with the death of nine journalists and many anti-coup political activists. 



This same situation is mirrored in Panama, where Ricardo Martinelli — who also reactivated two United States military bases — won another right-wing election. In actuality, this man is already a criminal: his suppression of a banana plantation workers’ strike left six dead.



In Columbia another right-wing politician recently won the election: José Manuel Santos, ex-Minister of Defense, kindred to the United States. The prediction is that war will come knocking at the doors of Columbia’s neighboring countries, which happens to fall into the other face of Latin America. In Columbia, the guerrilla war remains in full force and drug trafficking continues in all of its splendor; Colombia is also installing the largest and best United States military bases in Latin America.



Next is Peru, whose president, Alan Garcia, does not know how to resolve the social problems in his country; rather, he began by massacring natives who were defending their natural resources from the multinationals. The OAS session on the regional arms-race was also carried out in Peru. 



Sadly, Chile is also on this short list, where the ascent of Sebastián Piñera — a follower of the criminal Pinochet — signifies the return to power of many of Pinochet’s followers. The first diplomatic frictions were a result of ambassador Miguel Otero’s comments in Argentina in favor of the late dictator [Augusto Pinochet], assassin of Salvador Allende. In this country, after the rise of the right, the Supreme Court of Justice reduced the sentence of the assassins of General Prat, army chief during Salvador Allende’s presidency, from life to 17 years or less.



All of these countries are governed by liars, who seek protection in false speech under the guise of democracy to enslave their citizens and deny them all legitimate hope for peace, liberty and prosperity, and to prescribe them repression, crime and backwardness. 



These partners of the United States tend to protect terrorists and to promote terrorism. On the other hand, the other face of Latin American is best reflected in the recently completed ALBA Summit, in which several programs were passed that bring the people closer and include them — people such as country folk and natives.



Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Nicaragua are all executing programs which have the central goal of benefiting the people in all areas, and El Salvador is experimenting with such programs as well.

In these countries there is no talk of war, unless it is on the subject of protection from the militaristic policies of the United States.

Venezuela and Cuba have gained recognition from the United Nations for the success of their health and education programs for their people. Bolivia is the champion of native and environmental causes, and the riches of petroleum are now also being shared with the general populace. Ecuador is carrying out a revolutionary social program. After several right-wing governments failed to successfully install electrical energy sources, Nicaragua is now the Central American pioneer of wind power, and is also carrying out programs of broad social benefit.

Changes include the transformation of backward legislations which respond to the dominant sectors, starting with the Constitution and moving to the passing of new laws which are favorable for all.

All of these countries do business fairly amongst themselves, carrying out successful negotiations with China, Russia and the European Union, with clear rules of business.

They have regained the sovereignty of the homeland.

In these countries there is no talk of war, or terrorism, or repression. Some military men associated with crimes against humanity are judged and condemned.

Of course they have enemies in common: religious leaders who live in the past and want to regain control over people; traitors to the country who fly their own flag to sabotage or attack the interests of the people; “businessmen” who yield to their whims of “power” over their employees and manipulate them or turn them into slaves, and who even use the famous blackmail of “investment” to carry on with their perverse aims.

Other “businessmen” use communication methods to show their frustration and even to recover the loss of power by democratic means: touting, lying, vilifying, distorting information or hiding it.

Meanwhile, the United States uses the language of war and insults from the government courts that are subject to their own whims and militaristic policies. The response of the liberated people is commerce, peace, justice, real liberty, education, health and, finally, the prosperity of the people and not of the few.

The winds of liberty travel the continent, and if this is what the traitors, anti-patriots, unpatriotic and terrorists call “socialism” or “communism,” well then long live socialism and communism!