Latin America: “Induced Abandonment” and “Social Anesthesia” Unveiling the mystery of apathy that greatly favors so many leaders inspired by the Old and New Left is one of the most important tasks at the moment, especially for the survival of Latin America. 1. In face of governmental corruption, increasing crime, economic problems … Read more
Chavez and his ally Lula, the “General Anesthetist” When it comes to financial policy, Brazil’s president raises favorable expectations because of financial policies that encourage the free market. However, when it comes to other matters, Lula’s policies cause concern because of his knack of anesthetizing reactions to the political scandals that surround … Read more
Mexico: Calderon, Continental “Responsibility,” and Chaveism Freedom lovers in Latin America look to Mexico with interest and expectation, hoping it will take a leadership role to counterbalance the growing influence of Venezuelan President Chavez on the continent. Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced that his government is ready to assume “responsibility” on the … Read more
The Bush-Lula Alliance: Questions and Possibilities • By publicly placing his confidence in Brazil’s President Lula, President Bush helps promote the idea of a so-called split between Lula and Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez. This alienates potential allies in Latin America who harbor doubts about the Brazilian president’s real intentions. 1. From many standpoints, … Read more
Looking at Venezuela’s New Socialism An “explosion of communal power” is going on in Venezuela. It consists of the creation of 18,000 “communal councils” of communist-anarchist inspiration that will replace city government, councils and even functions of the federal government. Chavez and his followers have compared them to the soviets of the … Read more
Lula, Chavez, Cross-eyed Policies and the Diplomacy of the “Lesser Evil” The key to success or renewed failure of American policy in Latin America is to know how to distinguish true and reliable friends with common goals from false friends who promise you the world and deliver nothing Nicholas Burns, American undersecretary … Read more
The Chavez –Ahmadinejad Alliance: The ‘Axis of Evil’ Gains an ‘Auxiliary Axis’ Dr. Constantine Menges’ predictions of a Cuba-Venezuela-Iran “axis of evil” to dominate Latin America takes on new significance in light of the fact that this axis is now being complemented with an “auxiliary axis” of leftist rulers, who play the … Read more
Latinobarómetro, an annual public opinion survey covering Latin America, has just published findings showing that every one of the newly-elected leftist candidates in the region has needed “votes from the political center for their election, since the left does not command sufficient votes of its own.” The survey also finds that “paradoxically, … Read more
Venezuela: Chavez and “Syncretic Socialism” A contradictory and ambiguous mix of religion, anarchism, indigenism, communism, and post-Gramscian strategies of the World Social Forum (WSF) 1. In his first speech after the election of December 3, Venezuela’s president-reelect, Hugo Chavez, set the goal for his new mandate while hinting at the obstacles he … Read more
Ecuador’s Dilemma: President-elect Correa to Decide Between “Evo-Chavism” and “Ortega-Lulism?” Ecuador’s President-elect Rafael Correa will be stepping on eggshells to avoid irritating centrists whose votes he managed to secure with a last-minute makeover in the likeness of Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The move gave him the … Read more