What About Latin America?
Posted October 10th, 2008 at 10.21am in American Leadership.
After two Presidential debates it’s becomingly increasingly clear there will be little discussion of U.S.-Latin American relations in the final month.
How will the next President handle President Hugo Chavez, the deteriorating U.S. - Venezuelan relationship, and growing ties with Russia and Iran? What about Russian warships headed to the Caribbean for joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy or Chavez’s soliciting Russian help with nuclear power?
Enriched by Venezuela’s oil revenues, agents of Chavez’s government have conspired with narco-terrorist guerrillas in Colombia, shipped suitcases of cash to Argentina, and worked to firm up relations with Middle Eastern terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. Oil and other subsidies from Chavez give Raul Castro in Cuba a major means to preserve a communist dictatorship well beyond its expiration date.
Borrowing from the Hugo Chavez’s playbook, Evo Morales swept into power in Bolivia in 2006, promising mass-government handouts while deriding the free market and “Yankee imperialism.” Morales has tightened his grip on the state nationalizing the gas industry, cutting away at private property rights, defending the right of farmers to grow coca [the base ingredient of cocaine], and pushing his country to the brink of civil war. In Ecuador, President Rafael Correa has utilized his brand of populism to win control over the nation’s central bank and key economic resources and to guarantee longevity in office. In Nicaragua, Sandinista president Daniel Ortega pines for the bad old days of the 1980s and even traditional Central American friend Honduras is tempted by offers of cheap oil and other financial aid from Venezuela.
And yet, the stalled Colombia Free Trade Agreement in Congress seems to indicate that our public elected officials have little interest in shoring up our ties with one of our strongest allies in South America.
In the past, U.S. presidents articulated broad visions and bold measures to advance U.S. interests and leadership in the Americas. One hopes that the candidates will be able to look past the current crisis on Wall Streets and beyond sniping over their fitness for high office to articulate a clearer, bolder vision of the way forward in the Americas. Let’s hope the instincts for American leadership prevail in reasserting the importance of democracy, human rights, economic freedom, and individual liberty in the Western Hemisphere and across the globe.
Israel Ortega co-authored this post.
- Author: Ray Walser
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October 10, 2008 luke weyland, Sydney Australia writes:
Chavez “conspired” with FARC to the extent of ensuring safe release of FARC’s hostages. He has called upon FARC to follow the example of ELN and abandon the armed struggle. Ecuador also tried have the hostages released but Colombia deliberately killed hostage takers, & hostages, alike, with support from the US military.
Chavez denies shipping suticases of cash. No court has ever convicted him of this outrageous allegation.
Chavez has worked to firm up relations in the Middle East and opposed those who terrorize Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq, namely the Israeli and US governments. Hamas is the elected government of the Palestinians, Hezbollah, is a major party in the coalition government of Lebanon. By his support for Palestine and Lebanon, Chavez is often seen as a hero across the Arab world.
Yes Venezuela subsidizes the poor in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Oceania and United States of America. It certainly provides far more than 0.3% of its GDP in aid!
Cuba is not a dictatorship - everyone over 16 years has the right to vote. Only USA has decided that Cuba has an expiration date and for over 40 years has had plans to destroy it.
Evo Morales swept into power - yes he was democratically elected with 54% of the vote - something not even the US Admin denies. In the recall referendum this support rose to 75%
“Yankee imperialism.” has protected the individual rights of the wealthy so that Bolivia’s wealthy elite can continue to deny the rights of the vast majority. It has participated in a coup in the 1950s that overthrew a centrist government and funded Bolivia’s former government against then opposition leader Morales.
Bolivia has private property rights in their constitution
Defending the right of farmers to grow coca yet continually opposing the cocaine manufacture and trade. Some of those who oppose Morales are pushing the country to the brink of civil war by arming “civic groups” blockading roads, cutting gas pipe lines, taking over government offices, shooting MAS supporters - others only want to use the ballot.
In Ecuador, President Rafael Correa has utilized his brand of populism - he won a referendum with over 70% support. To win control over the nation’s central bank (yes hasn’t the USA, Britain, Spain, Iceland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Japan, recently taken over banks too - are these marxist countries too?
In Nicaragua, Sandinista president Daniel Ortega pines for the bad old days (for people like Somoza and Nixon )American friend Honduras is tempted by offers of cheap oil (and getting) and other financial aid from Venezuela. Doesn’t the USA poor get cheep oil too?
Our (US) public elected officials have little interest in shoring up our ties with one of our strongest allies in South America. They have been more preoccupied with killing Iraqis, Afghanis, and now Pakistanis.
In the past, U.S. presidents articulated broad visions and bold measures to advance U.S. interests and leadership in the Americas. It has overthrown governments in Mexico, Cuba, Grenada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Surinam, Guyana, and long ago tried to take British Canada.
Let’s hope the (better) instincts for American leadership ( including the US ) prevail in reasserting the importance of democracy, human rights, economic freedom, and individual liberty in the Western Hemisphere and across the globe. The best way they can do this is not by following the advice of Mr Israel Ortega. It is by respecting the wishes of the peoples and governments of Latin America and only interfering in their internal matters only to the extent and manner they so require.