2008 Woodie Awards
Latin America's New Left Wing
But most have broken with their socialist past.
John Ferreira
Issue date: 4/22/05 Section: Opinions
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In recent years Latin America has undergone a political realignment. Today, all of the major powers of the region are controlled by parties of the left. Unlike the old revolutionary left of Latin America, the new leaders of the are moderate liberals who sound more like the American Democrat party than Che Guevara.
Today's new Latin American Leftist sees the value of the free market, of capitalism, and of foreign investment. They hold on to their ideals of bringing about real social change in the region which combines them in a single thread and connects to their predecessors on the left.
There has been a severe backlash against the conservative ideals that dominated the region during right-wing dictatorships that brutalized the region during the sixties, seventies, and eighties. The nineteen - nineties saw a great wave of democracy sweep Latin America, and today democratic institutions in the region are as strong as they have ever been. The specter of military rule or a iron-fisted one man rule no longer exists in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. Mexican democracy has finally flourished, and free elections are a reality, not a panacea to be paid lip-service to.
New moderation has been found. The politicians of Latin America are no longer spewing violent rhetoric of hate of the first world. Their anti-Americanism is no more virulent than what is fashionable in Europe, which is mostly harmless. The left has matured; it now realize that capitalism is a reality of the Western world, that its not going away soon.
The New Left also realizes that the free market is the best and fastest way to bring about prosperity for their mostly poor countries. Strong, solid corporations are budding across the area. They are exporting their products to America, Europe and Asia.
The one outliner to this new left is Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who is an unfortunate reminder of those that are attempting to turn back the clock. Chavez was elected democratically to the oil rich nation, but, since taking power, Chavez has changed the constitution and stocked the Supreme Court and military with those who are willing to do his will. There are no independent democratic institutions left in Venezuela. Chavez pretends to be a man of the people, he claims to be opposing the interests of the wealthy, when in reality all he wants to do is line his pockets with oil money and amass more power. There is very little hope that the world will get rid of Chavez, because the oil money will continue to flow and other nations will continue to support him while he keeps their gas pumps full.
The Chavez dictatorship should not be seen a region-wide movement though. The leaders of Latin America might share a rhetorical line with Chavez but there support is only skin-deep. Some have said that there is a new axis of evil forming in Latin America, this could not be further from the truth. Most of the nations are progressing strongly towards mature democracies, even though some are lagging behind.
Today's new Latin American Leftist sees the value of the free market, of capitalism, and of foreign investment. They hold on to their ideals of bringing about real social change in the region which combines them in a single thread and connects to their predecessors on the left.
There has been a severe backlash against the conservative ideals that dominated the region during right-wing dictatorships that brutalized the region during the sixties, seventies, and eighties. The nineteen - nineties saw a great wave of democracy sweep Latin America, and today democratic institutions in the region are as strong as they have ever been. The specter of military rule or a iron-fisted one man rule no longer exists in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. Mexican democracy has finally flourished, and free elections are a reality, not a panacea to be paid lip-service to.
New moderation has been found. The politicians of Latin America are no longer spewing violent rhetoric of hate of the first world. Their anti-Americanism is no more virulent than what is fashionable in Europe, which is mostly harmless. The left has matured; it now realize that capitalism is a reality of the Western world, that its not going away soon.
The New Left also realizes that the free market is the best and fastest way to bring about prosperity for their mostly poor countries. Strong, solid corporations are budding across the area. They are exporting their products to America, Europe and Asia.
The one outliner to this new left is Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who is an unfortunate reminder of those that are attempting to turn back the clock. Chavez was elected democratically to the oil rich nation, but, since taking power, Chavez has changed the constitution and stocked the Supreme Court and military with those who are willing to do his will. There are no independent democratic institutions left in Venezuela. Chavez pretends to be a man of the people, he claims to be opposing the interests of the wealthy, when in reality all he wants to do is line his pockets with oil money and amass more power. There is very little hope that the world will get rid of Chavez, because the oil money will continue to flow and other nations will continue to support him while he keeps their gas pumps full.
The Chavez dictatorship should not be seen a region-wide movement though. The leaders of Latin America might share a rhetorical line with Chavez but there support is only skin-deep. Some have said that there is a new axis of evil forming in Latin America, this could not be further from the truth. Most of the nations are progressing strongly towards mature democracies, even though some are lagging behind.