[Mb-civic] Latin America turning left

[ean at sbcglobal.net]

Al Jazeera - March 4, 2005
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3A4E97E5-0A8F-45FF-BAE0-
A107660441E2.htm


Latin America turning left

By Gibby Zobel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Latin America is turning left. With Tabare Ramon Vazquez Rosas
becoming the first ever left leader in Uruguay on 1 March, more than
three quarters of the continent's 355 million people are living
under leftist governments.

Vazquez's presidential ceremony in the capital Montevideo was a roll
call of those who have turned the politics of this hemisphere upside
down in six short years:

Hugo Chavez, who won in Venezuela in 1999, Ecuador's Lucio 
Gutierrez
and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who
won in 2002 and Nestor Kirchner of Argentina who came to power in
2004.

Vazquez's symbolic first action was the full restoration of diplomatic
ties with Cuba. Fidel Castro failed to appear, citing health reasons
but promised a visit soon.

His foreign minister Felipe Perez Roque was welcomed with open 
arms.

On the horizon are potential victories for Evo Morales in Bolivia,
Michelle Bachellet in Chile's December vote and Manual Lopez 
Obrador,
the mayor of Mexico city and presidential candidate.

Former political prisoners

It all adds up to a sea change with an assortment of rebels,
guerrillas and opponents of military governments - which dominated 
the
region in the 70s - coming of age and taking control.

Uruguay's military government lasted from 1973 until a political
amnesty in 1985.

Five of the country's new ministers are former political prisoners or
exiles.

The new head of the Senate, Jose "Pepe" Mujica was held in a dried-
up
well in the ground for part of his 15 years of incarceration.

Fellow rebel of the Tupamaro National Liberation Movement, Nora
Castro, will head the House of Deputies.

Former exiles in Spain and Argentina, Reinaldo Gargano and Jose 
Diaz,
will take up the posts of foreign and interior ministers respectively.

New blood promised

It is a generation of pensioners and the 65-year-old Vazquez has
already indicated that the old guard in his cabinet will step aside to
make way for new blood by the end of 2006.

"It is with great happiness to be with all of you [new ministers] on a
day of great transition for the country," he said, adding: "I will
work tirelessly for the prosperity of the Uruguayan people."

Vazquez and Mujica were applauded by vast numbers when they 
appeared on the balcony of the independence building.

The crowd chanted "the people, united, will never be defeated",
according to the El Observador newspaper.

Career path

Vazquez, a celebrated cancer specialist, entered politics in 1987 and
had previously stood for president twice.

It was an emphatic and historic first round victory in October 2004
which broke the 180-year-old oligarchy between the Brancos and
Colorados since independence in 1825.

Uruguay, a country sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina, 
suffered
its worst economic crisis in 2002 which left a third of its population
under the poverty line.

It has the lowest birthrate, lowest population growth and oldest
population in Latin America - more than half the people are over 50.

Moreover, it has the greatest emigration rate - on average more than
100 people left each day in 2003.

Returning emigrants

But the Uruguayan community living in Argentina has begun to return
and the country is in the grip of a wave of hope.

In his first speech as president, Vazquez promised "progressive
exchange with our neighbours". Referring to the country's dark
military past, he declared that "never again we will be brothers
against brothers".

Vazquez has already announced an emergency US$100 million 
social 
plan to guarantee a basic level of nutrition and sanitation for 
excluded
communities.

Wasting no time, he has signed an energy deal with Chavez and 
launched
an investigation with Kirchner into 150 Uruguayans who 
"disappeared"
during Argentina's authoritarian rule.

United front

And all three leaders, together with Brazil's Lula, vowed to have a
united front in the face of external debt and international credit
institutions.

"The 19th was the century of Europe, the 20th was the century of the
United States and the 21st century will be that of Latin America,"
said Chavez at the ceremony.

With the exception of Chavez, the continent has undergone a soft
revolution.

Agreements with the International Monetary Fund have been kept 
and the
US appeased, but with a new focus on poverty and social 
programmes
within these constraints.

With each election, Latin America's face is changing against the
Washington consensus. Unity between the left's leaders is becoming
strengthened and they are looking wider afield, forging ties with
China, India and South Africa.

Aljazeera

***

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