South America gaining momentum vs. US - Some observations on my five months in South America

sf.indymedia.org by tristan Friday February 14, 2003 at 01:47 PM Ive been in South America for five months and it is beginning to really oppose the US. Almost every activist Ive talked to has been an anti-capitalist. No matter how extreme of a slogan I write here in Argentina some older middle class person runs up and demands that I spraypaint 'Close Congress' on a government building or 'I am going to kill you' on a bank. The more reformist minded see the Recent election of left-wing presidents 'Lula' in Brazil and Lucio in Ecuador as signs of change. That is also combined with the near victory of Evo Morales in Bolivia with Castro in Cuba and Chavez in Venezuela and the FTAA may not be as easy to pass as the US first thought. Argentina is set for massive boycott of the elections as all the parties are terrible. In Ecuador even at the Business Forum business men from Latin America expressed grave reservations about the FTAA. So the US is pushing CAFTA for Central America. Many businesses and industries and especiall the agricultural sector opose or want to be left out of the deal. The next meeting was scheduled for El Salvador. El Salvador is in the middle of huge social mobilizations versus the privatization of healthcare so the meeting had to be moved to Cincinatti, Ohio. On the theme of the US war with Iraq, virtually the whole world opposes this stupid war. In Buenos Aires there were Women in Black and Arab-Argentinian protests yesterday and the big protest is tomorrow. I was at a Popular Nieghborhood asembly of 50 people and the big argument was weather to include, on thier flier, the UN as a force that shouldnt be in Iraq. When Powel presented his 'New information' the center-right newspaper quoted the Iraqi representative to the UN more than Powell and talked about how frustrated Powell got that no one seemed to believe him. Latin America has fought battles against the IMF/World Bank for two decades, but now it is a war. In Argentina everyone sees the IMF as a problem, if not the direct cause of most of what is wrong in Argentina now. All the newspapers have economists talking about the problems with the IMF, the WTO and why the FTAA is a danger for the country. Themes of strengthening regional trade blocks in South America is on the agenda of almost all governments, as they see it as a counter ballence to the US. Two days ago huge protests started in Bolivia. Even the police went on strike as the government said wages would be cut up to 12%. The army was sent in to deal with the police and protestors and killed at least 25. Protestors looted a Coca-Cola plant and burned the privatized water company and varios government ministries. The Clarin sensationalist newspaper here had an excellent economic analysis of how IMF policies l! ead to the 'pulverizing' of governments and how Bolivia can not possibly meet IMF demands. One might alsa remember the Bolivian people that are the poorest in South America and make aroud $70 a month, if they are employed. 80% live in poverty, how do they pay four billion plus to the IMF? A 12% pay cut means they die. The same issue of Clarin had an article on the arrest of an ex-government minister from Peru. He was arrested in Buenos Aires by Interpol on an international warrant . He had been part of Fujimori's corrupt and brutal dictatorship. Where did Interpol find him? He was amoung the official IMF delegation to adjust the economy. Sometimes I feel that things can not be clearer and I think that especially with Bush this is becoming clear to millions around the world. We still have so much to do but I think there is hope.