South America Moving Left

Well, I learned a lot....I went down to (Latin America) to find out from them and (learn) their views. You'd be surprised. They're all individual countries. -- President Ronald Reagan, commenting on his first trip to South America in the early 1980's.

The inauguration this week of the latest left-wing president to be elected in South America, Tabare Vazquez of Uruguay, has led to talk of a "pink tide" sweeping the region. Three-quarters of South America's 350 million people are now ruled by left-leaning presidents, all of whom have been elected in the last six years. Venezuela, Chile, Brazil and Argentina also have left-wing governments. President Vazquez immediately restored diplomatic relations with Cuba, and along with Chavez in Venezuela, they are looking to better relations with China.

This left-ward trend must strike fear in the heart of the U.S. empire, particularly the Bush Administration. This is going to shake of the balance of power. Colombia is the United States' strongest right-wing ally in South America. The U.S. has most of Central America in its pocket. Remember how they reacted to the surge of the left in the 1980’s with right-wing death squads and the Contra Wars? But these new left-wing governments may join together in nationalizing oil and opposing U.S. & WTO free trade policies. Expect to see increased anti-left rhetoric by the U.S. or even possible CIA action in the region. Remember the U.S. backed coup against President Chavez in 2002? Although this coup was defeated by Chavez, it still shows the United States’ desire to control its Latin neighbors to the South.

Historically the Communist Left has been a political and economic failure when they gain control of government. These governments have offered some good services (arguably better education and health care than the United States in some instances). But instead of promoting freedom, equality and the common good, they become tyrannical regimes which promote equal oppression for all (Soviet Union, China, Cuba). I believe that the South American governments are on a different path and will encounter success that the previous incarnations did not. This is a pink tide, not a red tide. Old style communism died when the Berlin wall fell. We're going to see something new here.