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New from the Americas Program
Ecuador: The Battle for Natural Resources Intensifies
By Raúl Zibechi
Ecuador was shaken by a new indigenous uprising in September, in defense of water sources threatened by open air mining. This time indigenous organizations find themselves up against a government that claims to be anti-neoliberal, a player in the "socialism of the 21st century," and one that has begun a "citizens’ revolution."
See full article at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6521
The Case of the Cuban Five: American Justice as a Political Weapon
By Michael Collins
The decision by a Miami court on Tuesday October 13 to reduce Antonio Guererro’s life sentence to 22 years imprisonment is the latest chapter in the ongoing legal battle to free a group of men known as the Cuban Five. Largely anonymous in the United States yet celebrities in their native Cuba, their conviction symbolizes the fraught relationship that exists between the two countries. The re-sentencing is the result of a decision taken last year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, which stated that the court in Miami, where the original trial was held, may have erred when it imposed sentences on three of the five men. The hearing takes place at a time when many Cubans and Americans have high hopes for improved diplomacy between their nations…
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http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6509
Kraft Firings Feed Protests
By Marie Trigona
Mass firings at Kraft Food’s plant in Argentina sparked protests throughout the nation, and ignited a new wave of worker organizing. In August, Kraft fired 160 workers after they went on strike to demand proper health measures at the company’s factory in suburban Buenos Aires during the swine flu epidemic in Argentina. Most of the fired workers were active union members; almost all of the factory’s union delegates were fired.
Kraft may have met its match in Argentina. The country has a long tradition of labor organizing and strong and active social movements. The current crisis has heightened demands for a new economic model less dependent on foreign investors and companies that use mobility as a way to control workers in developing countries…
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http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6484
Biodiversity Report from Americas Program of CIP—October 2009
By Carmelo Ruiz Marrero
Uruguay: Genetically Modified Invasion; Nicaragua: Food Sovereignty Does Not Exist Without Native Seeds; Holland and (Ir)responsible Soy; Bolivia: International Climate Justice Tribunal…
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http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6513
Brazil Emerges as a Military Power
By Raúl Zibechi
The recently signed agreements between Brazil and France are about much more than an arms purchase. They indicate the creation of a military-industrial complex—a major goal of Brazil’s National Defense Strategy. This new industrial superpower, owner of the seventh-largest oil reserves in the world and the world’s largest area of natural biodiversity in the Amazon, now seeks to protect its riches and assert itself as a rising military force.
President Lula is confident that Brazil is on its way to becoming a great power in the 21st century. His government is building the framework to ensure that the country can defend itself militarily. Brazil will soon have the largest navy and air force in Latin America and the only military-industrial complex in the region. It is significant that that the South American giant has sought the help of France, a country that has so openly maintained its political and military independence from Washington…
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http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6494
An Interview with Emir Sader
By Lucia Alvarez
With the rise of center-left governments, the South American region has—almost universally—appeared to leave behind the pillars of the Washington Consensus and the neoliberal model. Fiscal adjustment has been replaced with an agenda marked by a social emphasis, and the projects related to a free trade area with the United States are veering toward a renewed emphasis on horizontal regional integration.
Recently, the economic crisis, the persistent coup d’etat in Honduras, the losses incurred by the Kirchners during the latest elections in Argentina, the U.S.-Colombia base agreement, and other developments are changing the Latin American political context.
In an interview with CIP Americas Program, Emir Sader, professor, sociologist, and executive secretary of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), explains the roots, repercussions, and possible challenges that these changes present…
See full article at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6495
Latin America: The Empire Retreats
By Raúl Zibechi
In the span of a few days, two events occurred that reveal that in small Latin American countries that were previously subordinate to Washington, the superpower no longer controls its decades-old allies. Recent events in Paraguay and Honduras reveal that the empire’s withdrawal from its own backyard is accelerating in the present systemic crisis.
The rising star, Brazil, is beginning to fill the void left by the declining role of the United States in the region. The political and military accords reached with France permit the South American country to rely on a solid ally to attain a desired seat on the UN Security Council. For many of Brazil’s neighbors, the switch from U.S. to Brazilian domination could mean little real change if the regional powerhouse behaves like a "sub-imperialist," as Rui Mauro Marini warned three decades ago…
See full article at:
http://americas.irc-online.org/am/6486
