The Beginning of the End of the Monroe Doctrine?

Submitted by gjohnsit on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 5:50pm

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is hosting a summit this week. A summit that the United States isn't invited to.

The presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Peru among others will meet on Saturday at the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), for a gathering that will convene recently elected members of a “pink tide” of leftist leaders.
Mexico is set to host the fourth summit of the regional body, and 16 leaders have confirmed their attendance, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Friday.
Latin America’s left made its greatest strides with the first “pink tide” of socialist leaders in the early 2000s.

Big deal, amirite? Hold on, because this could be significant.

Mexico's president suggested Latin American and Caribbean nations form a bloc similar to the European Union.
While at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit in Mexico City on Saturday, host President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said regional powers should consolidate.
...
Leftist leaders in the region gathered at the invitation of Lopez Obrador with the stated aim of weakening the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS).
Notably in attendance was Venezeula's Nicolas Maduro, Peru's new president, Pedro Castillo, and Cuba's Miguel Diaz-Canel.

This summit could end up being the start of the United States losing it's malign power over Latin America. Recall that the U.S. was quoting the Monroe Doctrine as recently as the Trump Administration.
Whether this happens depends on the success of Latin America's Pink Tide 2.0. Because let's face it, every right-wing leader in Latin America is perfectly fine with American imperialism.
Pink Tide 1.0 peaked in 2009, with the right-wing coup in Honduras. While it's decline ended with the failure of the recent Bolivian coup.

Pink Tide circa 2011
pink tide.png

Pink Tide 2.0? circa 2021

Whether there will be Pink Tide 2.0 depends on the coming election in Chile, and next year's election in Brazil and Colombia.
In Chile, the left-wing candidate, Gabriel Boric is pulling out to a significant lead with just two months to go.

In Brazil there is still very early, but Lula has held a huge lead in every poll.

In Colombia, where I don't believe that a leftist has ever won, and there are fewer reliable polls, the current right-wing president is about as unpopular as any politician has ever been in history. The few polls that we have show left-wing opposition Senator Gustavo Petro with a big lead.

If those three elections go the direction that the polls indicate, then Pink Tide 2.0 will become a reality.

Tags:

latin america

Socialism

pink tide

Vote

Comments

Submitted by on the cusp on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 6:39pm

Very interesting development.

The US always has an opportunity for CIA infiltration as long as Columbia makes more money from that agency than it would from an alliance. I just don't see the US walking away from the lithium in Bolivia, the oil in Venezuela, the forests in Brazil, without a hard fight.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by gjohnsit on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 6:47pm

The CIA has already used most of their dirty tricks

@on the cusp

I just don't see the US walking away from the lithium in Bolivia, the oil in Venezuela, the forests in Brazil, without a hard fight.

A right-wing coup in Bolivia (later overturned).
Failed coup attempt in Venezuela (and Nicaragua).
Judicial coup in Brazil.
Election meddling in Mexico.

I'm thinking that we've seen their best shots.

The difference between Pink Tide 1.0 and 2.0 is Obrador. He's trying to organize something lasting.
And if the neoliberals get kicked out of Chile and Colombia, whoa nelle!

Submitted by on the cusp on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 7:00pm

It is encouraging

@gjohnsit and looks good on paper.
I am hesitant about Columbia going against the US, especially with Ecuador being solid neolib.
AMLO has toned down a few socialists policies, but I applaud him for making a solid socialist comeback.
I will say, I see this as a positive summit, but not the shot for the win. It will not be easy.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by gjohnsit on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 8:13pm

It's not a certainty

@on the cusp

I am hesitant about Columbia going against the US, especially with Ecuador being solid neolib.

It certainly would be a radical change. It's so improbable that Petro would have to be way ahead in the polls before I would think he would win. Fortunately he is.

AMLO has toned down a few socialists policies, but I applaud him for making a solid socialist comeback.

AMLO has been barely left-wing policies at all...until the CIA massively funded his neoliberal opposition. Then his policies shifted somewhat further left.

Submitted by on the cusp on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 8:23pm

You have a good read on it.

@gjohnsit I guess my concern for success is Ecuador before and after the neolibs took power, my 2 trips to Peru, my most recent trip to Mexico, as well as Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, and maybe some I am forgetting.
Sometimes, they flip for money. Drastically.
The people I met in Columbia were THRILLED to partner with the US. The elites I met in Mexico were moving their money out of the country because of AMLO, and as you said, he is no Bolivar.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by gjohnsit on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 8:43pm

I could be wrong, but I think Colombia has changed dramatically

@on the cusp
This changes people's mind

At the height of the massive protest movement that rocked Colombia for three months, police held hundreds of protesters at clandestine detention sites where they subjected them to beatings, threatened to kill them, and forced them to make false confessions, according to protesters, human rights workers, and lawyers in Cali who spoke to VICE World News.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which conducted an investigation into the Colombian government’s violent crackdown on protests in June, described the treatment as “torture” and “a grave violation of basic human rights.”

The protests surged at the end of April in response to a proposed tax increase and quickly transformed into a widespread revolt against corruption and police brutality. At least 72 people died during the demonstrations, 43 of those reportedly at the hands of police. In Cali, the epicenter of the violent police response, police fired on protesters and stood by as civilians joined the shooting.
...
But authorities also took protesters to more-sinister black sites, which existed completely outside of the Colombian justice system, according to Sebastián Caballero, a defense lawyer.

Almost 500 people went missing under circumstances directly related to the national strike, according to a coalition of social groups in Cali called the Working Group of Forced Disappearances (MDTDF by their Spanish initials). Now, four months later, more than 60 have still not been found.

Yet the protests are still ongoing.
Quote:

these demonstrations are proof that people are not scared anymore. We have to come out and express ourselves.

Quote2:

“Corrupt politicians want to keep us poor so they can stay rich. They want us to go home, but after a month we’re still here. Older generations never made Colombia a better place, but young people have the balls to change this country. The government complains about the roadblocks we’ve set up, but they steal from the people every day. We’re showing them what that feels like. Maybe when they stop we can talk about how our roadblocks are hurting their pockets. This is a revolution, and we won’t go away until Duque is gone.”

Submitted by on the cusp on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 9:04pm

I hope so, gjohnsit.

@gjohnsit When I was there, I met some educated people digging out of poverty that felt the US was the sole reason.
Their close proximity to Venezuela is just too close for the US to not entice.
They are a glorious, proud people. Those protests do not surprise me at all.
Some of the best days of my life were spent there. Their total rejection of racism is like nothing I have ever seen in the 65 to 70 countries I have visited. They know, absolutely, they have to pick sides now.

#1.1.1.1.1 This changes people's mind At the height of the massive protest movement that rocked Colombia for three months, police held hundreds of protesters at clandestine detention sites where they subjected them to beatings, threatened to kill them, and forced them to make false confessions, according to protesters, human rights workers, and lawyers in Cali who spoke to VICE World News. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which conducted an investigation into the Colombian government’s violent crackdown on protests in June, described the treatment as “torture” and “a grave violation of basic human rights.” The protests surged at the end of April in response to a proposed tax increase and quickly transformed into a widespread revolt against corruption and police brutality. At least 72 people died during the demonstrations, 43 of those reportedly at the hands of police. In Cali, the epicenter of the violent police response, police fired on protesters and stood by as civilians joined the shooting. ... But authorities also took protesters to more-sinister black sites, which existed completely outside of the Colombian justice system, according to Sebastián Caballero, a defense lawyer. Almost 500 people went missing under circumstances directly related to the national strike, according to a coalition of social groups in Cali called the Working Group of Forced Disappearances (MDTDF by their Spanish initials). Now, four months later, more than 60 have still not been found. Yet the protests are still ongoing. Quote: these demonstrations are proof that people are not scared anymore. We have to come out and express ourselves. Quote2: “Corrupt politicians want to keep us poor so they can stay rich. They want us to go home, but after a month we’re still here. Older generations never made Colombia a better place, but young people have the balls to change this country. The government complains about the roadblocks we’ve set up, but they steal from the people every day. We’re showing them what that feels like. Maybe when they stop we can talk about how our roadblocks are hurting their pockets. This is a revolution, and we won’t go away until Duque is gone.”

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by Dawn's Meta on Sun, 09/19/2021 - 11:31pm

gjohnsit and on the cusp, what a great conversation.

This is an area I need all the information at a level I can grasp easily. I am shocked at how little I understand the American countries outside the US, and feel it's imperative to do so.

The breadth of your knowledge gjohn on subjects such as this really improve my understanding of how the world works.

I do hope that AMLO is successful in organizing a new baby entity south of our border. They need to look at their own needs and the terrific resources in people and geography they have.

There are countries I would love to visit: Argentina, Chile, Peru and many others. I loved Mexico and considered moving there as the cost of living is so low.

Thanks again for the information and let's hope the new organization moves forward.

—

A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.

Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.

Submitted by on the cusp on Mon, 09/20/2021 - 12:52am

Dawn's meta...

I can't say enough about the way the people in Central and South America operate, how the fabulous people think.They beat back Spain, Portugal, and the US, to be what they want to be, at least in their past
They can be free again. And, again.
Like I have said in these comments, the wealthy and educated seem to go along with the US, whereas the struggling people, rural, indigenous, go Bolivarian. I am so damn lucky to have gone there, and had some time to befriend the locals, and listen to their concerns.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by Fishtroller 02 on Mon, 09/20/2021 - 9:42am

Well it's about time....

We have been messing up South and Central America for over 100 years in order to own their natural resources. In order to accomplish that we have forced a long list of US puppet governments. The fact that most of the people live in horrible poverty apparently is not stopping them from managing to have their voices heard.

Good information and writing.... thanks!

—

"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin

Submitted by Nastarana on Tue, 09/21/2021 - 9:07am

I object to the casual assumption that

the Monroe Doctrine is and was A Bad Thing. It may have outlived its' usefulness. What it was was a warning to European aristocracies that they were not going to be allowed to carve out younger son appanages in the New World. Austria Hungary attempted just that; you may perhaps have heard of Emperor Maximillian?

Having said all that, I do welcome the new leftist governments in Latin America and wish them every success.

The CIA needs to be disbanded. It never has lived up to its' hype; read Legacy of Ashes for the horrifying details. The mission of the American armed forces is to defend the USA, not to be a private militia for business. Its' mission is not to defend Israel, or Europe, nor is it to provoke world wars with either China or Russia. For the record, I don't give a *** what atrocities some never been away from home before, half starved, brutalized teenaged Czarist soldier may have committed a century or more ago in some Central European village. Not my problem. People like the unlamented Zbig who wanted revenge for Poland should maybe have been living in Poland.

—

Mary Bennett