Argentina’s 21st Century Slavery
Bolivian workers in Argentina are pressing the government to take action against slave-like conditions inside clandestine textile shops after a fire in a factory killed 6 people in Buenos Aires last week.
Year: 2006
Mexico Seeks Political Parity for Indigenous
Mexico has redrawn its congressional districts to increase the number of Indian lawmakers. Mexico’s indigenous have long been under-represented politically and have suffered socially and economically as a result. According to the Fox Administration there will […]
Ecuador: Trade Talks Stall, Protests Continue
Ecuador and the U.S. suspended trade talks after a fruitless week of negotiations in Washington. Agricultural issues, intellectual property and Ecuador’s new hydrocarbon law (which would redistribute oil profits) kept the two countires from reaching […]
Sandinistas Headed Toward Election Victory
Nicaraguans, tired of free market reforms carried out by pro-Washington governments that have failed to improve living standards are expressing increasing support for Sandinista Daniel Ortega’s bid to become the country’s next president. Nicaraguans are […]
Bolivia, Evo Morales and the Progressive Mandate in Latin America
Photo: J. Bigwood
On January 21, on a hill outside of La Paz, a traditional ceremony marked both a major shift in Bolivian politics and a milestone for the growing New Left in Latin America. At Tiwanaku, a site of pre-Incan ruins significant to the country’s indigenous populations, Evo Morales, barefoot and dressed in a red tunic, received a silver and gold staff from leaders of the Aymara people.
The Resurrection of Lula
According to polls, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has emerged unscathed from the political crisis of corruption his government suffered in 2005. With his popularity on the rise, it is likely he will be reelected for another four years in October.
Interview with Abel Mamani, Bolivia’s Minister of Water
In this interview Abel Mamani outlines his hopes and the challenges his Ministry will face. He explains that the Bolivian Government’s policies on water will be based on the understanding that Water is a human right and must be managed by the state and the community.
Chile’s Bachelet Enthusiastic About FTAA
Chilean President Michele Bachelet recently said that Chile would be "back stepping" by joining Mercosur and that the FTAA is more in her country’s interests. "That’s why we are so enthusiastic and push so hard […]
A Billion Condoms in Brazil
The Brazilian government plans to hand out over a billion free condoms to its citizens this year in a massive effort to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. "The government campaign in Brazil is straightforward, like […]
Kissinger supported Argentina’s dictatorship
The National Security Archive released a declassified White House Transcript last week that revealed former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger supported Argentina’s military regime after its successful 1976 coup.
"I do want to encourage them. I don’t want to give the sense that they’re harassed by the United States," said Kissinger, even after staff aides warned of the likelihood of murder and repression.
The dictatorship in Argentina ruled from 1976-83.Under orders from the it Argentina’s military waged a "Dirty War" against its population where torture, assassinations, and disappearances were used as tools of repression and control. Execution techniques included throwing drugged, naked prisoners from planes into the ocean. As many as 30,000 Argentines remain missing.
"Whatever chance they have, they will need a little encouragement from us," said Kissinger after the coup.