Archives – Page 240 – Upside Down World

Venezuela’s Bolivarian Movement: Its Promise and Perils, Pt. I

January 3, 2006 Stephen Lendman 0

Venezuela today, under its democratically elected President, Hugo Chavez Frias, is imbued with the spirit of Bolivarianism. It’s based on the vision of Simon Bolivar, the Caracas born 19th century general who defeated the Spanish, liberated half of South America, believed in redistributive social policies and a united South America—all things Chavez has adopted in his rhetoric and actions. The ultimate objective is to overcome what Bolivar perceptively characterized as the imperial curse "to plague Latin America with misery in the name of liberty."

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Five Lessons Bush Learned from Argentina’s Dirty War and Five Lessons for the Rest of Us

January 3, 2006 Renate Lunn 0

It began as a far-reaching war against a vague enemy. Any questions about the war were considered unpatriotic and dissenters risked being violently repressed by the government. The government helped the economic elite profit at the expense of the poor. When the regime was losing its grip on power, it turned to a conventional military war that became a disaster. This synopsis describes the Dirty War of 1976-1983 in Argentinaand the current US "War on Terror."

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Gold Fever in Patagonia

January 2, 2006 Michael Werbowski 0

2005 saw two trends in the mining industry: the spectacular rise in gold, silver and copper prices accompanied by a growing interest in the activities of the industry in Latin America. Investigative reports focusing on the "dirty deeds" of big global companies such as Placer Dome, Barrick, Newmont, and Anglo American appeared in major dailies such as the New York Times. I want to bring to your attention the activities of smaller gold mining companies in Latin America know as "juniors".

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China and Latin America

December 28, 2005 Cyril Mychalejko 0

China’s increasing ties with Latin America, and especially Cuba, could lead to increased calls for a greater U.S. military presence in the region. The Miami Herald reported in an article that China has become Cuba’s […]

Peruvian Candidate Worries Investors

December 28, 2005 Cyril Mychalejko 0

The mining and energy industries are worried that an indigenous presidential candidate in Peru whose leading in the polls could change business as usual in the Latin American country. Ollanta Humala, a populist and retired […]

Venezuela to Take Bush to Court

December 28, 2005 Cyril Mychalejko 0

Venezuelan legislators have started an investigation to build a case against President Bush at the Hague International Court. Washington’s role in the short lived coup against President Chavez, as well as other meddling in Venezuela’s […]

The Sorrow of Haiti

December 28, 2005 Stephen Lendman 0

On February 28, 2004, in the middle of the night, the US again invaded Haiti. It abducted and forcibly removed democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide by its staged coup d’etat and flew him against his will to the Central African Republic. Aristide today remains in exile in South Africa but vows to return. The Haitian people demand he be allowed back and restored as their rightful and legal president.

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“Never Again”: An Interview with Isabel Allende

December 27, 2005 Justin Vogler 0

Pinochet

In this interview, Chilean congresswoman Isabel Allende, Salvador Allende’s daughter, talks about how Chile has changed in the seven years since Pinochet was arrested in London.

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Anxiety and Optimism in the Dawn of a New Bolivia

December 26, 2005 John Hunt 0

The turnout in the Bolivian presidential election was high – around 80 percent – and included 82 year old Manual Cruz Quispe of El Alto, who was ill and poor, but determined to have his say. So he got his son push him to the polling station in a wheelbarrow and, seconds after casting his vote, Manuel passed away. His last act was to participate in a decisive call for change.

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Mining Conflict in Ecuador Heats Up

December 21, 2005 Cyril Mychalejko 0

Dozens of Ecuadorians recently burnt down a building owned by Ascendant Copper Corporation to protest its mining activities in the area. The Canadian mining company claimed in a press release (1) that the structure burnt down was a community health clinic located on an experimental farm, that supplies were stolen and that company employees were physically and verbally assaulted. […]