Times are changing for South, Central America
ZOË WILLIAMS
williamz@mscd.edu

By Adam Goldstein • goldstea@mscd.edu

   South and Central American countries have taken a battering from the United States over the past three decades. The Cold War created a political climate of CIA backed coups and US implanted dictators such as Pinochet in Chile.
   The SOA (School of the Americas), now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, based in Fort Benning, Georgia, has trained over 60,000 South American soldiers to operate as psycho commandos raping, torturing, assassinating and kidnapping thousands of, intellectuals, dissidents, religious workers and union organizers as a part of the Drug and Cold Wars.
   Then there’s the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) and NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), which have granted the US an opportunity to exploit cheap labor by Central and South Americans living in excruciating poverty.
   Times are changing now, and these changes made Castro look like a moderate
goof. As the US cracks down on economic refugees of NAFTA and the FTAA
that have yet to be able to get immigration papers, our backyard is looking less like a desperate slum and more like a mounting revolutionary movement.
   Chile, a country that legalized divorce a mere two years ago, saw a March election in which people voted in a female president that is not only a former political prisoner of Pinochet, Michele Bachelet is also a socialist, an atheist and a single mother. Her cabinet is made of 50 percent women and she has pledged to bring equality to all Chileans.
   Bolivia is one of South America’s poorest nations with tremendous mineral resources and an indigenous majority greatly affected by the Drug War. Residents in the late 1990s, Bolivia faced mass privatization of water through legislation, which resulted in enormous riots across the country.
   Now Bolivia is led by indigenous activist Evo Morales, the self-proclaimed nightmare for the US. Morales is working to nationalize Bolivia’s huge gas and oil industry, end the Drug War crackdown on farmers and grant more rights to all citizens.
   Argentina’s long history of repression through dictators leading to the disappearances of some 30,000 citizens topped with economic collapse in 2001, led to a complete revamp of the nation. Now workers run factories, neighborhood committees govern and as of last week, no more Argentineans will travel to Fort Benning to study in the SOA.
   The EZLN (Zapatista National Liberation Army) of Chiapas, Mexico is best known for their uprising against the signing of NAFTA in 1994.
   Since then, the Zapatistas have led a tremendous campaign of indigenous rights, gender equality, sustainable living, gender equality and education for all in Mexico’s poorest state. Now the Zapatistas, donning their token black masks symbolizing solidarity with all people in struggle, are traveling across Mexico to reach out to the rest of the country’s poor.
   The Zapatistas aim to abandon all political parties and spread direct action as a chosen method for social change.
   The paradigm of the Americas is shifting and it won’t be stopping south of our borders.
   For decades, the United States has relied on impoverished South and Central American countries for cheap labor, no environmental protections, lack of military and dense resources to fuel our forces for global domination. Companies like General Electric, Starbucks, Adidas, McDonalds and Nestle have thrived off of the poverty of these people to provide luxury for the US. The Cold War allowed US hegemony to overthrow democratically elected leaders for dictators. The Drug War created economic and military dependency on the US. The aftermath of these atrocities has led to the reclamation of South and    Central America by the people calling those places home.
   A revolution is in our backyard, folks, whether or not you are ready for it. Revolution is coming for us as well. Our economics, environmental policy, and world reputation are getting hurled out the window. Say goodbye to the red, white and blue bully and hello to a global people’s movement.
   I know it is hard to believe that a few elections and uprisings in South and Central America really have the possibility to make the world shake. After all, we reside in a country with a monster of a military, a thirst for luxury and a fairly anesthetized public. We have managed to destroy Iraq and Afghanistan, aid in the elimination of Palestinians and are preparing for a war with Iran. It is hard to see South America, or any alliance of countries, capable of dismantling this beast.
   No matter, the spirit of rebellion is a far traveling one. Consider it as a match in a world with a slow gas leak. It may take a while, but there will be an explosion. The US military can crush a country, but they can’t destruct an idea, a movement or a globe sick of imperialistic rule. This process began with South America, so empire beware.

A revolution is in our backyard, folks, whether or not you are ready for it. Revolution is coming for us as well. Our economics, environmental policy, and world reputation are getting hurled out the window. Say goodbye to the red, white and blue bully and hello to a global people’s movement.

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