[Marxism] For a new people's victory in Paraguay

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

For a new people's victory in Paraguay
By Manuel E. Yepe 
April 12, 2008 

http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs1892.html
A CubaNews translation. 
Edited by Walter Lippmann

The relationship of election victories of the past decade by
progressive leaders in Latin America could reach Paraguay in the
presidential elections of April 20.

The times of the Latin American political scene was controlled by
"representative democracies" in the service of the oligarchies and
militarily advised by the United States Pentagon made an about face
after the triumph of the Cuban revolution.

There followed a period in which imperialism and the oligarchy,
concerned about the rise of independent insurgencies, resorted to
military dictatorships to protect the interests which were previously
defended by soft disguises such as "representative democracy".

Violent repression and their repercussions, in terms of resistance
and social unrest, became an obstacle to the strategy of neoliberal
globalization as an imperial policy for the planet. It became
necessary to return to representative democracy to prepare the proper
scenario for new plans of domination and absorption.

They thought they could maintain control through the old model of
political parties ruled by market laws and the principle that the
winner and ruler is the one with more money.

It just so happens that the parties of the oligarch's henchmen have
lost as much credit as the old repressive barracks and old electoral
machineries that have been unable to carry out the previous
functions.

In Venezuela, comandante Hugo Chávez Frías, who failed in an armed
uprising in 1992 against the IV republic, prepared an unheard of
political strategy of propaganda based on audacious programs of
social projection and against all forecasts, won the presidential
election in 1998.

The electoral triumph of Hugo Chávez and his Bolivarian project awoke
repeated hopes which had been set aside of a new peaceful revolution
of the left and other popular and progressive forces in Latin America
and the Caribbean.

That was the take-off for the victory of candidates without support
of the classical political machinery representing the oligarchs nor
even the United States embassies in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay,
Bolivia, Panama, Chile, Haiti, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras,
Guatemala ?. And everything indicates that the same will occur in
Paraguay.

In some countries, like Peru and Mexico, popular contenders who
achieved citizen support, in conditions of clean democratic
consultations which would have given them power were stripped of it
though enormous maneuvers of funds from the empire which managed to
postpone the assumption of progressive leaders.

But what is new in this scene is that these victories of the past
decade were classical electoral processes, faithful to the mechanisms
and methods that native oligarchies had modeled for many years aiming
to perpetuate their domination. The people took to the streets
imposing their unity to send their leaders to power and not even the
enormous resources of Washington and the native oligarchies could
prevent it.

It cannot be supposed that all the leaders the people sent to power
in spite of the oligarchies and the empire were inspired by the same
purposes. Even less, cann it be assumed that their triumphs were part
of a common project to move history forward for the benefit of the
people. These events did underline that previously the United States
embassies had several secret arrangements with the oligarchs to chose
the leaders in several Latin American and Caribbean countries.

What is a constant factor is that the leaders of the popular
movements that became presidents of their nations were inspired by
the idea of recovering the sovereignty of their peoples.

They face great dangers, both from within as from abroad, including
threats, temptations and traps that constantly test the strength of
their ideals and fidelity to their peoples as well as risking
betrayal of some of the followers seduced by ambitions or overcome by
fear.

The incorporation of Paraguay to the list of "dark corners in the
world" which defy the Empire, gives strength to hope and boosts the
peoples of our America.

The favorite candidate of previous surveys give former 55 year old
bishop Fernando Lugo, leader of Alianza Patriótica para el Cambio
foresee his victory that would put an end to 60 years of constant
power of the Agrupación Nacional Republicana (partido colorado).

Lugo has based his campaign on the elevation of popular self-respect
and in defense of national sovereignty.

The main strength is also the recovery of hydroelectric sovereignty
through a geo-strategic renegotiation of the treaty with Brazil that,
in 1973, gave way to shared exploitation of the enormous Itaipu
reservoir and the contract with Argentina that shares the bi-national
dam of Yacyreta.

Other regional complexities, such as the triple border (with Brazil
and Argentina) that link strategic military and economic objectives
of the United States demonstrates that a possible victory of Lugo
would test the effectiveness of Latin American progressive forces in
the contradictory management from the position of power.

The dangers for Lugo do not only come from those interests that
affect recovery of hydroelectric sovereignty nor those who for 60
years amassed fortuned in the shadow of government of the Colorado
party, nor of those affected by his agrarian ref with possibilities
of triumph in Latin America for several years. orm.

Recently former general with coup backgrounds, Lino Oviedo, denounced
plans to assassinate Lugo and pave the way for an officialist
candidate, Blanca Ovelar.

Lugo assures that his government will be "for the poorest, the most
excluded and neediest of the country" and waves the flag of
independence, administrative honesty, change and regeneration, a
political platform that had never been heard from a presidential
contender

April 2008

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WALTER LIPPMANN, CubaNews
Los Angeles, California
http://www.walterlippmann.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
"Cuba - Un Paraiso bajo el bloqueo"
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