Global
Justice School 2005
Michael,
5 June 2005
1)
Decades of neoliberal policies in Latin America
• Process of 'recolonization' via the IMF
and system of foreign debt
• Social consequences: monstrous increase in
social inequalities, poverty, social exclusion, unemployment, violence, social
apartheid
·
Latin America as 'Swissindia'
2)
Main thrust of social situation during the last five
years
·
Massive protests and rebellions against neoliberal
policies
·
Growth of major social movements
·
No adequate political expression of social revolt
3)
Popular insurgencies: semi-insurrectional
popular insurrections since 2001:
·
Argentina 2001 (De la Rua), Venezuela 2003 (anti-Chávez
junta), Bolivia 2004 ('Goni'), Ecuador 2005 (Gutierrez)
·
Four presidents involved in neoliberal policies have
had to flee their own indignant peoples by helicopter: unprecedented in Latin
American history!
·
Across-the-board rejection of bourgeois political
elites ('¡Que se vayan todos!')
·
But no political alternative (except in Venezuela)
·
Since politics abhors a vacuum, elite figures
(supposedly less reactionary or repressive) succeed the ousted presidents
4)
Social forces participating in
rebellions and anti-neoliberal social mobilizations:
·
Labour movement (in general not in vanguard of
mobilizations)
o
Still controlled by 'yellow' (Argentine CGT) or
neo-reformist (Brazilian CUT) bureaucracies
o
But major strikes and local struggles and some radicalized
sectors: self-managed factory occupations in Argentina, founding of UNT in
Venezuela, COB mobilizations in Bolivia, etc.
·
Peasant and indigenous movements
o
Each time the major protagonist of social and
sometimes political struggles: EZLN in Chiapas, CONAIE in Ecuador, coca farmers
in Brazil, MST in Brazil
o
MST: the biggest social movement in Latin America
today, with roots in 'liberation Christianity' and focus on grassroots direct
action — a lesson for Marxists!
·
Middle classes pauperized by economic policies: one of
the main components of urban popular masses that overthrew presidents in
Argentina and Ecuador
·
Unemployed and poor masses of urban peripheries
o
Most advanced manifestation: piquetero movement in
Argentina
o
Present in all urban rebellions, e.g. in Los Altas
near La Paz, Bolivia
5)
Centre-left governments
·
Until now the major political expression of social
insurgency: Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay — and soon Mexico (Lopez Obrador)
and Nicaragua (FSLN)
o
Some more abjectly obedient to imperialism (Lagos in
Chile), some less (Kirchner in Argentina), in between (Brazil), or uncertain
(Uruguay)
o
But no real break with IMF policies, just some
'social' help for 'poor'
·
Brazil: the worst disappointment
o
Election of trade-union activist as president at head
of self-defined anti-capitalist PT
o
Social-liberal government, continuity in economic
policies (Henrique Meirelles of Bank Boston as Central Bank president) and IMF
programmes
o
Increased social concerns: Hunger Zero, loans to small
farmers, support to solidarity project of unemployed
o
Dialogue not repression with social movements (MST)
o
Divisions in Brazilian left (PT/PSOL) and FI section
(Socialist Democracy)
·
Fractures in left in other countries
o
Argentina: pro-Kirchner left (Barrios de Pie, Madres
de la Plaza de Mayo, CTA) and anti-Kirchner left (Izquierda Unida (PCA + MST),
MAS, PO, etc.)
o
Chile: split in old Popular Unity between SP (in
neoliberal pact) & CP (in opposition)
o
Bolivia: less deep division between more institutional
left (MAS) and left engaged only in mobilizations (COB, indigenous movements)
6)
The main exception: Venezuela
·
Chávez government: bonapartist? populist? In any event
anti-imperialist and in process of radicalization
·
Still no adequate political expression of movement
beyond Chávez and some of his associates; no party as radical as movement
·
Existing radical left — OIR — limited in influence
except in new UNT union federation