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The history of domination in Latin America. MONROE: Let's reformulate!
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The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) judged multinational corporations for human rights violation in Colombia
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The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) judged multinational corporations for human rights violation in Colombia
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Street Fighting in the Barrio Latino
The fever of territorial fights and enmity in Latin-America began soon after the independence of its countries. Troubles became historical disputes that have sadly turned into new arguments. But, are we then talking about belligerent tensions or is it just about unfortunate verbal skims?
Afterwards, between 1899 and 1902 there would be a civil war between Colombia and its province Panama. The internal conflict was provoked by Washington so it could take control over the Panamanian interoceanic canal. So did it: Panama proclaimed its independence when the war ended up with the Colombian country division.
Some decades later, between 1932 and 1935 the War of Chaco stood Bolivia and Paraguay face to face for the control of some inhospitable lands and the domain of the Paraguay River, turning into the bloodiest Latin-American struggle of the XX century.
The list of tense conflicts became longer during the following years. In 1978, Argentina and Chile mobilized their troops due to a disagreement on the sovereignty of the Beagle Channel; and in March, 2006, Venezuela demanded the territory of Essequibo in Guyana even getting to send soldiers to the area in 2007.
Current affairs
Presently, the prospect is still not very friendly. The most radical attitudes and the most scandalous confusions have occurred in the south region. The controversy of maritime delimitation between Chile and Peru for an area of around 37,900 kms2 keeps on since the controversy began in 2005 with a Peruvian bill that claimed the maritime domain.
Chile’s answer would be immediate and the verbal mess up would become normal since that date and even worse, with the mistrusts of Peruvian president Alan Garcia revealing an agreement “under the table” between Bolivia and Chile in exchange for the so-desired Bolivian exit to the sea.
And they are not the only ones, the wick of the conflict faced by Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia on one side and Colombia on the other continues burning since March 1st, 2008, after the incursion of Colombian troops on Ecuadorian territory which ended up with the death of the leader of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), Raul Reyes.
And there is more: a new discord has arisen because of the military agreement between Washington and Bogota which allows American Soldiers to use seven Colombian aerial bases. The alliance, as it was to be expected, raised the rage from Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who has not hesitated to declare that that action promotes “winds of war.”
Arms race in progress
According to a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, so far Venezuela is the regional leader in the arms race, with approximate expenses that rise to US$4,400 millions between 2005 and 2008. If we only talk about South America, the scandalous military expenses also involve Brazil, Chile and Colombia.
The reappearance of these belligerent shopping has caused such a discomfort among some Latin-American leaders. One of them, the Peruvian President has criticized the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and the Organization of American States (OEA) for their apparent lack of control.
And that is not an exaggeration. The arms race goes beyond the verbal arguments. The mistrusts of the most defenseless against the best armed destroy any possibility of alliance. How to negotiate with a possible belligerent enemy?
Obstacles and failures
To talk about issues of regional development and even continental seems to be so unreal in Latin-America. Good democratic projects like the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and Unasur have only served to highlight the real intentions of some states. The debates inside those organizations are becoming then useless ideological struggles that have prevented them from reaching any agreement about a unified way to proceed on important issues for the population.
Many disappointed specialists have said that the differences between the Latin American block and the European Union make it impossible to proceed the same way as the second one. The terrible memory of two world wars have created a hardened Europe making progress hand to hand and with clear policies of convergence like free trade of goods, the establishment of a main currency, the joint of funds for the development of areas in need, the execution of coordinated environmental policies and the eradication of borderline controls, giving freedom to its citizens to live anywhere within the European territory, amongst other common plans.
The EU did not begin the way we know it nowadays, but little by little started to acquire more faculties and it has evolved in many important aspects of social, political and economic development.
Latin America, meanwhile, still finds difficulties talking about issues such as drug trafficking, poverty, education, security and development without facing objection or indifference. It is not hard to understand then the reason why Latin American governments disagree in planning joint economic and social policies keeping in mind that many of our countries have not got a stable and invariable political and economic system.
Stability has never been a virtue of Latin American governments. The arms race, on the other hand, seems to be more a competition for the regional power, an eternal debate on which the strongest one is. The impact is too high for development in this part of the world, with communities that are about to collapse. Mistrust on one side and paranoia on the other one. The vehicle of progress seems not to be making any progress at all; as a matter of fact, it’s going backwards.
*Ligia Arias holds a bachelor degree in Communication and Journalism and volunteers in social projects in Peru.
Some decades later, between 1932 and 1935 the War of Chaco stood Bolivia and Paraguay face to face for the control of some inhospitable lands and the domain of the Paraguay River, turning into the bloodiest Latin-American struggle of the XX century.
The list of tense conflicts became longer during the following years. In 1978, Argentina and Chile mobilized their troops due to a disagreement on the sovereignty of the Beagle Channel; and in March, 2006, Venezuela demanded the territory of Essequibo in Guyana even getting to send soldiers to the area in 2007.
Current affairs
Presently, the prospect is still not very friendly. The most radical attitudes and the most scandalous confusions have occurred in the south region. The controversy of maritime delimitation between Chile and Peru for an area of around 37,900 kms2 keeps on since the controversy began in 2005 with a Peruvian bill that claimed the maritime domain.
Chile’s answer would be immediate and the verbal mess up would become normal since that date and even worse, with the mistrusts of Peruvian president Alan Garcia revealing an agreement “under the table” between Bolivia and Chile in exchange for the so-desired Bolivian exit to the sea.
And they are not the only ones, the wick of the conflict faced by Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia on one side and Colombia on the other continues burning since March 1st, 2008, after the incursion of Colombian troops on Ecuadorian territory which ended up with the death of the leader of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), Raul Reyes.
And there is more: a new discord has arisen because of the military agreement between Washington and Bogota which allows American Soldiers to use seven Colombian aerial bases. The alliance, as it was to be expected, raised the rage from Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez who has not hesitated to declare that that action promotes “winds of war.”
Arms race in progress
According to a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, so far Venezuela is the regional leader in the arms race, with approximate expenses that rise to US$4,400 millions between 2005 and 2008. If we only talk about South America, the scandalous military expenses also involve Brazil, Chile and Colombia.
The reappearance of these belligerent shopping has caused such a discomfort among some Latin-American leaders. One of them, the Peruvian President has criticized the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and the Organization of American States (OEA) for their apparent lack of control.
And that is not an exaggeration. The arms race goes beyond the verbal arguments. The mistrusts of the most defenseless against the best armed destroy any possibility of alliance. How to negotiate with a possible belligerent enemy?
Obstacles and failures
To talk about issues of regional development and even continental seems to be so unreal in Latin-America. Good democratic projects like the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and Unasur have only served to highlight the real intentions of some states. The debates inside those organizations are becoming then useless ideological struggles that have prevented them from reaching any agreement about a unified way to proceed on important issues for the population.
Many disappointed specialists have said that the differences between the Latin American block and the European Union make it impossible to proceed the same way as the second one. The terrible memory of two world wars have created a hardened Europe making progress hand to hand and with clear policies of convergence like free trade of goods, the establishment of a main currency, the joint of funds for the development of areas in need, the execution of coordinated environmental policies and the eradication of borderline controls, giving freedom to its citizens to live anywhere within the European territory, amongst other common plans.
The EU did not begin the way we know it nowadays, but little by little started to acquire more faculties and it has evolved in many important aspects of social, political and economic development.
Latin America, meanwhile, still finds difficulties talking about issues such as drug trafficking, poverty, education, security and development without facing objection or indifference. It is not hard to understand then the reason why Latin American governments disagree in planning joint economic and social policies keeping in mind that many of our countries have not got a stable and invariable political and economic system.
Stability has never been a virtue of Latin American governments. The arms race, on the other hand, seems to be more a competition for the regional power, an eternal debate on which the strongest one is. The impact is too high for development in this part of the world, with communities that are about to collapse. Mistrust on one side and paranoia on the other one. The vehicle of progress seems not to be making any progress at all; as a matter of fact, it’s going backwards.
*Ligia Arias holds a bachelor degree in Communication and Journalism and volunteers in social projects in Peru.
***
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Latin America has always been a troubled neighborhood. While the proposals for a united block fail because of ideological disagreements, the shadow of the arms race is becoming sharper and espionage is increasing in the whole region as well: Peru is accusing to Chile of spying; Venezuela, Cuba and Ecuador to Colombia; and Paraguay -along with Uruguay- to Argentina. (Photo /Seinforma)
SPECIAL SERIES
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NO to US Military Bases in Colombia
“To talk about regional development seems to be so unreal in Latin-America. Good democratic projects like the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and Unasur have only served to highlight the real intentions of some states. The debates inside those organizations are becoming then useless ideological struggles that have prevented them from reaching any agreement about a unified way to proceed on important issues for the population.”
12/13/09
By Ligia Arias/Seinforma Correspondent
Lima.- Latin-American history is a book full of confusion because of bordering limits. It was a logic consequence then that the dream of a fraternal Spanish-American community proposed by Simon Bolivar didn’t succeed in the Conference of Panama carried out in 1826.
In that summit, only one conclusion was adopted by all the attendants: that there was no possibility of becoming a strong, only one political coalition. The territorial ambition of the most powerful ones had already begun to be noticeable, producing one war after another since the XIX century.
In the decade of 1820, Brazil and Argentina would fight for the possession of border lands. In 1865 they would do the same, joining Uruguay to fight against Paraguay in the war known as War of the Triple Alliance which would last up to 1870. Nine years later, the tragic War of the Pacific would stand Chile face to face against Peru and Bolivia.
By Ligia Arias/Seinforma Correspondent
Lima.- Latin-American history is a book full of confusion because of bordering limits. It was a logic consequence then that the dream of a fraternal Spanish-American community proposed by Simon Bolivar didn’t succeed in the Conference of Panama carried out in 1826.
In that summit, only one conclusion was adopted by all the attendants: that there was no possibility of becoming a strong, only one political coalition. The territorial ambition of the most powerful ones had already begun to be noticeable, producing one war after another since the XIX century.
In the decade of 1820, Brazil and Argentina would fight for the possession of border lands. In 1865 they would do the same, joining Uruguay to fight against Paraguay in the war known as War of the Triple Alliance which would last up to 1870. Nine years later, the tragic War of the Pacific would stand Chile face to face against Peru and Bolivia.
