No Regime Change in Latin America!
In late 2020, election results in the Bolivia indicated that Luis Arce of Evo Morales’ MAS (Movement Towards Socialism) were set to take a commanding victory in the Bolivian Presidential elections. Little more than a year after fundamentalist Christian Jeannine Áñez seized power in a coup, backed by reactionary elements within the Bolivian army and USA. The regime change has been overwhelmingly rejected by the people of Bolivia who have elected Luis Arce, who had served in the previous Morales Government, as president.
The coup, initially staged after OAS (Organisation of American States), claimed that voting irregularities occurred in the re-election of Evo Morales for a third term. The role of the US media such as the New York Times and the Washington post, was paramount in globally perpetuating the position of the OAC and USA’s State Department, in order to create conditions wherein Morales and his government by removed. The world media announced without any questioning that Jeannine Áñez had saved Bolivian Democracy, despite the fact, that she only ever received 4% of votes cast. Barack Obama’s ambassador to Russia Michael McFall and Clara Jeffrey the editor in chief of Mother Jones also perpetuated this narrative.
In the book, Under the Eagle, published by the Latin American Bureau, it states the in 1961, US President John F. Kennedy welcomed the foundation of the Alliance for Progress, believing that governments in South and Central America would need to reform to avoid revolution. Just like in the 1960s, the governments were led Oligarchs and puppet dictators, of which Áñez was no different. Immediately after her seizure of power, her priority was to violently suppress opposition which saw 23 indigenous Bolivians killed in the anti- Áñez protests that followed the coup. The violence exorcized by the military on anti- Áñez protest exposed similarities between that coup and the Pinochet Coup of 1973 were significant both in terms of the violent suppression of opposition and the cheerleading in Western media.
Bolivia, being a lithium rich country had its mines almost immediately privatised by the Áñez regime. The Economist newspaper, in typical Western fashion celebrates the removal of Morales or such left-wing leader is victory for the private market, free trade and neo-liberalism in a region. The welcome of the coup was welcomed by right wing governments in Colombia and Brazil offering their congratulations and support to Áñez. Jair Bolsonaro seized power in Brazil following the arrest on false charges of the socialist and trade unionist Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro received a resounding welcome from US President Donald Trump, underpinning how the USA were enabling the rise of the right wing axis in Latin America. The election of Joe Biden will come as little comfort for those opposing regime change in Latin America as his nomination, Anthony Blinken, has stated the Biden administration will continue Juan Guaidó as President of Venezuela.
However, the victory of Luis Arce of MAS in Bolivian the presidential elections, coupled with the successful plebiscite in Chile towards the end of 2020 are evidence that once again Neo-Liberalism will be soundly rejected at the Ballot Box in Latin America. ‘A year of Áñez’s rule marked by regressive economic policy, authoritarian assaults and a pattern of insults to Bolivia’s indigenous majority (including the burning of the Wiphala flag by racist demonstrators in conservative Santa Cruz) proved more than enough for most Bolivian voters.’ (https://newint.org/features/2020/12/07/introducing-luis-arce-catacora accessed on 27/01/2021) Arce’s tenure as Economy Minister in the Morales government lasted Morales’s full term, wherein he ensured that the poorest of Bolivia’s society felt the benefits of the new Bolivian commodities market. He also nationalised Bolivia’s mining, hydrocarbon and telecommunications companies. His track record is one of delivery and his victory clearly indicates that MAS built a following among the indigenous people and the working class of Bolivia that could not be defeated by the attempted overthrow of socialism in Bolivia.
The successes of the Cuban and Bolivarian revolutions hve paved the way for other countries in Latin America to reject US interference and the success of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua will be provide another ally for Arce and Bolivia. Opinion Polls also indicated in January 2021 that Ecuador is likely to elect Andrés Arauz who served in the government of Rafael Correa, another socialist leader who was exiled to Belgium in 2017 following another US backed coup.
The lessons from Latin American for our own struggle is that we can resist the injustices of Neo-Liberalism through building an organised working class voter base. Sinn Féin’s breakthrough in the general election last year, indicates that the continual privatisation of housing and health, are, issues that greatly impact the lives of the Irish working class. As is evidenced in Latin America, when Sinn Féin deliver for the most vulnerable in our society and ensure that they enjoy the fruits of their labour, we will be in a position to build an engaged, mobilised and ambitious movement that will refuse to ever again accept the scraps of the Golden Circles, that for far too long have been enabled by the Tories, DUP, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Le Jasmine Shaw