Uribe gets buried at UNASUR

A bit surprising, but not quite, Alvaro Uribe went into UNASUR in the spirit of an internationalist but he will probably leave an isolationist. All Chavez had to do is provide the forum with a rather recycled narrative of american interventionism, and then wait for the rest of the presidents to bury Uribe's hope for acceptance of his newly planned american military presence in Colombia. A big letdown to Uribe was also Peruvian President Alan Garcia's cautious support, who while ridiculing Chavez in his speech, still asked for accountability from Colombia in regards to US spionage etc.

As a latin american I have always opposed foreign military presence in latin america, regardless of its nature, but specially american. The baggage is just too overwhelming. For example, the U.S. Military presence in Latin America has always been used as a disguise to support the establishment of nationalist authoritarian regimes. One recent example is Panama's Noriega in the 80's. While Noriega's upbringing both as a CIA agent and his reputation as a vicious and brutal man within the PDF demonstrated his support of the US, as soon as he flipped his support he based all his political ideology on the platform of US interventionism in Panama. Fidel Castro and all his international ideologues, regarding Guantanamo and Cuba's vicinity to the US, will support any kind of abuse, torture, repression or injustice on the pretext of american interventionism(see Galloway for example around 2:30 specially).

In a contemporary context, the presence of the american military must be transposed to the absolutist regime of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and the prospects of re-election of Alvaro Uribe in Colombia. The truth is that both of them come out winning in this matter. On one hand Hugo Chavez can now enjoy an infinite presence of american military next door in order to solidify his regime's propaganda. On the other hand Alvaro Uribe will enjoy far more of Chavista overtours in his domestic policy and will mobilize his support against the vulgarity and viciousness of the Venezuelan government.

Ideally, Uribe would let his term expire, set the example for the rest of latin america, and let a new colombian president be elected, who would likely defend an alternative to the Chavista bolchevism without 8 years of baggage. Now what we are getting is a mirror image of endless perpetuity in power, and on top of it, US bases in Colombia.
Its funny that those in power are always winning, even if it looks like they are losing. That's my conclusion out of this UNASUR bussiness today.

Amy Goodman & Zelaya supporter get smashed by former Clinton Advisor

Listen or read Amy Goodman and a Zelaya supporter get completely obliterated by a former Clinton advisor

What a shame.. Goodman starts as a moderator but later has to intervene in the middle of the debate because it was just too much of a smackdown. I want to clarify that I don't support the Honduran coup.. but sometimes radicals face radicalism. OH!!, and in the end, watch how Goodman doesn't want to talk about Venezuela's involvement with the Zelaya government. Its like talking about a Lebanese election without mentioning Syria, Iran or the US. DISGRACEFUL!!

Democracy Now or yesterday?

Goodman and Davis debating. I am not showing the other guy's picture because he was tacitally disqualified by Goodman herself. Listen to the debate yourself!