South America

Recently I wrote about my fears about China. Today I want to talk about our neighbors in South America. Prime Minister (read this DICTATOR) Putin of Russia granted Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's mad as a hatter president, one billion dollars in credit to purchase Russian weapons.

Evo Morales, president of Bolivia went off the wall last week when the American ambassador met with the prime opposition leader in La Paz. My sister, who was in Bolivia on a project for Virginia Tech, had to find new air transportation home because American Airlines was banned from Bolivia's air space.

These two stunning symbols of South American socialism (communism?) met today in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil with two other South American socialists, Rafael Correa, president of Ecuador and Luiz Inacio Lula de Sila (know simply as Lula to the people) president of Brazil. The meeting was in part to finalize the plans to build a highway from Quito, Ecuador to Manaus, Brazil. A few days ago, Chavez and Lula agreed to authorize loans to Bolivia to improve their Amazonian highway system.

Another reason for the meeting is that Chavez wants Lula to join him in building a continental gas and oil pipeline that would run from Venezuela to Argentina. With the recent discovery of two large oil fields in Brazilian territory, Chavez wants the Brazil as an ally.

Lula, however, is taking his time with a decision. No doubt he is concerned with the idea of any major project with the Venezuelan president, who is not noted for an easy going disposition. How all of this will play out is any one's guess and we will need to keep an eye on things.

Most Americans have the attitude that anyone south of the USA border is lazy, stupid, uninspired and no threat. Unfortunately, our history shows many instances of our butting into the national affairs of various countries in Central and South America (remember Allende in Chile. The CIA thought he was a communist, assisted with a military coop and Chile suffered for almost thirty years under the brutal dictatorship of General Pinochet. Way to go CIA.) The people of South America, just like anywhere else, have long memories. (The Bolivians remember that it was American Green Berets who "advised" the Bolivian Army during the hunt for Ernesto "Che" Guevara.)

Anyway the folks south of the border have no reason to love us. Now it appears their time is coming. Thanks to oil revenues the standard of living is on the rise, especially in Brazil. The middle class is coming into its own and business is booming. Trade is important and Lula has decided to trade with his neighbors. Although a capitalist in some ways, Lula is a socialist at heart and I feel that he is going all he can to bring Morales and Correa into his orbit. For the time being he is keeping Chavez at an arm's length, which I think is a good idea.

Bottom line, what we used to consider the Third World of Latin American, is slowly but surely coming into its own. Brazil and Venezuela have the potential to become super powers with in the next twenty years if they manager the profits from their oil revenues carefully.

We need to reevaluate our national strategy with South America. Brazil is an ally we need to keep. We need to help Lula keep Morales and Correa away from Chavez.


Complaining about the destruction of the rain forest doesn't cut it. If we do not want the countries of the Amazon basin to open up the forests for farming and mining, then we have to provide alternative forms of employment for those currently at work with the deforestation. It is hard for the Brazilians, Peruvians, Bolivians, and the rest listen to our cries, when they can see the destruction we caused to our forests.

We need to become allies and trading partners with as many nations in South America as possible. We need to start treating them as equals, not inferiors.

Allies are always valuable. Enemies, well we have enough already.

Its common Sense