Latin American Experts Ask Obama To Alter Bush's Ruinous Regional Policies
The right wing criminal Bush regime has made a disaster of US global relations, especially in Latin America where it only manages to wholeheartedly support other right wing government like that of Colomibia which mirrors its own criminal, anti-human rights policies.
Now Latin American experts, expecting an Obama win next week, have called on Obama to change that damaging relationship with our Latin American neighbors.
From IPS News: "Will Washington's policy towards Latin America be genuinely different from past U.S. administrations if Barack Obama is elected as the next president in November? To some experts on Latin America, the answer is no. Others believe that the U.S. role would be far more positive.
" 'I don't think Obama is devoting a lot of energy to focus on Latin America. That may be due to the scope of the current economic crisis,' Forrest Hylton, the author of two books, "Evil Hour in Colombia" and "Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Colombia," told IPS. 'But I am hopeful, because he is highly rational and pragmatic about many questions.'
"Hylton, who is also a scholar at New York University, said many of those specialising in research and writing on Latin America have been increasingly concerned about the current U.S. role in the region, and want to see a positive change in Washington's policies.
" 'Take advantage of an historic opportunity to improve relations with Latin America," Hylton and other Latin America scholars said in a letter sent to Obama Tuesday. "Become a partner, rather than an adversary, concerning changes already underway [in Latin America]."
"The letter sent to Obama in anticipation of a Democratic victory next Tuesday, Nov. 4, was signed by nearly 400 academicians engaged in policy research on Latin America, including Eric Hershberg, president of the Latin American Studies Association, the world's largest group of scholars on the region.
" 'I don't think Obama is devoting a lot of energy to focus on Latin America. That may be due to the scope of the current economic crisis,' Forrest Hylton, the author of two books, "Evil Hour in Colombia" and "Revolutionary Horizons: Past and Present in Colombia," told IPS. 'But I am hopeful, because he is highly rational and pragmatic about many questions.'
"Hylton, who is also a scholar at New York University, said many of those specialising in research and writing on Latin America have been increasingly concerned about the current U.S. role in the region, and want to see a positive change in Washington's policies.
" 'Take advantage of an historic opportunity to improve relations with Latin America," Hylton and other Latin America scholars said in a letter sent to Obama Tuesday. "Become a partner, rather than an adversary, concerning changes already underway [in Latin America]."
"The letter sent to Obama in anticipation of a Democratic victory next Tuesday, Nov. 4, was signed by nearly 400 academicians engaged in policy research on Latin America, including Eric Hershberg, president of the Latin American Studies Association, the world's largest group of scholars on the region.
"In their letter, the academics tried to draw a parallel between the candidate's slogan for "hope and change" in the United States with the aspirations of millions of people in Latin America who have won struggles for economic and social justice in their countries.
" 'The current impetus for change in Latin America is the rejection of the model of economic growth that has been imposed in most countries since the early 1990s, a model that has concentrated wealth, relied unsuccessfully on unrestricted market forces to solve deep social problems and undermine human welfare,' the signers of the letter said.
" 'The current impetus for change in Latin America is the rejection of the model of economic growth that has been imposed in most countries since the early 1990s, a model that has concentrated wealth, relied unsuccessfully on unrestricted market forces to solve deep social problems and undermine human welfare,' the signers of the letter said.
"The group of academics also rejected the current U.S. policy of domination in Latin America, praising the role of new democratic governments there and noting that the contemporary "movements for change" in the region derived their strength from active participation of workers, peasants, women and indigenous communities.
" 'They are neither puppets, nor blinded by fanaticism and ideology, as caricatured by some mainstream [media] pundits,' they told Obama in the letter. "To the contrary, these movements deserve our respect, friendship and respect."
" 'They are neither puppets, nor blinded by fanaticism and ideology, as caricatured by some mainstream [media] pundits,' they told Obama in the letter. "To the contrary, these movements deserve our respect, friendship and respect."
n the 1970s and 80s, U.S.-backed military regimes in the region committed gross violations of human rights, including extra-judicial killings of democracy activists and mass imprisonments of the leaders of movements for social justice.
"Despite its rhetoric on democracy and freedom, the U.S. government remains hostile to countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and others where leaders of social justice movements have come to power with the support of the vast majorities of their citizens."
"Despite its rhetoric on democracy and freedom, the U.S. government remains hostile to countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and others where leaders of social justice movements have come to power with the support of the vast majorities of their citizens."
It's time for a change from the Bushite ruinous, right wing, anti-democracy, anti-human rights policies to those policies of mutual understanding , respect, dialogue, and cooperation towards all the nations of Latin America.
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