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30 November 2002

Leftist, Hugo Chavez is still wobbly in his Venezualan presidency.  This week he sacked 15 senior military personnel who had been involved in his last kidnap.  The capital of Caracas is torn apart by divided opinion. Should he go to another election (his third! - how many times do people have to say yes!) or should he be allowed to govern as intended?  Referring to himself at times at the "Second Bolivar", Chavez has as grand a vision as Bolivarīs - to reunite the northern countries of South America into one economic and political block, to fight the Evil Empire to the North.  The question now is will he survive the international onslaught to bring him down?
 
 

In neighbouring Ecuador, there are elections occurring.  Former coup leader Lucio Gutierrez  has enormous support from the poor and the Indigenous peoples. He has promised to end corruption and to fight for social justice.  He wore his uniform throughout the campaign but toned it down a little when he won a majority vote in the first round in November.  He has a hard job ahead if he succeeds President Noboa who has opened the door the IMF and 'economic reforms'.  The popular vote may bring Gutierrez in but will it hold him there?

In neighbouring Peru, Alejandro Toledo was put in place in mid 2001 by Congress after they declared Fujimori 'morally bankrupt'.

In September, Brasil's Lula has won a fourth term in office with his Worker's Party.

Meanwhile in Colombia, former paramilitary leader and now President, Uribe wasted no time in taking firm actions totally backed by the Bush USA administration in mid 2002.  With USD192 billion released from Plan Colombia for the 'eradication of guerilla activity', Uribe is a populist.  People on the streets talk about their weariness with years of leftist guerilla (FARC & ELN) and paramilitary sponsored kidnappings, extortions against international oil companies, and drug dealing.  Uribe denies that his vehement actions against the FARC and ELN has anything to do with his anger for the FARC killing of his father who was a wealthy landowner.

Since his inauguration in August 2002, Uribe has instigated a number of significant changes to how things are done in Colombia.  Like Mao Zedong in China, he set up a paid system of informants throughout the country and given people in towns in especially vulnerable areas flackjackets and armaments to form viligante groups against guerilla.  He has removed all pension fund benefits for all professions including the many senators.  He has removed many worker benefits like overtime.  And to the surprise of many, he has brokered a cease-fire with the largest paramilitary organisation the AUC beginning tomorrow.

Much is to come.  We watch as military patrols on the main roads into Bogota become thicker and more frequent.  Meanwhile, in the city, buildings are going up, businesses are opening, people talk freely, the army boys wander in a relaxed manner, and the Christmas lights are up and ready for the blaze of 6th December lighting the entire city in a wild orgy of colour and light. A sign of hope of some kind.  The question for me is who is paying the power bill?