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| Sunday, 6 March 2005 |
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Features |  |
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Another Left victory in Latin America Globescan by M.P. Muttiah South America has taken another bold step to shun the US economic and political pressure with Tabare Vazquez assuming presidency in Uruguay last week. Uruguay, which was widely considered as one of the closest allies of Washington in the region, now has turned its back. Recently, the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice expressed her fear that Argentina would be a "second Cuba", a "negative force" in the region and some aspects of Hugo Chavez rule "very deeply troubling" Washington. Now this fear has doubled with Broad Front leader Vazquez Swearing-in as President of Uruguay, where a "third Cuba" is struggling to be born. Immediately after assuming power, Vazquez unveiled a 100-million dollar anti-poverty program. The second act was to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba which was broken in 2002, by former President Jorge Battle. He has also signed an agreement for Uruguayan food for Venezuelan fuel. The agreement with Argentinean President Nester Kirchner was on human rights. The very presence of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Brazilian President Luiz Inaceo Lula Da Silva, Argentinean President Nestor Kirchner, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and the Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Rogue at the inauguration signalled an impending regional integration of Latin American and Caribbean countries. Uruguay's new regime has further consolidated the new leftist consensus in Latin America. Three-quarters of the region's 355 million people have chosen Leftists as their leaders within the past six years. They are united in their determination that the neo-liberal policies, what was called "Washington Consensus", imposed on them by the United States in the 1990s, have failed. The rejected free economic reforms are closely linked with the US and the financial institutions it backs, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The other important historical aspect is that the new Presidency of Vazquez's Leftist government is the first one in the 180 years of two party rule in Uruguay, which was difficult to distinguish. At the elections held last October, the Broad Front, coalition led by Vazquez, comprising socialists, communists, social democrats and ex-Tupamaro guerilla leaders, won the day, while the National Party and Colorado Party were pushed to second and third places respectively. Dr. Vasquez inauguration came exactly 20 years after the restoration of civilian rule in that country. During 1972 to 1985, the country was ruled by rightist dictatorships that killed, jailed, tortured or forced into exile thousands of Uruguayans on the pretext of Communist threat. During which Tupamaro guerillas fought the Uruguayan state until the end of dictatorship. The new president said that he would investigate the widespread abuses of that era and assured the horrors of the past would never recur. He also vowed that he would adopt an independent foreign policy, and favoured non-intervention and peaceful resolutions of conflict. He said he would not tolerate outside interference in Uruguay's internal affairs. "We have pledged changes and will bring in changes," Vasquez told deputies and members of the 130 foreign delegations attending the swearing-in. Dr. Tabare Vasquez, a cancer specialist, has a challenging responsibility of curing the economic illnesses of the Uruguayan economy. |
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