Over the past few days, many eyes in the Western Hemisphere have been on the hotly contested presidential election in Peru. Left-wing candidate Pedro Castillo of the anti-imperialist Free Peru party appears to have gained the upper hand against establishment figure Keiko Fujimori in an otherwise dead-heat contest, which the latter then accused him of rigging. The possible election of such a radical socialist, whose public image includes humble ponchos, sandals and straw hats, has been empowered by a generation of young people deeply disillusioned by the country's spiralling inequality, prolonged poverty and corruption scandals, as well as rural voters and indigenous communities.
Yet, this is not a political earthquake in Peru alone, but in fact one of many increasingly spanning an entire continent. Latin America is experiencing a "red wave" - a momentous blast of left-leaning energy sweeping across multiple countries and empowering a thirst for radical change. As this election heads to its finale, protests and uprisings continue to sweep Colombia, Chile has abandoned its Pinochet-era constitution, and former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is making a resurgent comeback in Brazil.
But what is causing this? What do these countries have in common? The answer is a rejection of a neoliberal, US-led economic order of "market fundamentalism" which has exacerbated a vastly unequal distribution of wealth, a diminishing of opportunities, and high unemployment - all of which have prolonged disillusionment and left the economies of the continent stagnant over the past decade. Now, the wind of change is here and it's all happening in America's own backyard, which it claims as its own but does not tend to the garden.
In many ways, the misfortunes of Latin America have been exacerbated by geopolitics. Since the 19th century, the United States has wielded its "Monroe Doctrine" - a foreign policy approach that prerequisites undisputed dominance over the entire Western Hemisphere as a safeguard for American interests and national security. Such a policy has led to a longstanding approach in Washington to remove and hinder any governments whose preferences do not align with their own, especially socialist ones. This has led to many outright wars, coups and other illicit regime changes, all of which prolonged chronic instability and severely set back many of the countries involved.
As a result, this longstanding lust for political dominance has not been matched with a strategy of facilitating development, investment and growth throughout the continent. The United States has long sought to impose its economic system across the region, but it has not generated growth and prosperity as was marketed, but instead led to the wholesale privatization of assets to US control and "free market fundamentalism," the erosion and absence of a national industrial and technological base, as well as the creation of small, super-rich pro-US oligarchic classes and a negation of the masses, which subsequently results in mass immigration towards the US itself due to a lack of local opportunities.
When Kamala Harris turned up in Guatemala this week, the message the world heard was "Don't come," revealing the otherwise chronic lack of empathy and economic focus Washington has vested in Latin America. It is no surprise on such a background that movements in the south have subsequently arisen, demanding popular change. They are not driven by geopolitical competition, the events in Peru, Chile and Colombia amongst others cannot be explained by Russia, China or Cuba, but a broken status quo and a system which is permanently rigged against them. US neoliberalism in this region is a failed experiment. With the United States now having decided the world's future is "the Indo-pacific" and Asia, where does that leave South America?
In this case, it will be interesting to see how the US foreign policy establishment reacts to the red wave on its doorstep. Will they perceive it as a national security threat? Will they seek to uproot and dismantle these movements? Or even facilitate coups? Even if they are not driven by any particular geopolitical rival, it is not hard to see why they are for the most part unequivocally anti-American in character given the history, with US flags having been burned in Colombia. Yet even if not, Washington can surely not ignore these events due to their explicit ideological element, which will challenge the popular discourse that East Asia is set to be "the story of the 21st century." This movement may yet in unforeseen ways have ripple effects on the wider world. The red wave is reimagining South America, and it isn't over yet.
About the Author:
Tom Fowdy is a British writer and analyst of politics and international relations with a primary focus on East Asia.
Reader Comments
CTM assholes.
CTM - In Chile, Concha tu madre or more formal, "CSM" concha su madre, meaning "f" your mother. In these parts, it is quite common and not like if someone said the same in English in the States...like say a white stranger in a black hood who has absolutely no fear...
Either way, could get your ass kicked face-to face...but quite common on Twattar and Facefuck websites in Chile...
This Brit asshole with a focus on "East Asia" doesn't even have a clue about the differences and reality across multiple countries over thousands of miles. What a dick, I would even agree with the SJWs if they analyzed him and did not know he was from their same pedigree of them... surprise CTM assholes, one of youse!!
Why don't you actually try to discourse instead of posting half-assed articles that are in-line with the international left narrative (which SOTT is supposedly against??).
Once you see keywords, like "neo-liberal" "right-wing" "conservative" "reactionary" without proper context, their BS is obvious and direction of comment already pre-determined.
- one of the things I like about SoTT is that it is NOT just an "echo chamber." Articles from many different sources & viewpoints provide the opportunity to think for one's self and hone your critical thinking abilities.
- as evinced on many other pages/articles the "discourse" part is mainly "up to us."
This particular article is an area I personally know almost nothing about. If you have knowledge and insight on the situation I would bet that many here would appreciate hearing from someone "closer to the source" than an RT journalist.
An example from a different area would be all the "mainstream science" articles that are posted which are then typically ridiculed based on other possible, and often well-informed, interpretations.
everywhere south of the Rio Grand has been quasi socialist... well.. forever. Oye Como Va,
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Regarding Chile, yes there was a year and a half caos where the Santiago Metro was destroyed, buildings burned businesses (many small without any regard that they were not the biggie oligarch chains) destroyed to the point WE (I live here among the people and am not rich) were in fear that all the supermarkets and banks (your money and the place to pay bills,etc.) were about o be extinguished. OK, so all this led to a vote on if the old constitution should be modified. Only about 30% turned out, of that 30%, 80% voted for a new constitution. OK, this is a process and we are FAR FAR FAR from a new constitution as first, 155 reps are voted in and then they must take the next so many months to write a constitution and then it will be put up to a vote which if defeated means the old constitution remains...We just had the rep vote and less than 30% turned out for that and now the emboldened far left with a coalition of 35 is saying no participation unless their many point far left manifesto is agreed to first which is beyond their mandate as reps...
So the idiot above says Chile left the old Constitution (which BTW has been modified many times by the ruling left coalition over 30 years). Not exactly true and Chile in the end may not change crap when the middle cla$$ (the silent majority get involved). Remember, the left has been quite successful in brainwashing the young ones and more here with their control of education, media and gov.
But look at the stats, which country has hugely eliminated poverty over 30 years in this part of the world? Where else in the hemisphere can you even drink the tap water without issue? I live here, health care for all is better than what the US can ever hope to have. The poor and working class receive frequent cash bonuses from the gov throughout the year. The majority of the working class and poor own their own houses free an clear thanks to gov subsidies reaching 100%. Free legal aid, free milk for the baby, free degree and other training if you qualify as poor... Why are SOOOOOO many Venezuelans trying to get in even crossing an extremely dry desert that was formerly heavily mined? Another dickhead assumption of the Brit, CHILEANS are not running to the States, the poor in SOUTH AMERICA, THE CARIBBEAN are instead running to and overwhelming CHILE.
This is just scratching the surface. Many of the young supposedly left supporting here are so enamored with their latest iPhones, Samsung Galaxy's and their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktoc andTinder accounts that I am surprised they even had time to gather in the plazas and other locations to destroy things and block roads.
But actually that is another topic for another day as I OBSERVED SOOOOO MANY PARALLELS to the riots that happened in the Staes a year later. Antifa is indeed international and I saw what they learned in Chile was applied to the US and other parts..
To be continued if desired...
This may be long, Love it! I would guess 70% of even SOTTfolk would get that one wrong by instead typing 'maybe'. Yeah, we've all learned hard lessons about those truths this past year. Thanks!
RC
And a hearty "thank you" as well.
Can only speak for myself, but suspect it applies to many others... "Yes" and "always."
Knowing more about "what's really going on" as opposed to just "what an article said" is, as far as I can tell, greatly appreciated.
HVAC: "mebbe" IS "maybe" but it is NOT "may be". (Or mebbe I'm wrong on that? 🤔🤷♂️ )
RC
how long do you suppose it will be.. before expat in chile.. decides to forgive me?
mebbe nevah eh?
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You are more than forgiven and I also forgive the SOTT and Cass monitors.
Salud.
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;>
advocates to nationalize resources
rejects LGBT transgenderism and same sex marriage
opposes legal abortion
advocates for restoration of death penalty