The US is infamous for its imperial history in the region. But Washington isn’t the only empire in its backyard. Global and local forces of capitalism, imperialism and modern-day colonialism are at work across Latin America, from soccer stadiums to copper mines.
On the conflicts between the politics of extraction of natural resources among countries led by leftist governments in Latin America, and the politics of Pachamama (Mother Earth), and how indigenous movements have resisted extractivism in defense of their rights, land and the environment.
Under the Presidency of José “Pepe” Mujica, Uruguay has made a number of international headlines in recent years for progressive moves such as legalizing same sex marriage, abortion and marijuana cultivation and trade, as well as withdrawing its troops from Haiti. This week, Mujica offered to welcome detainees from the US’s detention center at its base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
Michelle Bachelet’s return to the presidency, and her promise for structural changes to Chile’s educational and political system, is the result of a decades-long struggle to move out of the shadow of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship, and is one of the fruits of the more recent student movement for a better society.
Julieta Ojeda is a part of Mujeres Creando, an anarchist/feminist organization in Bolivia that has been a radical voice for women’s rights before and throughout Evo Morales’ time in office. We interviewed her in La Paz in the midst of various social protests against the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) government.
El imperialismo de EE.UU. se extiende por Latinoamérica mediante bases militares y acuerdos, explotación corporativa y deuda. También se basa en una vasta red de vigilancia de comunicaciones, una reciente revelación que sacó a la luz el alcance de Washington a las calles y a las salas del poder de la región. Sin embargo, más que con McDonald’s y balas, un imperio depende del miedo, y el miedo al imperio falta estos días en Latinoamérica.
Copyright Toward Freedom 2019