Monday, February 8, 2010

The Push is on to Move Paraguay into the Leftist Camp

By Jerry Brewer

Paraguay ushered in Fernando Lugo as President in August 2008.  Lugo, a former Bishop in the Roman Catholic church, was labeled by some political analysts as part of a “pink tide,” and of the mold of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and President Evo Morales of Bolivia.  This, relating to “anti-free market leftists,” and in the company of those that have redistributed wealth to the poor and have nationalized industries.

Is this a true assessment and fair compilation of Paraguay’s relatively new leader and expectations for the future?  Lugo was quick to assert his desire to enjoy good relations with the United States.  Too, Lugo has stated his admiration for the likes of Morales, Chavez, and Presidents Correa of Ecuador and Ortega of Nicaragua, a notorious axis of controversial leftists in the hemisphere.

Lugo’s ultimate political leaning will be as important to Latin America’s free democracies as any other single factor.  As a target of leftist political recruiting and anti-U.S. rhetoric, Lugo will be challenged and judged rather quickly as to his commitment of being part of the solution to free nations' progress throughout Latin America, or as an additional member of the “problem.”

Paraguay is described and distinguished as half of the country living in poverty.  What makes Paraguay’s success critical to Latin America is its strategic location within the tri-border area (TBA) with Argentina and Brazil.  This, an area saturated in transnational criminal activity including terrorism, weapons, drugs, and human trafficking, among others.  The players, diverse sinister elements consisting of Russian mafia, narcotics traffickers, Chinese Triads, Hezbollah, al Qaeda, Hamas, and Colombian guerrillas/extremists.

Lugo, defeating a single party (the Colorado) that had governed for more than 60 years, and the long dictatorship of General Alfredo Stroessner from 1954 until he was overthrown in 1989 for democracy, has already thrown the first red flag of concern.  While the history of Paraguay also includes military coup attempts and other political violence, Lugo has joined the likes of other leftists within their axis with opposition to U.S. military presence in their regions in narcotics interdiction and anti-terrorism and counter-guerrilla movements.  This is indeed curious when the threats are real, well-documented, and faced by poor countries that do not possess the resources to combat these obvious threats to their homelands.

A significant position by the Vatican labeled President Lugo’s position on U.S. military presence within the region as “Liberation Theology,” as Marxist influences.  The TBA is factually a hub of war-like factions that is quickly becoming a powder keg.  Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay are prime target countries for this criminal element as modern launching locations from their desolate seclusion within the TBA. 

President Lugo, with virtually no former experience in the affairs of state government, inherited a poorly functioning economy within a “small impoverished country with weak institutions.”  Hence, a ripe scenario for Chavez to continue to influence Paraguay with discounted oil and other handouts, contributing to Chavez’s oblivious disregard for his own nation’s poor, and a continued disastrous economic and political scenario for Venezuela. 

Unity among leftists was demonstrated by Ecuador’s President Correa at Lugo’s election victory stating “the triumph of comrade Fernando Lugo is yet another stone in the foundation of this new Latin America that is just, sovereign, independent, and why not, socialist.”  There is no doubt that conditions in Latin America, due to increased class battles, will challenge the capital system and increase the building of a socialist economic structure.

The pain and suffering of the people of Paraguay since the 1980s was felt, as paramilitary and actual  military groups assisting agricultural business and landowners evicted around 100,000 small farmers from their fields and homes.  This mass relocation that included indigenous communities in favor of soy fields.  There were reports of around 100 campesino leaders assassinated  

President Lugo’s thoughts for “a heartfelt and deep-rooted desire for change” for his nation must not be carried on the backs of his people, in a revolutionary-disguised movement bartered by the generosity of the leftist leader of another nation at the expense and suffering of his own people. Yet in Paraguay, and blaming the “Yankee Empire,” Hugo Chavez declared “For the first time I feel wanted in Paraguay.”

President Lugo must tread carefully as he is closely scrutinized by his Latin American democratic peers, for his nation lies within a very volatile region with much potential for world-grabbing headlines.  He must be posed for a fresh start for Paraguay in the “right” direction. 

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Jerry Brewer is C.E.O. of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global risk mitigation firm headquartered in Miami, Florida.  His website is located at www.cjiausa.org.