LATIN AMERICA: Justice and envy

The cry for justice rings down the ages. Socially it means no gross disparity between incomes and life styles. If all are equally poor, there will be a feeling of solidarity. If a few are very wealthy, envy sets in, and with it a demand for justice. This is the bases of justicialismo, both of the Peronist and the Catholic kind. The New York Times (9/24/02) ran several long and relevant articles Some were about the general decline in income in the US, especially among minorities. This comes at a time when in addition to business executives being indicted, the huge incomes of many executives working within the system are being made public. The situation is infinitely more serious in Latin America. Even in Mexico, which is viewed as relatively prosperous, 53.7% of the population live below the poverty level.. The contrast with the very wealthy has been brought out in a photograph album, Ricas y famosas, by Daniela Rossell. the book has had an enormous impact, but her life is now in danger. Understandably. discontent is thus widespread throughout Latin America.

There is the continuing civil war in Colombia, and Venezuela is close to it. The links between the FARC guerrillas and the IRA exemplify the ties between terrorism and civil war. U.S. News & World Report (9//30/02) has a feature article on Al Qaeda, with a chart showing its structure, very similar to that of the Soviet-era communists, with the difference that it does not have a central base like the USSR. In Latin America there is Cuba, but where is Cuba going? An immense US agricultural fair is being held in Havana, the first since Castro came to power. Under the leadership of Jesse Ventura of Minnesota, 33 US states are participating. The initiative came from Cuba, and the Bush administration is not happy. Cuba must pay hard cash for purchases, so it is not clear how much business will be done. Essentially, the US producers want to get their foot in the Cuban door. Nor is it clear what the impact on the Cuban population will be., or indeed what Castro's motives are.

Here are two responses from the capitalist side to the poverty in Latin America. In Mexico, 23 of the 35 First Ladies of the Americas met in Mexico City. among them Laura Bush of the US. The theme was the poverty of children, and there were the usual speeches. Do not expect many results from this meeting, which served primarily to bolster Mexico City's role as the focal point of the Americas. Too bad that the meeting coincided with street protests against kidnappings, notably that of two actresses. Presumably the first ladies had armed escorts.

Another positive sign was also verbal. Jeffrey Katz of the World Bank spoke in Washington of the poor countries, asserting that their poverty had been alleviated by great strides in various areas. His evidence was not very definite, and the poor or impoverished people of Latin America will pay no attention to these claims. For them the possible war with Iraq seems very distant. A similar mood prevailed in New Mexico, with its large Hispanic population. The US Census Bureau, which produced the figures quoted above on the decline in US incomes, placed New Mexico at the very bottom of the poverty charts. In Congress, Jeff Bingaman reported on their feeling of abandonment. The famous Mexican novel Los de Abajo (1915) by Mariano Azuela, translated into English as The Underdogs (1928), still rings true, alas.

Ronald Hilton - 9/26/02