US wins first round at UNASUR--thanks to Colombia, Chile and Peru... (TRANSLATION OF ARGENPRESS.INFO ARTICLE)

This is a translation of an article that appears at the following link:

http://www.argenpress.info/2009/08/unasur-un-buque-hundiendose-por-el-peso.html

(note: this is not a bing translation--it's a real one...)

BEGIN TRANSLATION:

title: 

UNASUR: A sinking vessel in South America, due to the military weight of the U.S.

article:

What else could be expected! That the U.S. remain with its arms crossed, quietly observing how the south-American countries leave behind its particular interests and take control of their own regional ones?

That a Multinational south-American State rise up 'just like that' to put an end to the north-American practice of manipulating the politics of its back yard? That the financial markets of the region cease to be an integral part of the north-American economy? That the chronic underdevelopment of the region transform itself into a vigorous one, and be thus through the capitalist system? That those countries' military apparatus cease to be dependent on Washington both materially and ideologically and thereby the Empire's military power in the region be diminished? The U.S. is not content with what it has accomplished so far: Having the naval and air-space control of all Latin America. They can, at any moment, establish a boycott of any country in our region. The military bases in Colombia allow the U.S. to concenter a military force, which bends the sails in the very heart of South America, in a relatively short amount of time. Anybody that knows the figures of what are the FFAA of Colombia (Army: 240,000 soldiers) has to ask him or herself the reason why Colombia would even require the physical help of yankee [e.g.: gringo] soldiers in their territory to fight a FARC that's been beaten-down and diminished as of late. The FARC can't be more than 9000 on hand at present, and they're in zones with limited population, which hinders their being supported by the masses. And, is that military reinforcement really required to fight narco-traffic, when many Colombian government and parliamentary officials are found entailed therein? It would seem more logical that there's another objective. Maybe the objective is the deployment of the north-American forces in Venezuela or Ecuador to lend support when those countries react in the presence of an eventual coup d'etat or a civil war. There they will be acting to “establish peace and democracy”.

The U.S., through Uribe, has introduced a heap of termites in that wooden ship that's yet been unable to transform itself, into a steel cruiser. And the termites corrode from the inside not only Colombia, but also countries whose governments follow ambivalent politics with regard to the union of that region of the world that, has traditionally been, the one that's propped-up the north-American economy for a very long time. Let us Chilenos not forget how the north-American firms controlled the extraction and sale of copper, which was called “Chile's wages”. Although, in truth, it seemed more like the wages of the north-American contractors and the employees of said firms. What an enormous amount of capital that which slipped out of the country and subtracted funds much needed for development. The underdevelopment of Chile and other countries from the region permitted the near-limitless development of the U.S. Even when copper production was increased, the revenues favored more the north-American capitalists than Chile. To understand this, the idea expressed by many economists is important: “The development of some countries exists in terms of the underdevelopment of others”, as well as the riches of a few exist in terms of the poverty of many. And that has happened to almost all latin-American countries. The U.S. has prospered thanks to a dissimilar interchange, as if there were actually an Unwritten Law concerning the international division of labor. While we were exporting raw materials and farming products, the U.S. was filling us with its industrial production, achieved via better techniques, which utilized our raw materials and in that way it was sinking our national industry. They would take the minerals that had a strategical character at convenient prices for them, and they would sell us artifacts produced with these very raw materials. The ALCA is nothing more than the allowing of north-American products to enter without the influence of customs tariffs; in detriment, of course, to the inceptive national industry.

Uribe has become north-Americanized. It's a north-American splinter in South America that allows all those termites and malicious insects to act without hindrance, and deceiving presidents like Lula, piercing from side to side that drifting ship, when we believed we were sailing in the wind. And it's quite clear that we're not just talking about Uribe. Also working in the trenches are the presidents of Chile and Peru. Curiously, within South America, these are the countries that spend most of their budget's money on weaponry and armies, in proportion to their populations. And also, it's somewhat curious and coincidental that they're the ones that maintain to the death the neoliberal-capitalist model. Their ambivalent attitude: to manifest their support of UNASUR and develop politics that are dependent and submissive towards the U.S., makes us think that in reality, they're simply there to boycott this possible Multinational State, which would be free of U.S. control.

Many people (including so-called leftists) see in Obama somebody very distinct from his predecessors. Of course there are differences, and these more than anything occur in the internal-politics circuit. But, take heed! In the external circuit goes on the same politics as all the preceding presidents: to fortify the economic, political and military power of the U.S. in order to continue to rule the world. Those that don't understand this should devote themselves to something else and leave the politics to others. It's quite clear, that many say that they don't understand this, because deep inside, they're participants in the politics of domineering of the north-American Empire (that in truth, since becoming independent from the British colonies, created a true Multinational State, while Spain's colonies fought to create a multitude of large, medium, and small countries with their National States, under the protection of Burgess-ships, badly called national, once they bowed to that Multinational State of the north).

The birth of a south-American Multinational state is in peril. I believe that for now, with Uribe's betrayal of UNASUR (although some say it's not a matter of betrayal but of its classist interests in patronage of the international burguess-ships that are represented by the transnational companies) it will only be an open tribunal where many things will be aired and where much will be discussed, but with meagre results. Latin-American executives (like Mrs. Bachelet president of Chile who calls herself socialist) don't truly defend this project that is so important for the independent growth of the region. They're agents of international financial capital that deceive and manipulate their countries' masses to continue profiting by command of the power of the State. Unfortunately many humble folks see in these charlatans individuals that serve the interests of the great majorities, when in reality the interests they defend are the ones of national capitalists and of foreigners. In the “Mapuche” [e.g.: Indigenous Chileno/Argento] problem one can see very clearly this practice in favor of the multinationals and landowners who took by force, from the land of that ethnic South America. And whether it wins or loses the settlement in this new elections, the mapuche problem will continue along its present course, like they declare very well themselves, “that there exists a compromise between the Chilean government (whoever it is) with the transnational firms”. Therefore they have no choice but to organize and fight to recover their lands. It is clear, that as the situation becomes indefensible to the Chilean government that surfaces shortly there remain only two alternatives: to give public lands to the mapuche people or to repress with even more energy, but up until now it has been the politics of all the governments except the one of Salvador Allende.

Returning to the UNASUR problem, I think that the clashing between pro-north-Americans and anti-north-Americans obstructs, for now, the true unity that might permit the construction of a Multinational State in South America. In fact, the U.S. has won this first round and has managed that this important initiative be left behind. It has succeeded, moreover, to silence the voices, dissident and critical of a military occupation, camouflaged as a “war on drugs” or “war on terror”, of many countries that continue as neutral, who by their very neutrality contribute indirectly to sink the UNASUR ship.

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author of spanish article: Abel Samir

comments that appear in brackets are my own

updated on 9/9: changed meaning of agro from agricultural to farming...