Declaration of the Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity on June 24, 2022
The Ecuadorian people, with the indigenous and peasant movement at the forefront, have taken to the streets to express their resistance to the adverse impacts of the extreme neoliberal policies implemented by the government of banker Guillermo Lasso. (more…)
By Manuel R. Gomez on June 22, 2022
Policy towards Cuba was almost completely out of the headlines until two recent Administration actions: the exclusion of Cuba from the Summit of the Americas, which brought criticism from much of the continent, and the announcement of several modest yet positive steps to reverse some of the draconian measures taken by Trump against the island. (more…)
By David Bacon on June 23, 2022
2019 protest against the H2-A guest worker program. photo: David Bacon
Ninety-six years ago, J.W. Guiberson, a San Joaquin Valley cotton grower, explained a primary goal of the country’s biggest agricultural interests. “The class of labor we want,” he said, “is the kind we can send home when we get through with them.” (more…)
By Gustavo A Maranges on June 23, 2022
photo: Stephanie Feldon
The situation in Ecuador has been critical for 10 days now. The country has been paralyzed since June 13, when the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) called for a general strike due to the critical situation of more than one million indigenous people and the poorest sectors of Ecuadorian society. The government has responded to people’s anger with excessive repression, (more…)
By Atilio A. Boron on June 20, 2022
photo: Prensa Latina
With just over 98 percent of the precincts counted, the triumph of Gustavo Petro, candidate of the Historic Pact, in the second round of the Colombian presidential elections was confirmed. Petro had 50.51 percent of the votes against 47.22 percent for his rival. It is an extraordinary victory, with not only national but also continental projections. (more…)
By Alejandra Garcia and Gustavo A Maranges on June 21, 2022
We Won!
This Sunday, Colombia made history. For the first time, a leftist candidate will become president of this Latin America nation that yearns for a definitive regime change. Gustavo Petro, the former rebel fighter who has promised a profound social and economic reform in that country, is the Colombian people’s best option at this point in time to get them out of the poverty and violence that has shaken them for decades. (more…)
June 21, 2022
photo: Radio LaCalle
With more repression, raids and mobilizations throughout the country, Ecuador reaches its ninth consecutive day of protests with new statements by the Minister of Defense, Luis Lara, accusing indigenous organizations of putting “democracy at risk”. (more…)
John Perry on June 18, 2022
Daniel Ortega’s government in Nicaragua is “laying waste to civil society” according to the Associated Press. The Guardian called it a “sweeping purge of civil society,” while for the New York Times, Nicaragua is “inching toward dictatorship.” According to the Washington Post, the country is already “a dictatorship laid bare.” In a call repeated by the BBC, the UN human rights commissioner urged Nicaragua to stop its “damaging crackdown on civil society.” (more…)