Fw: [Peace-discuss] FMLN DECLARES VICTORY!

Mon Mar 16 13:13:34 CDT 2009

----- Original Message ----- 
From: unionyes 
To: Ricky Baldwin 
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 1:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] FMLN DECLARES VICTORY!

Left-Populist Governments

Venezuela
Bolivia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Nicaragua
El Salvador

Left-Liberal Governments

Guatemala
Hondurus
Chile
Argentina
Uruguay
Brazil
Suriname

Panama has a scheduled national election on May3rd.

Only Columbia, Peru, and Mexico are controlled by right-wing governments

Of course they stole the Mexican election two years ago ( see Greg Pallast's " Florida con Salsa " ) identical to the tactics used in Florida in 2000 and 2004 and Ohio in 2004 as well. Even the same company " Choice Point ".

But now that many Mexican workers are returning to Mexico ( 800,000 in December alone ) due to the economic downturn in the U.S., things will definitely change.
For one thing, most of the Mexican workers returning are under the age of 40, and cash remittences (sp ) that were stabalizing the Mexican economy are a fraction of what they were. 
I think the corporate / military class in the U.S. are well aware of this, and may be another reason why they created NORCOM by stationing a brigade of combat troops in the U.S..
In particular you see all of the hysterical news stories about Mexican drug gang shootings. This is significantly being exagerated by the corporate media, but the purpose of course is to prepare the American people for possible  U.S. military intervention in Mexico, to prop-up the government.

We will see what happens, it is defintely going to be interesting in the next few years.

David J.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ricky Baldwin 
  To: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com ; John W. 
  Cc: Peace-discuss List 
  Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 11:12 AM
  Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] FMLN DECLARES VICTORY!

  Wow!

  That's 10 left or center-left gov'ts in Latin America now, I believe.  Not a majority, but enuf to cause some molar-grinding at various places in Virgiania and Marlyand, I'd guess. ;-)

    The NACLA Report has a good, short piece in this month's issue about solidarity, criticism without Northern imperialism vs. uncritical support, thinking about the election as it was approaching.

  It's not available online yet, but it's a follow-up to a round table discussion they ran in the prev issue, which was also good: 

  http://nacla.org/node/5392?editionnid=5385&issuename=Not%20Just%20Change,%20But%20Justice:%20Taking%20on%20Policy%20in%20the%20Obama%20Era&issuenum=1&volume=042&issuemonth=January/February&issueyear=2009&lilimage=files/covers/421coverlo.jpg

  Hey Dave - you owe Bob $20! :-)

  Ricky

  "Speak your mind even if your voice shakes." - Maggie Kuhn 

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  From: Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com>
  To: John W. <jbw292002 at gmail.com>
  Cc: Peace-discuss List <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
  Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 7:00:02 AM
  Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] FMLN DECLARES VICTORY!

  It's official.

  Salvadoran ex-rebels win presidency for first time
  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090316/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_el_salvador_elections

  SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – A leftist television journalist has won El
  Salvador's presidential election, bringing a party of former
  guerrillas to power for the first time since a bloody civil war and
  ending two decades of conservative rule.

  Mauricio Funes, a moderate plucked from outside the ranks of the
  rebel-group-turned-political-party Farabundo Marti National Liberation
  Front, became the latest leftist to rise to power in Latin America at
  a time of uncertainty over how President Barack Obama will approach
  the region.

  With 90 percent of the vote counted late Sunday, Funes had 51 percent
  compared to 49 percent for Rodrigo Avila of the ruling conservative
  Arena party, said Walter Araujo, president of the Supreme Electoral
  Tribunal.

  Avila, accompanied by current President Tony Saca, conceded defeat and
  wished Funes luck.

  Funes reported on the 12-year war that ended 17 years ago with 75,000
  people dead, and he later hosted a popular interview show. He promised
  to unite the country after one of the most polarizing campaigns since
  the conflict.

  "This is the happiest night of my life, and I want it to be the night
  of El Salvador's greatest hope," Funes said. "I want to thank all the
  people who voted for me and chose that path of hope and change."

  Jubilant, red-clad Funes supporters poured into the streets of San
  Salvador, whooping, clapping, blowing whistles and waving large party
  flags. Colorful fireworks shot up into the night sky.

  Funes, 49, rode a wave of discontent with two decades of Arena party
  rule that have brought economic growth but done little to redress
  social inequalities. Fuel and food prices have soared, while powerful
  gangs extort businesses and fight for drug-dealing turf, resulting in
  one of Latin America's highest homicides rates.

  Funes promised to crack down on big businesses which he says exploit
  government complacency to evade taxes.

  "The time has come for the excluded, the opportunity has arrived for
  genuine democrats, for men and women who believe in social justice and
  solidarity," he told a rally of roaring supporters early Monday.

  Avila, 44, a former police chief, had warned that an FMLN victory
  would send El Salvador down a communist path and threaten the
  country's warm relations with the United States. He vowed Sunday to
  lead "a vigilant opposition that would ensure that the country does
  not lose its liberties."

  Close U.S. ties saw El Salvador keep troops in Iraq longer than any
  other Latin American country and become a hub of regional cooperation
  with Washington against drug trafficking. The country's economy
  depends on billions of dollars sent home by 2.5 million Salvadorans
  who live in the U.S.

  The Obama government has assured Salvadorans it would work with any
  leader elected — a marked departure from the Bush administration,
  which in 2004 suggested that an FMLN victory would hurt ties.

  On Mon, Mar 16, 2009 at 4:58 AM, John W. <jbw292002 at gmail.com> wrote:
  > Looks like you may have won a small but significant wager, Bob.  Though it
  > looks like it's not quite official yet....
  >
  >
  >
  > On Sun, Mar 15, 2009 at 10:34 PM, Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com>
  > wrote:
  >
  >> from the cispes election blog:
  >> http://cispes.org/09electionsblog/
  >>
  >> FMLN DECLARES VICTORY!
  >> March 15th, 2009 (14 minutes ago)
  >>
  >> The FMLN has declared victory! Mauricio Funes is giving his victory
  >> speech as these words are being typed. ¡El Cambio es Hoy!
  >>
  >>
  >> Second round of resutlts from TSE/ Segunda ronda de resultados del TSE
  >> March 15th, 2009 (51 minutes ago)
  >>
  >> With 73.80% of votes counted / Con 73.80% de actas contadas:
  >>
  >> ARENA - 944,633 votes/votos - 48.40%
  >>
  >> FMLN-1,007,287 votes/votos - 51.6%
  >>
  >> FMLN with slight lead in early official results
  >> March 15th, 2009 (1 hour ago)
  >>
  >> >From Supreme Electoral Tribunal press conference:
  >>
  >> With 33% of the vote counted:
  >> FMLN: 51.28%
  >> ARENA: 48.78%
  >>
  >>
  >> --
  >> Robert Naiman
  >> Just Foreign Policy
  >> www.justforeignpolicy.org
  >> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
  >

  -- 
  Robert Naiman
  Just Foreign Policy
  www.justforeignpolicy.org
  naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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