All posts by CPNN Coordinator

About CPNN Coordinator

Dr David Adams is the coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network. He retired in 2001 from UNESCO where he was the Director of the Unit for the International Year for the Culture of Peace, proclaimed for the Year 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly.

Medellin, Colombia: The Week for Disarmament 2022 involved more than 1,300 participants

.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from the city government of Medellin (translation by CPNN)

From June 30 to July 7, the Medellín Mayor’s Office held the now traditional Week for Disarmament. This year the slogan was “Because life is worth it “, as a way to contribute to the prevention of all kinds of violent attitudes, homicides and fatal accidents and, through pedagogy, to discourage the carrying, possession and use of weapons.

In this edition, more than 1,300 young people participated in activities in different parts of the city. For example in the Héctor Abad Gómez Educational Institution, 450 people from the student community were involved.


Photo from Mayor of Medellin

Another development was the “Culture to the park” initiative, with the discussion “Weaving from the word and the experiences on the Medellin Future for the prevention of armed violence, and how art has been a mobilizer for the transformation of the city.”

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(Click here for the Spanish original of this article)

Questions for this article:

How can culture of peace be developed at the municipal level?

What is happening in Colombia, Is peace possible?

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“We have carried out all kinds of interventions in the territory. We develop strategies according to the premise “Because life is worth it”. In Villa Hermosa we held a discussion about the experiences of our Medellín Future and the prevention of violence, in which other Secretariats participated. To close this week we have the youth camp with the happiness strategy and the Football Culture component”, said the Undersecretary of Local Government and Coexistence, Carlos Gutiérrez Bustamante.

On July 7, a camp was held for coexistence in the Altavista corregimiento sports area, in the village of Manzanares. The staff of the Coexistence Unit of the Security Secretariat participated in this strategy leading a space for learning and reflection for the community.

The Non-Violence Secretariat also joined the agenda with armed violence prevention strategies that led by the “Partners” and Non-Violence Schools programs in which prevention actions are carried out with boys, girls, adolescents and young people at risk of being used or recruited by armed groups.

“From the Secretariat we want to strengthen the message and the commitment to consolidate a culture of peace and Non-Violence in the city of Medellín, for this reason, our territorial work with a preventive approach focuses on generating scenarios for dialogue and conversation through art. as part of a commitment from the construction of territorial peace to deconstruct violent imaginaries”, said the Undersecretary of Construction of Territorial Peace, Carolina Saldarriaga.

During 2021 and so far in 2022, nearly 1,500 young people and children have benefited from pedagogical spaces through training and work opportunities, as well as artistic and cultural methodologies for peace with the themes of respect for life, rejection of armed structures and the change of attitudes about the use of weapons.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Novel Approach to Nuclear Disarmament

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

Received at CPNN by email from Nomad, Damon
 
Dear Colleague for Peace,
 
There are many organizations, campaigns, and initiatives for nuclear disarmament.   Unfortunately, few people can focus on the message, sounds too complex or it’s lost in the buzz of our busy lives.  I have spent the last three years working full-time on a novel way to advocate for the cause, literally novels.  I have written a three-novel trilogy, dedicated to the cause of eliminating nuclear weapons, in the framework of espionage thrillers, without gratuitous violence and wars.

Question related to this article:
 
Can we abolish all nuclear weapons?

I want to get people interested in disarmament by reading an exciting thriller, founded on science, international relations, and policy.  I have worked and found a publisher. I have no advertising budget or social media platform. I am reaching out to the community of interested people and organizations to help.
 
Please pass the message on, see the link below to the first book published by Speaking Volumes.
 
Phantom in the Desert (Nuclear Proliferation Trilogy): Nomad, Damon: 9781645406402: Amazon.com: Books
 

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, global

Honduras: “Mesas de seguridad ciudadana” to be developed in 298 municipalities

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from La Prensa (reprinted according to a license CC – attribution) (translation by CPNN)

The government of Xiomara Castro launched yesterday in Santa Bárbara the “Mesas de seguridad ciudadana” within the framework of the Community Police, which will be in the 298 municipalities made up of members of the National Police, civil society, private companies, non-governmental organizations, judges and fiscal authorities.

(Editor’s note: A “mesa de seguridad ciudadana” is a governance network that brings together citizens with authorities from all levels of government in the construction of a common agenda on security and justice. Through dialogue and collaboration, it builds agreements and defines action measures of local scope. Citizens exercise co-responsibility by participating in the preparation of the agenda and following up on the agreements. The work model of the “Mesas de seguridad” prioritizes a horizontal organization, similar to that of restorative justice.)


President Xiomara Castro launched yesterday in Santa Bárbara the new security model for the country. The Minister and Deputy Minister of Security and the police leadership were present. Photos: Franklyn Munoz.

According to the authorities of the National Police, the Community Police model is not new, since it already existed, but now it seeks to create a stronger link with citizens and the habit of reporting, as well as creating and developing programs that collaborate in the prevention and deterrence of crime.

This new security strategy involves five pillars, according to the police leaders:

* respect for human rights,

*return to the community,

*decentralization and autonomy,

*prevention of conflict,

*and the creation of a new public security institution.

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(Click here for the original article in Spanish)

Discussion questions

Restorative justice, What does it look like in practice?

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This security model of the Castro government includes the community police officers carrying out social surveillance in the intervened neighborhoods and the Military Police combating the maras and gangs through their crime deterrence techniques.

“Now we have to put it into action and put it into practice, we must attend to all the needs that arise within a social group and with the participation of all, and how the Government can collect all the data and translate it into benefits for society,” explained Ramón Sabillón, Minister of Security.

Prevention

The president of the republic, Xiomara Castro, pointed out in her speech that prevention policies “in our country are necessary, especially to reduce the levels of insecurity that we have inherited. In the past we have acted in the cases of homicides and delinquency, but now the most important action must be prevention in our communities and our peoples, which has not previously been addressed.

The president said that the actors will be the “patronatos”, the water collectives, the associations of peasants, farmers, ranchers and neighborhood collectives.

“I want to promote a culture of peace and citizen participation in our country with preventive actions, establishing bonds of trust and proximity between the Police and the community. The proximity of the police with the people is the main asset that the Community Police needs in orde to fulfill this new role that is assigned today,” Castro said.

The director of the National Police, Gustavo Sánchez, said that violence and criminality have generated 65,000 homicides in the last 12 years “due to their poor treatment and poor approach.

The launch of the Community Police with the strategy of “mesas de seguridad ciudadana” seeks the participation and co-responsibility of citizens”.

“There will be a more timely, effective and respectful service, including for the offender who will be referred to the courts or to the competent bodies,” said the director of the Community Police, Germán Sánchez.

DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION, Latin America

Chile: the main changes in the proposal for the new Constitution

. . HUMAN RIGHTS . .

An article from Radio 3 (translation by CPNN)

The Constitutional Convention delivered today (July 4) the draft of the new Constitution to the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, with a series of changes with respect to the current Constitution, as summarized below.

In the text of the new Constitution that the population must accept or reject in a plebiscite, the passage from a “democratic republic” to a “parity democracy” is highlighted, which implies that women occupy at least 50% of all State bodies and proposes to take measures to achieve substantive equality and parity.


Gabriel Boric on Twitter

The now former president of the Constitutional Convention, María Elisa Quinteros, expressed in her speech that the text delivered today to the president is “the first joint constitution in the world,” and noted that it was chaired by two women.

The current constitution of 1980 does not include anything related to a gender and parity approach, in fact, the closest thing to parity is the article that indicates that people are born free and equal in rights, a rule that was reformed, since previously it only referred to to men.

Another great change proposed by the text is that it defines Chile as a Plurinational and Intercultural State, which implies the recognition of 11 peoples and nations, in addition to constituting Indigenous Regional Autonomies and recognizing the legal systems of indigenous peoples, with respect to the Constitution. The current constitution totally omits native and indigenous peoples.

Regarding the Political System, there are also important changes, such as the lowering of the age from 35 to 30 years to run for president, in addition to the consecutive re-election of the Head of State himself for once, a measure that will not apply to Gabriel Boric, but which will apply for the next president.

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(click here for the article in Spanish.).)

Question related to this article:

Are human rights guaranteed in national constitutions?

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It also highlights the elimination of the Senate, a body that has more than 200 years of history in the country. It will be replaced by a Chamber of the Regions, which will have less power than the Senate had before and would have the power to form limited laws and regional agreements.

The lower house would be renamed the Congress of Deputies and Deputies and would have greater power for the formation of laws. Hence there will be two chambers with asymmetric power.

One of the strengths of the new proposal is the one that defines Chile as a “Social and Democratic State of Law”, including a series of articles that guarantee social rights, such as education, health, housing, work and pensions. .

In this matter, the current constitution gives the private sector powers to act over State institutions in the provision of social goods, while the proposed new Constitution indicates that it is the duty of the State to seek solutions to these problems.

The proposed constitutional text also includes a change regarding abortion, since it indicates that the State must ensure the conditions for a voluntary and protected pregnancy, childbirth and maternity, and for a voluntary interruption of pregnancy. The current Constitution of 1980 explicitly protects “the life of the unborn”, although this was modified with the approval of the interruption of pregnancy on three grounds: fetal inviability, risk to the life of the mother, and rape.

The proposal was initially criticized by the most conservative sector, arguing that this measure implied interrupting the pregnancy at any time, according to its detractors. However, it will be a right that must be regulated by the Legislative Power, which will decide which are the deadlines and the way to do it.

To combat the water crisis in the country, the text includes a great difference with respect to the current constitution, since water will be established as a “non-property” good, in addition to establishing a human right to water, prioritizing its use and creating a National Agency of Water for its sustainable use.

These are some of the major changes in the proposed constitution, which includes 388 articles, and which will be presented to the country’s president, Gabriel Boric. The president himself and the ministers Izkia Siches (Interior) and Giorgio Jackson (Secretary General of the Presidency ) will sign a decree that establishes the plebiscite on September 4 for people over 18 years of age, which will decide if the new Constitution is adopted.

HUMAN RIGHTS, Latin America

Bolivia Enacts Law on Femicide, Infanticide & Rape

. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .

An article from Telesur English

On Monday, the Bolivian government enacted a law to protect victims of femicides, infanticides, and rape of children and adolescents, given the cases in the country in which convicted rapists and murderers have been released.

Criticizing the patriarchal system that sustains gender-based violence, Bolivian President Luis Arce said that the law “establishes mechanisms to protect the rights of the victims.” 


President Luis Arce enacted Law 179/2021 for the Protection of Victims of Femicide, Infanticide and Rape of Children and Adolescents. July. 4, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/@EmbajadaBolesp

Questions for this article

Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?

According to the head of state, the law is intended to counteract acts of prevarication and the formation of consortiums that seek to benefit rapists or femicides.  

The penalties for prevarication in cases of femicide and infanticide are increased to up to 20 years in prison. The Bolivian Ministry of Justice said that criminal proceedings would be initiated for delay and revictimization would not be allowed.

The President asked the militants of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) and its ministers to “show by example” the “true fight against violence” without “double standards.”

Attorney General’s Office reports showed that between January and June of this year, 48 cases of femicide and 21 infanticides had been registered in Bolivia.   

The Public Prosecutor’s Office said that asphyxiation, blows or trauma, and the use of bladed weapons or intoxication by substances are the leading causes of these violent deaths of women.

This year was declared the Year of the Cultural Revolution for De-patriarchalization in Bolivia, seeking to establish structural solutions to curb the persistent cases of violence against women in the country. 

Latin America, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Argentina says has China’s support to join BRICS group

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article from Reuters (reprinted by permission)

Argentina’s government said on Thursday (July 7) it had received China’s formal support for the country’s bid to join the BRICS group comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, a bloc seen as a powerful emerging-market alternative to the West.


China’s President Xi Jinping attends the Dialogue with BRICS Business Council & New Development Bank during the BRICS summit in Brasilia, Brazil November 14, 2019. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

Question for this article:

What is the contribution of BRICS to sustainable development?

Argentina’s foreign minister Santiago Cafiero met with his Chinese counter Wang Yi at a G20 event in Indonesia, where that support was formalized, the ministry said in a statement. Argentina is a major exporter of soy, wheat and corn.

“Wang Yi formally confirmed his country’s support for Argentina’s membership of the BRICS group, in line with what was agreed between the group’s leaders,” Argentina’s foreign ministry said.

It added that if Argentina joined the group it would “strengthen and broaden its voice in defense of the interests of the developing world.”

Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez had previously said that the country, which is battling an economic crisis with high inflation and weak foreign currency reserves, wanted to join the BRICS group. That process required the support of its members.

The term BRIC was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001 to describe the startling rise of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The BRIC powers had their first summit in 2009 in Russia. South Africa joined in 2010.

China has by far the largest economy in the BRICS grouping, accounting for more than 70% of its collective $27.5 trillion economic might. India accounts for about 13%, with Russia and Brazil representing about 7%, according to IMF data.

Latin America, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Regional Peace Boosted by Colombia-Venezuela Relations Reset

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from Telesur English

A Venezuelan congressman said that the potential normalization of relations between Colombia and Venezuela would bring renewed peace to the Latin American region.

Jacobo Torres, a member of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), made these statements to Sputnik, given the victory of leftist Gustavo Petro in Colombia’s presidential elections. 

“That is now going to allow the normalization of the Colombian-Venezuelan relations that have been significantly deteriorated since [Alvaro] Uribe [2002-2010] came to power, Torres said about Petro’s victory.

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Question related to this article:

Solidarity across national borders, What are some good examples?

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Peace in the region will gain fresh impetus and the popular and progressive sectors in Latin America will be strengthened, Torres added.

According to the Venezuelan deputy, the defeat of Uribism in Colombia is a gain for the world. “The exit of Uribism from the Government is already a gain for the whole world, we begin to take the first step against those who up to now for 200 years have finished with the Colombian people and the scenario in the region begins to cool down,” he said.

The government of Nicolás Maduro expressed on Monday its willingness to build a new stage of cooperation and strengthen ties with Colombia after the electoral victory of leftist Gustavo Petro in the second presidential round.   

Torres said that Petro’s victory would bring an end to the acts of destabilization carried out by Venezuelan opponents operating in Colombia. They “will no longer have the protection of narco-paramilitarism in the Colombian government, and that will force them to leave for other destinations,” Torres said.

In February 2019, Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Colombia in the face of an attempt by the opposition led by former deputy Juan Guaidó to introduce alleged humanitarian aid across the border. Caracas called it an invasion attempt.

The failed assassination against Maduro in August 2018, the attempted invasion through the entry of alleged humanitarian aid in 2019, and the entry of armed terrorist groups through the Colombian-Venezuelan border are acts of destabilization of which Venezuela accuses the government of Iván Duque. 

On August 7, at the end of Iván Duque’s term, Gustavo Petro will be sworn in.  

Latin America, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

The World’s First Ever Practice-based PhD in Cultural Diplomacy

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Received at CPNN from Christelle Walker (WAALMPSA)

The University of Salford, School of Arts, Media, and Creative Technology in Manchester, UK, proudly announces that the first ever degree of Doctor of Philosophy, PhD by published works in the field of Cultural Diplomacy is conferred to Dr. Mosi Dorbayani, a Canadian practitioner, and a well-regarded scholar in the field.

Questions related to this article:

What is cultural diplomacy?

According to Salford’s Doctoral School, this PhD is the first ever practice-based research degree in the field of Cultural Diplomacy, which looks at the subject matter beyond typical International Relations or Political Science. It brings Cultural Diplomacy to the global communities around the world.

Prof. Dr. Alan Williams, the lead supervisor on this project adds: “what makes this work unique, is the way that it combines management and business theories with international relations and the arts. It examines arts and music, cross-cultures, cultural products, and creative industries, as well as their roles in economic developments, well-being, and social welfare. It provides new definitions, guidelines and methods in the practice of Cultural Diplomacy.”

Further on that note, the Salford Practice as Research Centre of Excellence (PaR) highlights that the topic of ‘Cultural Diplomacy: The Role of Music and Creative Industry in Establishing Dialogue and Understanding for Social Impact’, by Dr. Dorbayani, contains several real-life case studies on how Culture and Artistic Productions could / can impact societies socially and economically, and establish dialogue and understanding at local, national or even international levels. It shows in practical ways how for example song writing can address global audiences to advance a Cultural Diplomacy agenda.

Source: University of Salford – Research with Impact

Europe, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

United States: Statement by the National Council Of Elders

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article from The Progressive Magazine

We are veterans of a long struggle for social justice in our nation and peace in the world. We are the National Council of Elders (NCOE) and stand alongside legions of elders who work to resist oppression and build dreams of new worlds. Our commitment is to accompany younger twenty-first-century leaders in their effort to bring a greater measure of justice, equality, and peace to our country and world. Individual members of the NCOE who are signing this statement are listed at its end. For more information about the NCOE, see www.nationalcouncilofelders.org.


February One is the name of the 2002 monument dedicated to Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil and David Richmond who were collectively known as the Greensboro Four. On February 1, 1960 they staged a sit-in at the Woolworth Department store in Greensboro, NC. All were students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in their freshman year. Shortly afterwards sit-ins began across the South. James Barnhill, sculptor

We are offering this out of our deep concern for the future. We are appalled at the brutality of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the killing and uprooting of thousands, and the destruction of their homeland.

Yet we have questions about our own country’s role in the lead-up to the war and the decision to supply Ukraine with weapons and intelligence information while failing to work for de-escalation of the conflict and for peace between Russia and Ukraine. Though Ukrainians are valiant, we must support them by insisting that there be negotiations toward peace before their country is utterly destroyed. We recognize the longing for peace within Russia, as many Russians risk their lives to denounce the invasion of Ukraine.

Our government has proven to be able to turn global crises into opportunities to extend its domination of other people and to gain control of resources. It must be stopped from waging a proxy war against Russia to maintain world domination, initiating the Cold War all over again. In committing billions of dollars to Ukraine for weaponry, our Congress seems oblivious to the danger that escalation might lead to nuclear war, putting all life at risk. It has refused to provide the same pressures toward a peaceful, negotiated resolution of the conflict.

The U.S. capitalist system rests upon a power that is secured by violence and the threat of violence. Hence violence pervades all aspects of our lives here in the United States, corroding our most essential connections to each other. Our government is ready to spend trillions on war, but will not legislate to provide money to feed the hungry, house the homeless, or provide a good education for our children or health care for all.

Questions related to this article:

Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

The peace movement in the United States, What are its strengths and weaknesses?

A deepening sense of grief has settled over many as we witness the outrage of war in Ukraine and the egregious gun violence here at home, in the neighborhoods of Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, and elsewhere. Any violent death by noose, knee, gun, drone, missile, howitzer, or bomb is a dramatic symptom, not the disease.

The mounting bloodshed at home and abroad engulfs us all. Domestic gun violence has broken our hearts and greatly wounded our lives. It has destabilized our society by inducing wide-scale fear, distrust, and loss of faith in the laws of civility.

Most egregiously, gun violence has killed or injured more than 34,500 children, 6,500 of whom are under the age of 12. Guns are the number one cause of death for teenagers, some of whom have been targeted by a “toy” industry that inures them to violence and the preciousness of life.

The profits from the arms industry, from handguns to missiles, are skyrocketing. Many members of Congress and gun manufacturers are so heavily invested in the sale of guns, and the culture of violence and war that they try to deflect attention from the horrors we are witnessing—and which we are responsible to stop—by insisting that mental health problems and the failure of school safety measures are to blame for the loss of so many innocent lives.

We know the profound hypocrisy of their message. We must not allow legislators whose objective is U.S. global dominance and who have been corrupted by bribes from the gun lobbyists to sacrifice the lives of our children and the people’s peace to their own arrogance, greed, and inhumanity.

At the international level, we call for:
● Intensification of demands for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
● A pledge that the United States will never again use nuclear weapons. 
● Re-engagement in nuclear arms reduction by all nations.

At home, we call for:
● A ban on the sale of weapons of war.
● Demilitarization of local police forces and an end to racist police violence,
● Increased funding of programs that ensure essential social and economic resources to communities, and cultivate the critical and creative capacities of our children.

Our society is drowning in more than 400 million guns. By all means at our disposal, and with all measures that will restore our spirituality and our respect for our neighbors, we will work toward a culture of peace. We call on everyone to become actively involved in the local and national efforts that are focused on keeping our communities free of weapons of war. Foremost, we must commit ourselves to protecting the children and helping them see the possibilities of a world where life is valued, protected, and cherished.

Signers:
Rachele Agoyo ~ Dorothy Aldridge ~ Judy Baca ~ Dorsey Blake ~ Lewis Brandon III ~ Candi Carawan ~ Mandy Carter ~ Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz ~ Marian Wright Edelman ~ John Fife  ~ Aljosie Aldrich Harding  ~ David Hartsough ~ Gloria Aneb House ~ Shea Howell ~ Dolores Huerta ~ Phil Hutchins ~ Joyce Hobson Johnson ~ Nelson Johnson ~ Frank Joyce ~ James Lawson Jr. ~ Philip Lawson ~ Sherri Maurin ~ Catherine Meeks Eugene ~ Ed Nakawatase ~ Eugene “Gus” Newport ~ Myrna Pagán ~ Suzanne Pharr ~ Lyn Pyle ~ Bernice Johson Reagon ~ Frances Reid ~ Loretta Ross ~ Kathy “Wan Povi” Sanchez ~ Charles Sherrod ~ Shirley Sherrod ~ G. Zoharah Simmons ~ Louie Vitale ~ Hollis Watkins ~ Arthur Waskow ~ Junius Williams ~ Bob Wing ~ Janet Wolf.

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, North America

The Two Waves of Latin American Progressive Governments

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article by Fernando Casado in Telesur English

The recent consecutive electoral victories of progressive parties in Latin America evoke memories of the leftist’s hegemony in the region at the beginning of the century. If the disastrous liberal policies of the 1990s led the spread of the first progressive wave, the same structural causes of hunger, inequality, and marginalization are at the bottom of the ongoing second one.

However, both waves have differences that are important to pinpoint to ensure a better understanding of the current political process Latin America is experiencing. Thus, it is critical to look at the forerunners of the countries involved in each of these waves. Whereas in the first one the leaders considered to be at the front-line were Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Luz Ignacio Lula da Silva in Brazil, Nestor Kirchner in Argentina, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, and Evo Morales in Bolivia.

The second wave has been dominated by countries that never fell under the influence of the first, such as Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico, Gabriel Boric in Chile, Jose Pedro Castillo in Peru, and Gustavo Petro in Colombia.

It is also worth mentioning that the first wave had its climax when the ex-bishop, Fernando Lugo, won the elections in Paraguay in 2008. However, the following year after a coup d’état ousted Manuel Zelaya from the Presidency in Honduras, the decline of the first wave started. This wave could be considered to have brought to a definite end after Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment in Brazil in the year 2016.

On the other hand, the second wave is an ongoing process that will actually be boosted if Lula da Silva regains Brazil’s Presidency, as all the opinion polls forecast in the coming elections of October 2022. 

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Question related to this article:

Solidarity across national borders, What are some good examples?

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The main similarity of both waves of progressive governments is their aim to curb poverty and inequality through the intervention of a strong State in charge of redistributing the wealth which, historically, has been gathered in very a few very greedy hands. Furthermore, all the progressive governments applied inclusive policies and pleaded for a fair multi-ethnic society based on the support of the outcast majorities. 

Additionally, both these governments’ waves have a common opposition to the U.S. intervention in their internal affairs, identifying the Monroe Doctrine, “America for the Americans”, as a new form of imperialism. Having said that, the actions taken by certain countries so far were actually firmer during the first wave. In fact, back then, Correa in Ecuador closed down the U.S. military base in the city of Manta while Venezuela and Bolivia ousted the DEA from their countries. 

Nonetheless, the awareness of the importance of deepening the integration within the countries of the region varies in both waves. During the first wave numerous leaders envisioned projects to bypass the U.S.-controlled Organization of the American States and attempted to consolidate alternative integration organizations such as the Union of the South, the Bank of the South, or the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America.

After the decline of the first wave these projects stagnated or even disappeared. Notwithstanding this, the alternative regional integration organizations are not in yet on the list of priorities of the leaders of the second wave, who are mainly focused on their domestic agenda. Greater political instability and less economic resources could explain the lack of international ambitions and coordination among the countries of the region. 

Concerning the political discourse and specific actions, there has been a significant shift in the second wave as well. The new progressive governments do not claim to confront the capitalist system but rather the effects of the impoverishment and marginalization it produces.

Whereas the governments of the first wave put the emphasis on changing the free-market economy into a socialist system, somehow the new leftist governments have moved towards the centre regarding the political spectrum, in what could be explained as a consequence of the global drift to the right followed in the Western democracies. 

Hence, the new progressive governments’ moderation has enabled them to avoid direct confrontation with mass media and the establishment, or at least to a lesser extent than the governments of the first wave experienced it.

There is still a long way to go before the second wave of progressivism in Latin America can be accurately assessed, until then we can only wait and see if things develop in the right direction, because otherwise the future to come will be riddled with violence and misery.

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Latin America