Letters from Our Readers

This Week in the Americas

Protesters Turn the Tide on Immigration Debate
By Laura Carlsen

The immigration demonstrations held across the country not only marked an historic mobilization of one of the nation's most silenced sectors. They also turned the tide on a national debate that threatened the basic values and cohesion of U.S. communities.

Millions of people poured into the streets last week and their cries of protest went beyond whether or not to enact a certain piece of legislation. The fundamental demand of the marchers was for recognition within the country they call home.

Laura Carlsen directs the Americas Program of the International Relations Center, online at www.irc-online.org.

InterAmerican Development Bank Refusal to Grant Debt Relief a Blow to Bolivia
By Alfred Gugler

Earlier this week, the directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) had an opportunity to help end the cycle of poverty in extremely poor countries. But instead of following the lead of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in canceling the debt of highly-indebted poor countries like Bolivia, the IDB postponed making a decision until the end of the year. This delay has dire consequences.

In Bolivia, the most economically poor country in South America, four of every ten inhabitants are extremely impoverished, meaning they live on less than $1 a day. In terms of numbers, almost 3.5 million people live in conditions of absolute poverty in this Andean nation. 

Alfred Gugler is a researcher for the Jubilee Foundation in La Paz, Bolivia. The Jubilee Foundation (www.jubileobolivia.org) works on the themes of public debt and poverty and is a member of the Platform of Action against Poverty which includes more than sixty civil society organizations that advocate for the total cancellation of Bolivia's external debt.

The Resurrection of Lula
By Raúl Zibechi

According to polls, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has emerged unscathed from the political crisis of corruption his government suffered in 2005. With his popularity on the rise, it is likely he will be reelected for another four years in October. Nevertheless, there are indications that important changes have taken place that will limit his possibilities.

Lula has recovered a good portion of the popularity he lost in 2005 and is in good condition for a victory in the upcoming election in October. According to all projections, Lula will defeat Geraldo Alckmin, governor of the state of Sao Paulo, who is running on the opposing Social Democratic Party (PSDB for its Portuguese initials) ticket.

Raúl Zibechi, a member of the editorial board of the weekly Brecha de Montevideo, is a professor and researcher on social movements at the Multiversidad Franciscana de América Latina and adviser to several grassroots organizations. He is a monthly contributor to the IRC Americas Program (www.americaspolicy.org).

Caracas: Sixth World Social Forum
By Luis Hernández Navarro

The Sixth World Social Forum (WSF) took place at four different venues this year. Two of them—Bamako, Mali, and Caracas, Venezuela—have already taken place. The next two will be held in Bouznika, Morocco, and Karachi, Pakistan.

Unlike the previous Forums, the one held in Caracas this year had a distinctive focus on State politics, which is to say it centered on the debate over power strategies, the nature of leftist governments in Latin America, the resistance to imperialism, and regional integration. 

Luis Hernández Navarro is the Director of the Opinion section of La Jornada in Mexico and a contributor to the IRC Americas Program found at www.americaspolicy.org.

Argentina Thirty Years after the Coup
By Marie Trigona

This March 24, Argentines commemorated the 30-year anniversary of the nation's 1976 military coup and the brutal nightmare of state terror that followed. Throughout the week, human rights groups remembered the 30,000 people who were disappeared with a series of rallies and cultural events.

Without a doubt, anniversary commemorations were much larger this year than in the past. Massive crowds could barely squeeze into the Plaza de Mayo and tens of thousands spilled over into the connecting avenues during the demonstration on March 24. Along with the masses that returned to the streets for the first time in decades, polemic debate among human rights groups accompanied this year's commemorations.

Marie Trigona forms part of Grupo Alavío and writes regularly for the IRC Americas Program (online at americas.irc-online.org). She can be reached at mtrigona@msn.com.

Take Part in Protecting Border Agencies to Save Water, Money
By Talli Nauman

The post-modern water reclamation agencies of the U.S.-Mexico border did themselves proud in the Fourth World Water Forum in Mexico City this past month of March, highlighting reasons they should not be wiped out, as some Treasury Department officials on both sides of the international boundary apparently would like. Chief among the reasons for keeping the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission (BECC) and its twin sister North American Development Bank (NADB) is that they have created a successful model motivating cross boundary public participation and professionalism in water cleanup to actually improve health and environment while saving taxpayers money.

Talli Nauman is the Americas Program Associate and IRC editor at large (www.irc-online.org). Her article originally appeared in The Herald Mexico - El Universal.

Letters from our Readers

Re: Protesters Turn the Tide on Immigration Debate

It is disingenuous to say that the House of Representatives leadership decided that the “criminalization” of illegal immigrants would be dropped as a result of protest demonstrations. That decision was made before any protest demonstrations and presented as an amendment during the House floor debate and was voted down when, for tactical reasons, the Democrats decided it was to their advantage to have that provision remain in the bill and voted against the amendment. Because of that vote, the next opportunity to change the provision is likely to be in a conference committee with the Senate—if immigration legislation is passed—and that is when the House leadership says the provision will be eliminated. That is only the most egregious of distorted comments made in the commentary.

Jack Martin
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

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