Other than US President Bush's one-week trip through Latin America, which turned out much more successfully than I would have predicted (go team!), our nation's leadership seems completely oblivious to the Bolivarian Revolution. Do they really think Hugo Chavez exists in a vacuum? Maybe they do.

I suppose this should come as no surprise: The Republicans thought the Iraq War would take six weeks, while the Democrats believed al'Quaeda was primarily Shia. And that's the war we're already in. Why would they bother keep up with events in Latin America? They've got fundraisers to attend.


"None of our stars run red, and if you elect me president, none ever will! Well, maybe Oregon. And Vermont. But not Arizona, gosh golly darn it!"


On Little Havana's Calle Ocho, this "Eternal Flame" honors Cuban exiles who died in the 1961 Bay of Pigs Debacle. Needless to say, Castro-bashing is encouraged - nay, required - of visiting politicians hoping for cash donations.


Happily, Arizona Senator and Republican presidential frontrunner John McCain has finally mentioned the Bolivarian Revolution. In public! At a fundraiser, no less. And this audience - in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida, heart of the USA's Cuban exile community - really did have a clue. Many audience members, veterans of the Bay of Pigs, arrived in Miami shortly after the socialist 1959 Cuban Revolution sent that island's bourgeoisie (and mafia) packing.

"The Arizona senator said that 'everyone should understand the connections' between Chavez, Morales and communist Cuban President Fidel Castro," wrote the International Herald Tribune. "'They inspire each other. They assist each other. They get ideas from each other,' McCain said. 'It's very disturbing.'"

What should disturb the two or three regular readers of my slog is that McCain's version of the Bolivarian Bloc is about eight months out of date - it doesn't include Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, an ally of Castro since the early 1970s, Iranian President Mahmoud Amadinejad (click on the upper right-hand corner for English), or new Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who has had a big week (see below).

And never mind the droves of more moderate lefty Latin America leaders, who may side with the USA, or could go with Hugo, depending on the actions of the USA's next president.

Well, at least Senator McCain knows their names now - his previous mature, insightful political commentary refered to the Venezuelan leadership only as "wackos." A comment that got exactly the mature, insightful reply it deserved.


"It looks like they have nothing else to do in the United States," replied Venezuelan Vice President José Vicente Rangel, to McCain's allegations that he is a wacko. "[The USA has] so many problems, 40 million poor people, 30 million drug users, and a senator is paying attention to us. He can go to hell." Well, at least someone is paying attention. Sort of.


Although I plan to vote for Dennis Kucinich for President, just to see the Senate hearings when his hot, young, hippy wife gets busted for toking up with Afghan President Karzai in the Oval Office, I felt it was my civic duty to email McCain, who might actually get elected. I wanted to to let him know that the Bolivarian Revolution had already doubled in size.

McCain's campaign website was irritating and loud, but his Senate website was informative and helpful. Sadly, when I went to fill in the email form, a list of 65 subjects - including Israel, gas prices, stem cell research and the postal service, plus border control, illegal immigration and immigration/border issues - had no category for Latin America. Or Mexico, for that matter, unless you wanted to talk about building a wall between us and them.

"Everyone should understand the connections," said the Senator. But he's obviously convinced that his constituency is interested only in the divisions. Well, maybe he's correct. But I left him a note and link to my blog, anyway.

And if you're reading this, Senator, I visited your cell in Hanoi and I am so sorry, but also very glad that your experiences gave you the strength to stand up against our nation's pro-torture legislation. Will you be stumping for Australian parliamentary candidate Mamdouh Habib, who was held without charges by the USA for four years, primarily in Guantánamo, Cuba?

Yep, Habib, despite being (allegedly) brutally and repeatedly tortured, resulting in permanent physical damage, has obviously remained a big fan of democracy. (And those haters said we couldn't use torture to export democracy! Well, who's voting now?) You two may have a lot in common.

Perhaps Habib can even convince you to shut the facility down. Because when Latin America looks to Cuba these days, they see two choices: What goes on in Guantánamo and what goes on in Havana. And right now, Havana can quite convincingly claim the moral high ground. And that's just sad.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN ECUADOR

Ecuador's Congress may be corrupt, but they sure aren't wusses - after being "fired," some 20 dismissed legislators fought their way through protesters and police lines to get to work; at least two were injured. "We are in a dictatorship!" shouted Congressperson Gloria Gallardo. Although she made it inside, Congress failed to achieve quorum.


"What, me a dictator? But I'm asking for more elections! And if you want to stop me, you'll need to go through 75% of Ecuadorans to do it." Webster, by the way, defines democracy as "Government by the people; especially: rule of the majority." Can you say "moral ambiguity," kids?


My last slog left off with the unloved Ecuadorian Congress and Supreme Election Tribunal (TSE), now loyal to new socialist President Rafael Correa, trying to fire one another as they fought over a proposed general election, which would decide whether or not to elect a Constituent Assembly.

According to the 1998 Constitution, which this proposed Assembly would rewrite, the 100-strong Congress needs 51 legislators present to achieve quorum and legally vote on anything; the TSE sacked 57 of them. You do the math.

Correa, always thinking outside the box, suggested replacing the ousted congresspeople with more TSE-friendly folks. "This is not logical, this is not authorized, this is not prudent for the country," retorted Congressional President Jorge Cevallos. On March 20, however, Cevallos swore in 21 substitute congresspeople, effectively giving Correa carte blanche to do whatever he wants.

So, what's on this week's agenda? Well, first, Correa is going after Canadian mining company Ascendant Copper, saying its unjust practices could lead to civil war: " "We have not received any benefits from this [mining operation]; neither the state nor the people, and that will have to be taken down."

Next, it's onto a US$6 billion lawsuit against ChevronTexaco, accused by 30,000 Amazon residents led by the Cofan tribe of dumping 18 billion gallons of oily backwash into their water supply between 1972 and 1992. "We will not allow any more preying on our environment and our people," explained Correa.

Finally, it's time to pay off Ecuador's debt and quit dealing with the IMF altogether. But won't Ecuador feel lonely without the international banking system to take care of it? Perhaps not. OPEC (which Ecuador had to quit in 1992 because of mounting international debt) has extended an invitation to South America's fifth largest oil producer.

"Ecuador can come back anytime," said friendly OPEC President and UAE Oil Minister Mohamed al-Hamli, who clearly has no ulterior motive for building diplomatic links between the Middle East and Latin America.

Oh, Senator McCain, you are so right. We do need to pay attention to connections between the Bolivarians and their new friends around the world. Because they sure as heck are paying attention to us.

 

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