The Militarization of U.S. Policy on Latin America Is Deepening Under Trump

Jake Johnston Foreign Policy in Focus
Central America policy-making, hardly an open book to begin with, is set to become more secretive. What we do know is U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be there, as will Vice President Mike Pence — and of course, General John F. Kelly, the director of Homeland Security and the previous head of SOUTHCOM.

Memories of Chile

Ruth Needleman Portside
As I watch current events in Venezuela, I am haunted by memories of Chile. I lived in Chile from July 1972 until February 1973, while socialist Salvador Allende was president. I left Chile months before the fascist coup, although I had planned to return. That door closed.

Cuban Foreign Minister Responds to Trump Announcement - Cuba Will Not Make Concessions Essential to its Sovereignty and Independence, Nor Will it Negotiate its Principles or Accept Conditions

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla GRANMA
Donald Trump announced in Miami the policy his government has decided to implement with regard to Cuba. These were announced in a Theater named after Manuel Artime, civilian leader of the mercenary brigade that invaded our country at Playa Girón or the Bay of Pigs. It was a grotesque Cold War-era spectacle, made before a small audience, composed of old henchmen and thieves of the Batista dictatorship, mercenaries from the Playa Girón brigade and terrorists...

Miami Conference Signals Further Militarization of US Policy in Central America

Jake Johnston Center for Economic and Policy Research
It may be good for a few big corporations’ bottom lines, for the Pentagon’s relevance in the region, and for local security forces and their political patrons, but don’t expect this militarized approach to development to solve the ongoing crises in Central America.

Is the OAS Playing a Constructive Role on Venezuela? What Should It Be Doing Differently? - Dialogue

D. Smilde; M. TinkerSalas; J. McCoy; M. Weisbrot; S. Ellner Venezuela Dialogue
The OAS has no positive role to play in resolving the political crisis in Venezuela, any more than would Senator Marco Rubio or other Florida politicians who seek regime change there. It should be clear that the organization is currently an instrument of those who simply want to use the current crisis to topple the Venezuelan government. People who want to avoid escalating violence or civil war in Venezuela should not pretend otherwise. Differing responses.

The Resurrection Of Victor Jara

An award winning documentary about Victor Jara, Chilean singer and song writer who transformed folk music into a revolutionary social movement known as “New Song” (Nueva Cancion). More info.

A Constitution Corrupted

Gavin O'Toole NACLA
Mexico's 1917 Constitution asserted national control over all resources and launched a program of land redistribution. It established the most progressive labor legislation in the world at that time, guaranteeing a minimum wage, the right to strike and collective bargaining, an eight-hour day, an end to child labor, equal pay regardless of sex, and maternity leave. The betrayal of the constitution began early and turned into a rout in the 1980s.by neoliberals.

books

The History of U.S. Intervention and the 'Birth of The American Empire'

Terry Gross interviews author Stephen Kinzer NPR
A democratic foreign policy or empire building as central to U.S. action abroad? It's an old debate. Author Stephen Kinzer sees the alternatives set at the turn of the 20th century, when imperium boosters Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge and William Randolph Hearst squared off against Mark Twain and the Anti-Imperialist League. Here, Kinzer is queried about his analysis and his thinking on just where Trump and his malignant "America First" grandiloquence stand.

Venezuela's Economic Crisis: Does It Mean That the Left Has Failed?

Mark Weisbrot Truthout
International media has provided a constant stream of stories and editorials about the collapse of the Venezuelan economy. Shortages of food and medicine, hours-long lines, incomes eroded by triple-digit inflation have dominated press reports. Adherents to this explanation say the downward spiral will continue until the chavistas are removed from power, either through elections or through a coup (most pundits don't care which). The reality is more complicated.
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