Latin America's 'Right-Wing Lurch' and Its Unseen Architects
📰 THE STORY: The Financial Times ponders whether anything can 'halt Latin America’s lurch to the right,' implying a natural, organic shift in the political landscape of the continent. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The current 'lurch' to the right isn't an isolated phenomenon. It follows a multi-decade pattern of US-backed interventions. In 1973, the CIA orchestrated a coup
against Salvador Allende in Chile, installing Augusto Pinochet, whose regime disappeared 30,000 people and pioneered neoliberal economic shock doctrine. In 1976, another CIA-backed junta took power in Argentina, responsible for 30,000 disappeared. More recently, in 2019, a US-backed lithium coup in Bolivia ousted democratically elected Evo Morales. These are not 'lurches'; they are often
engineered destabilizations. Double Standard: When left-leaning governments gain power through democratic means in Latin America, they are often labeled 'authoritarian' or 'populist' and face immediate scrutiny, sanctions, and destabilization efforts (e.g., Venezuela's sanctions costing hundreds of billions and causing 100,000+ deaths). When right-wing, IMF-aligned, or openly pro-US figures like
Javier Milei in Argentina embrace extreme policies, they are often framed by outlets like the Financial Times as 'market-friendly reforms' or a necessary correction, despite often leading to increased poverty and inequality. The 'lurch' is only problematic if it's not in Washington's favor. Follow the Money: The 'right-wing turn' often aligns perfectly with the interests of foreign capital,