Introduction to International Politics
Foreign Event Analysis
| Locale | ![[]](http://www.kvasaheim.com/flags/flag15-co.png "Flag of Colombia") | Colombia |
|---|---|---|
| Title |
The Socialist Wave in Latin America
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| Summary |
Two leaders of an indigenous workers protest were killed by the Colombian National Police, leading to increased tension in both Colombia and the surrounding region. The indigenous people were protesting their marginalization by their own government and have come to identify themselves with the wave of socialist and indigenous-led parties in Latin America. In contrast, the conservative Colombian government, led by President Uribe, has a strong attachment to the United States. Internal differences in identity between poor indigenous leaders and the wealthier Mestizo (ethnic mix of indigenous and European blood) leaders of the central government have simmered for years. The recent emergence of an external system of values and beliefs, with which Colombia’s indigenous can attach themselves, has brought a new found sense of purpose to domestic movements. This series of conflicting internal and external identities has led to instability and the threat of continued violence.
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| Analysis |
The two leaders of the workers’ protests were members of the Kankuamo people who work on sugar cane plantations in the northeast corner of Colombia. They have come to identify themselves with a larger idea; this idea is that of leftist governments - where equality trumps profits and social institutions are built to better peoples lives. This movement has coincided with the change of conservative Mestizo-led governments towards leftist populists parties. Evidence of this shift in government is exemplified by Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Bolivia where such transfers have occurred. The main idea behind this shift is to protect themselves from the exploitation of their land and people from outside forces. To the Kankuamo and other indigenous peoples of Colombia, these new governments represent the culmination of what they desire and value. They believe that socialism will benefit the people of Latin America and transcend what capitalism has achieved in the modern era. The indigenous people of Colombia have joined the ranks of their brethren throughout Latin America in choosing socialism as a better way of life.
The President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, is a conservative politician with strong capitalistic beliefs. President Uribe’s beliefs and values come from his shared identity with leaders of many Western nations, particularly the United States. The natural allegiance between the linked leaders of The United States and Colombia has led to close cooperation between the two governments. The United States views the increasing spread of leftist governments as an ideological threat. In turn, Colombia’s government has taken an aggressive stance against leftist movements both internally and externally. Examples include the hard stance Colombia has taken against Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela and the presence of National Police during the current workers’ protest. Uribe has connected the indigenous movement with organizations who share similar beliefs such as the leftist PDA (Polo Democratico Alternativo) and the more violent leftist guerrilla group FARC (Fuerzas armadas revolucionarios de Colombia) as a way of swaying public opinion. Colombia has labeled socialism as a threat to their way of life. Therefore, continued action against the spread of socialism should be expected.
There is no true domestic identity in Colombia, since internal identity between the indigenous populations and the supporters of President Uribe vary greatly. Indigenous people have historically been poor farmers and marginalized in Latin America. Their historically poor upbringing has provided a scenario in which they would become endeared to values and beliefs of socialism and opposed to capitalism. For Uribe and his supporters, capitalism has allowed them to maintain power in the National government as well as to lead lifestyles more comparable to Western society than their own homeland. The internal identity differences in Colombia have been at the core of a sixty-year violent struggle which has recently been augmented by external movements.
The police’s killing of the two leaders is one example of what leftist supporters are calling more than one thousand murders by government troops. Violence is certain to continue as identity issues remain unresolved. The belief that socialism is the wave of the future for Latin America has made the region much more hazardous. The emerging shared relative identity with the socialist governments in the region has intensified the internal identity conflict. The resulting situation is one in which two contrasting identities and ideas will lead to growing violence. | |
| Perspective |  | Identity |
| In-Region URL | ||
| Out-of-Region URL | ||
| Submitted | October 24, 2008 at 11:37 am | |
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