Quiet Occupation

Quiet Occupation

Photo: Quiet Occupation

Louis Carapinha *

In this text, Louis Carapinha tells us that the U.S. pursues opening the path for re-intervention in Latin America with a coup in Honduras: "So Obama continues the blockade against Cuba and intensifies the conspiracy against Venezuela and other countries of ALBA, while it supports the agenda of the bourgeoisie, as shown in the cases of Brazil and Argentina. Reverse and defeat the unique experiences of revolutionary transformation and disconnect the different fields of Latin American integration is a prerequisite for the imperialist recolonization of the sub-continent."

One year after a coup in Honduras the U.S. pursues the path of rampant militarization of the American continent. The last attack corresponds to the quiet occupation of Costa Rica. The facts are simple: with the support of Costa Rica's president, Laura Chinchilla, the parliament of the Central American country a few days ago adopted a "security agreement" with the U.S. that provides entry into its territory of seven thousand U.S. soldiers that will be followed by about 50 warships, including aircraft carriers, and more than two hundred helicopters and combat aircraft.

The reason given for the relocation of the impressive war machine is at least laughable - the fight against drug trafficking. Even more when we know that the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of drugs and Colombia and Peru, countries that are in the American orbit, are the two largest producers of cocaine.

The case is very serious. After the reactivation of the Fourth Fleet for Latin America, still with Bush, and the removal of President Zelaya, already with Obama, the U.S. established seven more military bases in Colombia, regained their strategic military presence in Panama - one of the immediate results of the presidential election in 2009 of Martinelli. Then they invaded and devastated the impoverished Haiti, and expanded their military presence in the very Honduras, under the resultant democratic facade of some fraudulent elections that followed a campaign of violence and murders of a powerful coup.

The literal occupation of Costa Rica - not entitled to the status of news in the 'big media space' - is particularly outrageous because, as is known, the Constitution still in force in San Jose prohibits the presence of armed forces on its territory, which it abolished in 1948, proclaiming the country as a zone of peace.

It is true that politicians like the former President, Oscar Arias - the eternal mediator of imperialism - never haggled over efforts to better serve U.S. interests in the area of his 'backyard'. It was under his jurisdiction, notwithstanding the great popular repudiation and outrage, that Costa Rica in 2009 implemented an FTA with the U.S.. It's in its wake that Chinchilla, in whose curriculum vitae there is the fact of having worked for CIA related agencies such as USAID. Arias, the Socialist International integrates, and makes a pact now to turn Costa Rica into a slipper of imperialism.

There is yet another sign of the counter-offensive of the U.S.A. in Latin America. Their range of action is not confined to the determination to create a buffer zone in Central America and they pose a direct threat to the governments of the FMLN and FSLN in Nicaragua and El Salvador. The central preoccupation of the Pentagon is to focus on the processes of resistance, accumulation of forces and even transformations that are developing in Latin America.

So Obama continues the blockade against Cuba and intensifies the conspiracy against Venezuela and other countries of ALBA, while it supports the agenda of the bourgeoisie, as shown in the cases of Brazil and Argentina. Reverse and defeat the unique experiences of revolutionary transformation and disconnect the different fields of Latin American integration is a prerequisite for the imperialist recolonization of the sub-continent.

The irrepressible ambition for absolute hegemony requires the most sickly, indebted and parasitic economy to channel more astronomical sums for their wars. Armed with the doctrine of Global Immediate Attack, aircraft carriers and naval forces of the imperialist superpower ply the oceans of the world, the Iranian Persian Gulf and back even to the outskirts of China.

During the full crisis of capitalism, the dangers of imperialism and the U.S. war machine increase exponentially precipitating new outbreaks and new focuses of tension and war. Reality demands unpostponable and effective responses in defense of life and Peace.

* International Policy Analyst

This text was published in Avante No. 1911 of July 15, 2010.

Source: http://www.odiario.info/?p=1672

Translated from the Portuguese version by:

Lisa KARPOVA

PRAVDA.Ru