Is the “pink tide” going out to sea?

Latin American politics over the past decade has been defined by a plethora of leftist leaders who have been elected to the presidency in what some have deemed the “pink tide”. These government chiefs range from the socialist/populist (Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega) to the more moderate/pragmatic (Uruguay’s Tab Vasquez, Brazil’s Lula). Yet several emerging center-right figures may help send the “pink tide” out to sea.

Take the case of Chile. Center-left President Michelle Bachelet leads the governing Concertación coalition which has won all four presidential elections since the country’s return to democracy in 1990. With Bachelet unable to run for a second straight term, the Concertación is pinning its hope on former president Eduardo Frei. But with five months before the presidential election it’s conservative opposition leader Sebastian Piñera (image) who holds a big lead over Frei. According to a survey released last week pollster MORI, Piñera would get 43% of the vote compared to Frei’s 21%. Should there be a second round, Piñera would win 46% versus 30% for Frei according to the MORI poll.

The Concertación alliance isn’t the only moderate-left government in danger of being voted out, wrote Rodrigo Orihuela in last week’s Guardian UK. Uruguay and Brazil are two other countries where “the mellow, well-behaved left that the international right is willing to praise from time to time” may be out of power within the next 14 months. Orihuela believes that this could occur due to the status quo ruling at a time of economic hardship and “the difficulty popular regional leaders have finding younger and charismatic heirs.”

Should center-right candidates win the presidency then other moderate leaders on the left may become less centrist in order to consolidate their power. Barry Goldwater famously said that “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice” yet the last thing Latin America could afford are a set of leaders amassed on the far part of either side of the political spectrum.

What do you think, fair reader?

Image- La Opinion
Online Sources- NACLA, Reuters, NASDAQ, Guardian UK, Thinkexsist.com

Ingrid Betancourt meets Madonna in Argentina

Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt continued her tour of Latin America with a stop yesterday in Argentina. It was there that she met with Argentine President Cristina Kirchner at the official palace along with an unexpected guest (image):

Madonna met with a president and a former guerrilla-held hostage Tuesday at Argentina's presidential palace, where she filmed "Evita" 12 years ago.

The pop star, in Buenos Aires on the Latin America leg of her "Sticky & Sweet" world tour, showed up early for a visit Argentine President Cristina Fernandez — who was then meeting with one of the world's best-known ex-hostages.

Earlier today, Chilean president Michele Bachelet met with Betancourt in Santiago. “When I come here I feel Chilean since so much pain has passed between us”, said Betancourt who also thanked Bachelet for nominating her for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Betancourt’s anti-kidnapping campaign has so far included stops in her native land and Ecuador where President Rafael Correa vowed to do “everything in our power to ensure these people are freed.”

Betancourt will continue her tour by traveling to Brazil and Venezuela; rumor has it that she will personally meet with Hugo Chavez and discuss a possible humanitarian exchange.

Image- AP
Sources (English)- The Latin Americanist, AFP, AP, Al Jazeera English
Sources (Spanish)- La Nacion

Chile: Pinochet daughter to run for office

One of the daughters of the late Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet announced her plans to run for office. Lucia Pinochet Hiriart (image) made her candidacy official earlier this week by running for councilor in “one of the most luxurious neighborhoods of Santiago”.

According to Chile’s La Nación, Pinochet Hiriart decided to launch her candidacy at the last minute:

(During the registration of her candidacy) she admitted doubt “until the end.” Yet became convinced when she viewed “so much enthusiasm in her neighborhood.”

“They told me that I should be a candidate for deputy (in the national legislature) but I prefer that my son Rodrigo run next year.” [ed. personal translation]

Approximately twelve thousand people registered to run for the hundreds of local seats around the country. Parties opposed to President Michelle Bachelet’s administration hope to make significant gains in the local elections.

Pinochet Hiriart and four of her children had been briefly arrested in 2007 on charges of corruption but those charges were eventually dropped.

Image- CBS News

Sources (English)- BBC News, Reuters, The Latin Americanist

Sources (Spanish)- La Nación, El Mercurio

Daily Headlines: June 13, 2008

* Mexico: Are Viagra and condoms the most appropriate Father’s Day gift?

* Venezuela: The Associated Press admits that it was a little too harsh in their assessment of Hugo Chavez and Colombian rebels.

* Latin America: Spanish firm Telefonica said that it will sell the new 3G iPhone in twelve Latin American countries.

* Chile: President Michelle Bachelet received praise from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper during her visit to Ottawa on Tuesday.

Sources- MSNBC, forbes.com, canada.com, The Latin Americanist, Associated Press

Image- Gawker