STWR - Share The World's Resources

A military coup ousting Honduras' progressive president Zelaya has undermined progress towards democracy in Latin America. If the US supports the demand of regional governments for Zelaya's reinstatement, this could be a chance for improved relations between the Americas, writes Greg Grandin. 

On June 5, World Environment Day, Amazon Indians were massacred by the government of Alan Garcia in the latest chapter of a long war to take over common lands - a war unleashed by the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Peru and the United States. By Raúl Zibechi.

When the global financial crisis hit the US, President Lula assured Brazilians that their economy was ‘decoupled’ from the world's free market. Yet the country's recent economic decline has left half a million people in poverty, making us question his rhetoric of independence, says Renaud Lambert.

Latin America is locked in a struggle between those leaders seeking economic alternatives to the Washington Consensus and others who resist change. This tension is not only responsible for the region's instability; its outcome could also define a postneoliberal order. By Emir Sader.

The recent successful elections in Bolivia and Venezuela are being heralded as an important step forward for Latin America, signalling the increasing decline of US influence and a further triumph in the region for economic independence, social equality and redistributive policies.

The seeds of Latin America's rebirth - challenging US domination and neoliberal orthodoxy, breaking down social and racial inequality, building regional integration and taking back strategic resources from corporate control - were sown half a century ago in Cuba, writes Seamus Milne.

In the context of ambiguous electoral victories, movements throughout Latin America have come to the conclusion that despite the importance of electing and defending progressive governments, real change cannot come without struggles in the workplaces, schools and streets. By Daniel Denvir.