Profiles of Latin American Heads of States Pt. I

I have for a while now contemplated profiling the progressive Latin American leaders who, I believe, are the hope for this hemisphere. Countering the right-wing administration of the u.s. and the expansion of militarism, authoritarianism, and fascism that is taking hold in western societies, these figures are dedicated to humanity and progressive politics. Long live the Bolivarian Revolution!

Argentina- Nestor Kirchner

Argentina's President, Nestor Kirchner, has been a proponent of progressive politics ever since his early years as a student. As president of Argentina, Kirchner has been responsible for adopting the trend of leftist Latin American countries in canceling his nation's debt to the IMF. Kirchner is closely allied to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, Brazil's Lula,and Bolivia's Evo Morales. He is a Peronist politically, considers himself a humanist, and has sought to make Argentina's government responsive to the needs of the people.

Bolivia-Evo Morales

Bolivia's Evo Morales has been a star of the left ever since he was elected as president of Bolivia in 2005. The first indigenous president in Latin America, Morales has used his authority as president to fight for and defend the rights of the indigenous peoples of Bolivia. Like Kirchner and others in Latin America, Morales canceled Bolivia's debt with the International Monetary Fund and has set about nationalizing Bolivia's oil, natural gas, and other resources. He is one of the closest allies of Venezeuala's Hugo Chavez and has stood solidly against U.S. imperialism. He has been a staunch defender of Bolivian cocoa farmers and is one of the most prominent figures in progressive politics.

Brazil- Lula

Brazil's Lula, or Luiz Inacio da Silva, has been a prominent figure in the Bolivarian movement across Latin America. Though he has come out os more moderate than other Latin American leaders, he has close ties with Hugo Chavez, Michelle Bachelet, and Nestor Kirchner. Rising out of the trade unions, as president, Lula attacked social problems in Brazil and has worked to boost their economy.

Chile- Michelle Bachelet

Chile's Michelle Bachelet is one of the most influential and powerful women in the world and is the first woman elected as president in Latin America. Coming from a leftist Chilean family, Bachelet entered the world of politics early. Her father, a supporter of President Salvadore Allende, who was overthrown in a U.S. backed coup led by Augusto Pinochet, was later tortured and killed by the Pinochet regime. Bachelet and her mother, who were also tortured, were forced to flee Chile. Bachelet trained as a doctor and later studied military strategy, both in Chile(after her return) and in the United States.

Elected president of Chile in 2005, running on a socialist party ticket, Bachelet has championed social issues such as education, healthcare, restructuring wealth distribution in Chile, and has challenged the Catholic Church by making the morning after pill available to women. Bachelet herself is an unconventional Latin American leader, a single mother and an agnostic, she has personally broken away from the Catholic Church's hold in Latin American life. She is closely allied with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Nestor Kirchner of Argentina.

Cuba- Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro is the grandfather of the Latin American Movement. He, with Che Guevara and others, in 1959, overthrew the corrupt Batista regime that dominated Cuba and freed Cuba from slavery under U.S. Corporations(such as United Fruit) that owned Cuban sugar and other resources and from the U.S. mafia that controlled Cuban hotels and casinos. Since Castro's rise to power in 1959, he has aided in the liberation struggles of peoples around the globe from South Africa to Vietnam. Since his rise to power in Cuba, Cubans have universal healthcare, have not been stranded and killed because of hurricanes, and have a 99% literacy rate, which is much better than that of the United States(which is somewhere around the high 80s).Fidel Castro is very strongly allied with Hugo Chavez and other Latin American leaders, and has won the praise of such figures as Nelson Mandela, Alice Walker, and Harry Belafonte.

Ecuador- Rafeal Correa

Ecuador's very handsome president,Rafael Correa has been another intriguing figure in the Bolivarian Movement in Latin America. As president of Ecuador, he has taken steps to ease the burden of the nation's poor, has increased the nation's share of oil revenue from Ecadoran oil, has canceled Ecuador's debt with the IMF, and works very closely with Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia. He has vowed to shut down the U.S. military base at Manta situated in Ecuador. Of George Bush he has said, "a comparison of George Bush with the devil is unfair to the devil."