Translated "Avante!" article by Luis Carapinha, Member of the International Department

The context of capitalism’s general crisis is reflected in the huge enhancement of inequalities and asymmetries in the world. This also means that the effects of the crisis have reflected unevenly on countries and regions. While the centre of the "imperialist triad" continues to walk on razor's edge, with anaemic growth rates, the core of the storm now hits in the face the so-called emerging economies, which had greatly borne the weight of the growth of the world’s GDP in the years following the bursting of the subprime bubble in the US, in 2007-8.
In the particular case of Latin America, the cooling and contraction of the major economies of the region are a good example of the adverse effects of the current situation and the weaknesses of a model of growth largely anchored on high exports and price of commodities (the economic slowdown and the decline in Chinese imports contribute to the situation, although, globally, we have to bear in mind that the growth rate of the GDP of the 2nd largest economy remains double that of US). In Venezuela, for example, even with the barrel of crude trading below 40 dollars, the tax contributions of the state oil company fell by half within one year. It is counting on - and operating - with the action of these factors, that the US and the forces of big business continue their vast counteroffensive, aiming to crush the popular and progressive processes in the sub-continent and disrupt the regional areas of integration and sovereign cooperation that are challenging imperialist domination.

The strategy and conspiratorial action of contemporary crusaders - who no longer present themselves as such – of the Monroe doctrine did not bring the expected results in more than a decade and half of the rise of progressive governments and liberating advances in Latin America. Since the victory of Chavez in 1998, no progressive government was removed from power through elections. In Honduras and Paraguay the putschist method was accomplished, but the coup attempts in Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador failed.

However, the impact of the capitalist crisis and the accumulation of economic difficulties - exacerbated by continuing boycotts and destabilizations – together with factors of attrition and division in the political and social level, offered new possibilities to recalibrate the reactionary agenda, which enjoys large funding and support from mainstream media. In Brazil, the renewal of Dilma Rousseff as President in the 2014 election did not prevent big bourgeoisie and sectors articulated with Washington from soon after launching a furious putschist type onslaught, whose threat was reined, but not defeated, but in Argentina their expectations now rest on a turn to the right in the 2nd. round of the presidential elections on November 22. For this will they will have to achieve the defeat of Scioli from the Frente por la Victoria [Front for Victory], a heterogeneous alliance of more than a dozen forces, from Kirchnerism to Argentinean Communists, which starts with a lead of two percentage points.

An election which also takes a continental dimension, preceding the legislative elections in Venezuela on December 6. It is worth remembering that Bolivarian Venezuela remains a central target of imperialism’s subversive manoeuvres in Latin America. The use of economic war and latent interventionist threat is a reality only concealed by the big media agencies. A few days ago, the dark figure of the head of the Southern Command of the Pentagon hinted at the possibility of a humanitarian “intervention” in the homeland of Bolívar. And, despite misleading words of appeasement, Obama’s infamous Executive Order declaring Venezuela an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to US security has not been revoked...