Latin America’s Deafening Silence

Member Comments

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: olca @ 12/10/2008 1:43:40 AM

  And you (Carlos Castaneda) just look away when human rights in Mexico were so badly violated in the last elections. Please don't you come and defend human rights now if you can not do it in your own contry.
  I agree, what is happening in Nicaragua it's horrible, but what's going on in your own contry it pretty horrible too and you where irresponsable an off to look the other way when it as time to clean up....so please.

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: London Scot @ 12/03/2008 2:48:14 AM

  Walter1968 - with all due respect, I have discussed the situation in Nicaragua with some of your compatriots, whose analysis and conclusions are similar to mine. They do not agree that healthcare and education are optional extras and neither do most countries.
  
  You criticise the Sandinistas (just one part of the governing coalition) but they were out of power for many years (and in power for only 10 years in 1979-89, and from late 2006 till now, compared to decades of "free market" dictatorship under Somoza) therefore it is unreasonable to blame them for the current state of the country, and the fractious / polarised state of domestic politics, particularly when, as I pointed out, Nicaragua's economic and social problems are mostly the result of longstanding interference, including open warfare against Nicaraguan civilians, by various US governments (a fact that you chose to ignore in your reply, bizarrely).
  
  You say "nobody wants to donate aid" to Nicaragua. Surely you should be asking yourself: why does it need foreign aid in the first place?
  
  Also, it IS still possible to protest against the government, which was freely elected under new constitutional rules.
  
  Jorge Castenada's article suggests that Latin Americans - an entire continent! - are somehow responsible for external (US) interference in its affairs. He says that there is "a deafening silence" from Latin Americans, as if they (you) are cowardly and / or apathetic about politics. If I were in your shoes, I'd be feeling patronised and undervalued! But your anger seems to be reserved for Ortega and friends, which shows (at best) a lack of historical perspective.

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: London Scot @ 12/03/2008 2:38:08 AM

  Walter - with all due respect, I have discussed the situation in Nicaragua with some of your compatriots, whose analysis and conclusions are similar to mine.
  
  You criticise the Sandinistas (just one part of the governing coalition) but they were out of power for many years (and in power for only 10 years in 1979-89 compared to decades of "free market" dictatorship under Somoza) therefore it is unreasonable to blame them for the current state of the country, and the fractious / polarised state of domestic politics, particularly when, as I pointed out, Nicaragua's economic and social problems are mostly the result of longstanding interference, including open warfare against Nicaraguan civilians, by various US governments (a fact that you chose to ignore in your reply, bizarrely).
  
  Also, it IS still possible to protest against the government, which was freely elected under new constitutional rules.
  
  Jorge Castenada's article suggests that Latin Americans - an entire continent! - are somehow responsible for external (US) interference in its affairs. He says that there is "a deafening silence" from Latin Americans, as if they (you) are cowardly and / or apathetic about politics. If I were in your shoes, I'd be feeling patronised and undervalued! But your anger seems to be reserved for Ortega and friends. A sense of historical perspective is required!