In this issue:

LaRouche on Argentine Radio: Bury the System or Bury the People?

Queen's WWF Loses Lawsuit Against LaRouche Forces in Brazil

New York Times Slander of Dr. Enéas Exposes Establishment Fear of LaRouche

Magnitude of Eneás Victory Stuns Elites

Anglo-American 'Utopians' Form 'Axis of Stupidity' in Their Attacks on Brazil

Chávez Tells BBC Venezuela Will Oppose Arab Oil Embargo if U.S. Goes to War vs. Iraq

Chávez Phenomenon Looming in Ecuador?

Colombia's Cities Wracked by Narcoterrorist Warfare

From the Vol.1 No.34 issue of Electronic Intelligence Weekly, Published October 28, 2002

IBERO-AMERICAN NEWS DIGEST

LaRouche on Argentine Radio: Bury the System or Bury the People?

U.S. Presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche had much to say about the world depression, its effects on all of Ibero-America, and what to do about it, when interviewed by telephone Oct. 20 on Radio El Mundo of Buenos Aires, Argentina, a widely listened-to national station. "If you look at the reality, the entire region, from Mexico south to the bottom of Patagonia, is in a state of existential collapse," LaRouche said. "The IMF conditionalities will assure a total collapse. If the conditionalities are not imposed upon these countries, that will mean a collapse of the IMF. If they collapse Argentina and Brazil, the IMF will collapse anyway."

Dollarization is no solution to the financial bubble, he said. "Dollarization is like you're sick with a cold, and you take a dose of bubonic plague as a cure for the cold. You see what it's done to Brazil, since the Fraga-Soros agreements were made with the IMF in the fall of 1998, when the dollarization program was developed. You see how much worse this [push for dollarization] made the situation in Argentina." Likewise, with free trade, which he called an echo of what happened in Europe's 14th-century New Dark Age. Whatever else might be uncertain about the future, if the free-trade agreement is pushed through, the nations of the Americas will vanish as nation-states over a fairly short period of time.

"The Europeans— France, Italy, and Germany— are moving toward a reform of the existing European and also world financial system," he told the Argentines. "Europe is on the verge right now of a fundamental change and reversal of many features of the so-called Maastricht or European Community agreement. This is not a matter of a political trend. This is a matter of whether you stay on a sinking ship or you get to a lifeboat." Hope lies, he said, in the tendency "to go back to the sovereign nation-state as the basis of economics. ...

"Argentina is on the edge of extinction. How much further can we go with what has happened already? ... What happens to Argentina with the present trend, if Brazil goes down into the same pit? Argentina would have absolutely no future, if this were to happen. So, we have to reverse this trend, and there is a growing international tendency among nation-states, to go there.

"What is happening is, when people start talking about U.S. economic policy and IMF economic policy, people are going to reach for their pistols. We're at the end. There is no durable consensus for the present trend in the world economy today. And therefore, for Argentina, the question is, can there be enough other states which recognize that Argentina's present condition is their immediate future, in order to make solidarity with Argentina and similar countries, to force through what would be considered sudden and revolutionary changes, in economic policy?

"The entire international financial, monetary, economic system, the free-trade system, is now totally discredited in fact, and it's about to the buried. Are we going to bury the system, or are we going to bury the people with it? That is the question."

Queen's WWF Loses Lawsuit Against LaRouche Forces in Brazil

Judge Paulo Maurício Pereira, of Rio de Janeiro's 24th Civil Jurisdiction, has thrown out the lawsuit filed by the Brazilian chapter of Prince Philip's Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) against the Ibero-American Solidarity Movement (MSIA), associates of Lyndon LaRouche, as being without merit. In the suit, the environmentalist non-governmental organization created by the British monarchy had demanded 50,000 reals indemnization for "moral damages" allegedly caused by the MSIA's repeated denunciations of the WWF's political activity at the head of Brazil's environmental movement and abroad, as well as of the damaging effects of radical environmentalism on socio-economic development generally, and particularly on large infrastructure projects. WWF-Brazil, headed by the vice president of Organizações Globo José Roberto Marinho, was ordered to pay for the cost of the proceedings and lawyers' fees, and has 15 days to appeal the verdict.

The WWF-Brazil's suit placed emphasis on the MSIA's May 2000 pamphlet, "The WWF's Forest Trap," on whose cover appeared a panda bear chewing on a human bone. (The panda is the WWF's trademark.) The pamphlet, the WWF charged, was filled with "absurd, mistaken, and unfounded information, a real exercise in creative speculation, with texts filled with lies and absurdities, not to mention the illegal use of the WWF logo and image of the panda bear, known worldwide as the plaintiff's trademark."

In his ruling, Judge Pereira wrote that the MSIA's denunciations are coherent with the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. Moreover, the opinions expressed do not constitute "falsehoods or distortions, as they can be summarized as discussion involving what nationalists call 'the imperialist policy of the great world powers' and 'the policy of the internationalization of the Amazon,' material which for some time has been discussed by the media, including by members of the Brazilian government and military, seen as their duty to defend our borders and sovereignty."

As for the panda image, Pereira didn't consider it as an offense to the plaintiff, "but rather a spirited speech, a playful composition, taken in the context in which it was used." In addition, "It's worth remembering that Mr. Luiz Inácio 'Lula' da Silva has also been portrayed 'eating babies,' yet today, is close to being elected President of the Republic; making clear that a simple accusation cannot cause harm to someone's reputation, chiefly because it always has a bit of humor and enjoyment embedded within it, leading us to recall the words of Umberto Eco [The Name of the Rose]: 'He who laughs doesn't take seriously that about which he is laughing, but neither does he hate it.' "

New York Times Slander of Dr. Enéas Exposes Establishment Fear of LaRouche

Sources close to Brazilian Congressman-elect Ené Carneiro told EIR that Dr. Enéas had given New York Times reporter Larry Rohter an earful on Lyndon LaRouche and the need for a New Bretton Woods, when interviewed. True to form, the New York Times, in its coverage Oct. 21 of Enéas's unprecedented vote does not mention LaRouche or the New Bretton Woods, but instead, puts out the oligarchy's line of attack against the soon-to-be Congressman. Hovering over the piece like a specter is the fear that LaRouche could pull off a similar election upset in the United States, come 2004.

Even the headline is nervous: "Long Treated as a Joke, Brazilian Neofascist May Have the Last Laugh." It opens: "For years, he was written off as an eccentric fringe candidate, a neofascist oddity, a crackpot even. But Enéas Ferreira Carneiro got his revenge in the general election this month, when more than 1.5 million people here in Brazil's largest state voted for him, giving him more votes than any other Congressional candidate in Brazilian history." Elected officials are calling for an overhaul of the voting system, "to prevent 'the Enéas phenomenon' from ever happening again."

Rohter allowed as how Dr. Enéas campaigned by attacking Brazil's status as a "colony of the multinationals.... The backbone of his campaign was a blanket condemnation of the status quo and of both of the leading Presidential candidates and their parties"— and this produced "startling results." Dr. Enéas said the message was: "The electorate supported me as a clear, resounding and unmistakable repudiation of a political class that is rotten, dirty, repugnant and unpatriotic."

The New York Times counters those who argue that Dr. Enéas should be dismissed, with the message: Slander him as "a Brazilian version of [France's] Jean-Marie Le Pen," "an integralist," a "neo-fascist."

Magnitude of Eneás Victory Stuns Elites

The depth and breadth of Dr. Enéas's victory in São Paulo has struck terror into the Anglo-American Establishment, as can be seen in the detailed profiling of PRONA's win in Folha de São Paulo Oct. 19. The oligarchs realize they have to contend with a broad-based revolt against their policies, and it terrifies them. Folha notes, for example, that the areas north and east of São Paulo, gave Dr. Enéas 25% of his total votes, and 34% of the total won for São Paulo State Legislature by Dr. Havanir Nimtz. In the town of Villa Maria, 15 out of every 100 people who voted for Federal deputy, voted for Enéas; in Penha, nine out of every 100 who voted, voted for Dr. Havanir.

Nor was the "Enéas phenomenon" limited to the outskirts of São Paulo city. "Without any trips, no committees and no rallies, there was not one of the 645 São Paulo municipalities in which the candidate wasn't chosen by at least one voter," and in fact, the smallest vote Enéas got in any one town was four. In Dr. Havanir's case, there were only two municipalities in which no one voted for her. "In all the others, there she was, in anywhere from first to 54th place, garnering 681,991 votes— more than double the second-place candidate."

PRONA only has offices in 50 São Paulo cities, limited funds, can't pay for TV time, etc. And yet, Folha ponders, "this year, for reasons no one quite understands, what was a disadvantage turned into a success."

The fact that this happened in São Paulo, historically the economic and political powerhouse of the country, has the Establishment really terrified. On Oct. 18, before running its slander of Dr. Enéas (see above), the New York Times ran a profile of "the power of São Paulo," which acknowledged that, "if São Paulo were independent of Brazil, its population and Gross Domestic Product would surpass those of Argentina and Colombia, the most populous countries and biggest economies in South America after Brazil. São Paulo accounts for more than a third of Brazil's Gross Domestic Product," and the city alone generates more than a quarter of Brazil's tax base." And, as one sociologist told the Times: "The state is an unstoppable force destined to play an increasingly large role in Brazil's political and intellectual life."

Anglo-American 'Utopians' Form 'Axis of Stupidity' in Their Attacks on Brazil

Celso Amorim, Brazil's Ambassador to Great Britain, charged that the London Financial Times is part of an "Axis of Stupidity." The Ambassador was responding to an article published in the Oct. 23 Financial Times, which included the ravings of utopian Constantine Menges (see INDEPTH, "Venezuela: It's the Economy, Chico," for more on Menges) who warns that, should Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva win the Presidential elections on Oct. 27, Brazil will form an Ibero-American "Axis of Evil" together with Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Cuba's Fidel Castro. The Times dedicates the first half of its lengthy article to Menges' warnings, then adds that a less "ideological" view of shifts to the left in Ibero-America is that they "are part of a broader rejection of established politicians and the perceived failures of market-friendly reforms."

Amorim was angry that the Financial Times published Menges' utterings, which had appeared some weeks ago in the Moonie-owned Washington Times. In statements to Folha de São Paulo Oct. 24, Amorim said, "This is totally improper, and can only constitute part of the axis of stupidity. I'm surprised that a paper like the Financial Times would publish something like this, just warmed over from the right-wing American press." It is absurd that these remarks are played up, "totally disproportionate to the authority of those persons," Amorim told Folha.

Then, in a letter to the Times, Amorim argued "the simple fact that these comments were reproduced in a prestigious journal like the Financial Times tends to give credit to a combination of preconceived and uninformed opinions, which are better described as constituting an 'axis of stupidity.'"

Chávez Tells BBC Venezuela Will Oppose Arab Oil Embargo if U.S. Goes to War vs. Iraq

The "revolutionary" President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez told BBC Oct. 18, during a visit to London, that while he would like all diplomatic solutions to be exhausted before any military action be taken against Iraq, Venezuela would not support an Arab oil embargo against the United States should the U.S. go to war, and would work within OPEC to head off any general embargo. He couched his announcement as a defense of "the Peoples," saying that "we cannot use oil as a political weapon.... Oil is a strategic resource so you cannot use it so people won't have heating, electricity, air transportation because then we will be damaging people, the economy, and society as a whole."

Reports were circulating the week of Oct. 13-19, that representatives of the government of the United States and Venezuela had just met to discuss a long-term energy security accord.

Chávez Phenomenon Looming in Ecuador?

The first round of Presidential elections in Ecuador on Oct. 20, brought former Army colonel and Chavista coup-maker Lucio Gutiérrez into a front-runner position, with just over 20% of the vote, versus Ecuador's wealthiest man, banana tycoon Alvaro Noboa, who polled just under 18%. Nine other candidates who also ran, were eliminated from the run-off balloting. The vote for Gutiérrez, in particular, is rightly viewed as a "revenge" vote against the elimination of the national currency, and its replacement with the dollar, in 2000.

Were Gutiérrez to win, his victory would tend to strengthen the narcoterrorists' political power in the hemisphere. He has declared himself "neutral" on the Colombian conflict (i.e., backing the FARC/ELN forces), and, since leading a military-Indian uprising in January 2000, he has coordinated with Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, and travelled on the World Social Forum circuit.

Regardless of who wins the election Nov. 24, the new President will immediately face the International Monetary Fund, when he takes office. Because of the country's dollarization in 2000, Ecuador cannot rely on the usual tricks of devaluing the national currency or printing money to stave off financial disaster. The result is that the country is in desperate need of an immediate $250-million infusion, and will have to adhere to vicious austerity terms to get it. The talk among economists in Ecuador is that the country's financial system and economy is heading towards an Argentina-style collapse by January 2003.

Ecuador is a country of 13 million, heavily dependent on exporting oil and bananas. Since 1999, some 20 of its 41 banks have gone belly up, 3 million people have lost their savings, thousands of small companies have disappeared, half-a-million Ecuadorans have emigrated, and the number of those living below the poverty line has surged from 50% of the population, to a whopping 70%.

Colombia's Cities Wracked by Narcoterrorist Warfare

A car bombing in the Colombian capital of Bogota in the early morning of Oct. 22 brought the war which has broken out in the country's other major cities, home to the capital. A car filled with a new granulated explosive, more powerful than dynamite, exploded in a parking lot next to the Bogota police command headquarters, killing two people and wounding 36. No one has yet claimed responsibility, but the FARC is believed to be responsible. Anti-terrorist units of the police and military have been sent into at least 100 different areas of Bogota, conducting raids.

Combined police/military forces have also moved into large areas of Cali, Colombia's second-largest city— in an attempt to root out FARC/ELN urban hideouts before things erupt into bloody street warfare.

The FARC, ELN, and paramilitaries have also deployed heavily into Medellin, Colombia's third-largest city. In the past two weeks, there have been major street battles inside the city between police and military forces backed by tanks and heavy weaponry, and armed terrorists who have recruited extensively from the ranks of unemployed youth and killer-thug remnants of the Medellin Cartel. An official death toll of 15, plus 170 arrests and scores wounded, is reported. Amnesty International and the human rights NGOs are loudly insisting that negotiations, not military "excesses," are the solution.

President Alvaro Uribe Velez, who is the former governor of Antioquia province (Medellin is its capital) is adamant that his administration will "take back" the cities from these criminal elements, and has already put the 20 neighborhoods that comprise Comuna 13— where the terrorists are concentrated— under military oversight. A curfew has been imposed, and motorcycles, the transport of choice for assassins and bomb-throwers, have been prohibited.

Uribe is also attempting another strategy, which is being dubbed "urban reconciliation." The Mayor of Medellin announced, with the financial backing of the Uribe government, a program of job creation, reeducation and training; stipends will be made available to anyone prepared to abandon the narcoterror groups in Medellin (from both the "left" and "right").

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