The Americas in the 21st Century, from commercial integration to transnational crime

By: Hugo Marcelo Balderrama - 14/04/2024

Guest columnist.
Share:     

At the end of the 20th century, in all of America there was only one dictatorship left standing: Cuba. The remaining 34 nations were, although with their problems, democracies with an international policy oriented towards investment, global trade and progress. We were not perfect, but, at least, we had fairly healthy development plans and institutional frameworks.

For its part, the United States, as a regional hegemonic power, had an international policy for its southern neighbors based on three pillars: a) Promotion of the democratic system, b) Fight against drug trafficking and c) Commercial and business integration. For example, in the 90s, my native Bolivia joined the Andean Trade Preference Act, a tariff preference program for non-traditional products, and opened up to the world with the capitalization programs of President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada.

However, this little summer would come to an end with two events: 1) the triumph of Hugo Chávez in the Venezuelan elections of 1998 and 2) the criminal attack on the Twin Towers on 09/11/2001.

International relations during the presidency of Hugo Chávez changed not only the way of doing diplomacy in Venezuela, but also the objectives were different, since Chávez subordinated his entire government to Castro's tyranny.

Hugo Chávez and Fidel Castro took advantage of the vacuum left by the United States and its fight against terror in the Middle East to create ALBA. In turn, they used the euphemism of "People's Diplomacy" to destabilize the governments of neighboring countries, including Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina.

On the other hand, with the money from oil revenues, Chávez founded TELESUR, a regional television channel that served as a marketing platform for his gang accomplices, for example, Evo Morales and Daniel Ortega.

Chávez's interference in Latin American politics was vigorous. An example was his interference in the 2006 Peruvian electoral campaign in favor of Ollanta Humala. This fact was one of the main reasons why Peruvians rejected the candidate.

In short, Chávez sought to become a regional leader without respecting any norm of International Law.

Although Castro and Chávez have been dead for quite some time, the transnational criminal structures they formed remain intact. In fact, today, in the middle of 2024, the Cuban bosses have managed to get countries like Mexico and Argentina (before Javier Milei) to put their international policy at the service of their dictatorial interests. Let's look at some data:

November 2019, after the fraud and resignation of the coca boss, Mexico, in collaboration with Tuto Quiroga, made it easier for Evo Morales and García Linera to escape from Bolivia and evade justice.

In 2020, María de los Ángeles Duarte, former Minister of Transportation and Public Works and Housing of Rafael Correa, took refuge in the Argentine Embassy in Quito to avoid prison, since the same charges for which Correa and Glas have been charged against the lady convictions. It was later discovered that Alberto Fernández helped the former minister escape from Ecuador.

Jorge Glas entered the Mexican Embassy in Quito on December 17, 2023. On March 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador asked the Mexican embassy for authorization for public forces to enter the place to proceed with the capture of Glas, a request that was obviously denied.

On April 5, the Mexican government granted political asylum to Jorge Glas with a direct statement from López Obrador. Hours later, the Ecuadorian Police stormed the Mexican diplomatic headquarters and detained Glas, considering that he clearly contravened the fundamental principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states and due to the risk of the convict fleeing.

In this specific case, Mexico was the first to violate the Convention on the Right of Asylum signed in Havana on February 20, 1928 and modified in Montevideo-Uruguay on December 26, 1933, since it says the following:

It is not lawful for States to grant asylum in legations, warships, camps or military aircraft to those accused of common crimes who have been properly prosecuted or who have been convicted by ordinary courts, nor to deserters from land and sea. . The people mentioned in the preceding paragraph who take refuge in some of the places indicated in the previous paragraph must be handed over as soon as the local government requires it.

Additionally, if you want to complain about the actions of Daniel Noboa and his government, there is a small reminder: The first to wipe their asses with International Law were Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez. The first invaded the Ecuadorian Embassy in Havana in 1984. The second used the concept of "People's Diplomacy" as an alibi to finance gangs, terrorists, thugs and all kinds of criminals since 1999.

In conclusion, the real problem lies in the fact that 21st Century Socialism uses its puppet countries to protect drug traffickers, gang members, corrupt people and all kinds of criminals. Rafael Correa and Jorge Glas are not politically persecuted, but highly dangerous criminals.

«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».