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What Africa can learn from Latin American economic revolutionarism
2007-05-04 09:08:22
By Mwondoshah Mfanga
Events taking place in Latin America today seem to indicate that there is something fundamental or rather revolutionary taking place in the underdeveloped world, which in a way could lead to real economic emancipation.
What is called the ABLAs-the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas-comprising now five countries of Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Cuba and the actions they take to dissociate from US exploitation cannot be ignored by developmentalists.
First there have been mere verbal exchanges between the US and Cuban President Fidel Castro, and of recent, the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Now, it is not a question of polemics or rhetorics any more, but it appears there is real action on the ground, and some leaders in Latin America are now determined to be with their people for their development and not with the US like it has been in the past.
First there is the opening up of new natural resources exploitation in many countries including Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and even Ecuador and substantial economic transformation has been taking place.
But second there is an attempt to put many of the resources closer to the people than to foreign companies, many of which are from the US.
Third, which is much more important is the formation of a protest movement-the ALBAs-the aim of which is to provide an alternative development to the way Latin American countries have been subjected to for decades, under the US hegemonism.
Speaking during the May Day event this week, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had a shocker, when he announced that his country was pulling out its membership from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
According to reports, the Latin American country oil riches proceeds would be used to form a bank, in which South American countries would be eligible to borrow instead.
This is not the first time the Venezuelan President or any of the ‘rebel leaders’ in Latin America is pronouncing such a revolutionary protest against the big capital.
But definitely this time, it sounds to be a tall order, probably never before experienced in any other part of the world because the countries have a movement on their back.
Anybody who is conversant with Latin American historical development should be quite aware that there is something rather special taking place there, which cannot be different from what the Arab world did with oil in the seventies and eighties.
After coming to power, about two years ago, Bolivian President Evo Morales nationalised gas and minerals, which were formerly under private companies.
He was, perhaps imitating Chavez, who has all along been nationalising oil riches of his countries for sometimes now, and has turned the Latin American country into gold from mugs.
Daniel Oterga, after his stay in the bench for a number of years, appears to have graduated about how the US is running the affairs of the Americas, and he now wants change. He is now among those who have joined the ALBAs.
One thing is that this initiative for Latin American economic revolutionarism, appears to be gaining momentum with this new encounter movement, and it shows that there are real steps being taken to try to liberate Latin Americans.
Let it be understood that Latin America has been first in a number of things that have been influential to Africa and the entire world.
One of them is the fundamental theories of underdevelopment, of scholars such as Andre Gunder Frank, Cardoso, Futardo and others were first initiated in Latin America after the theorists learnt that the countries were undergoing through a number of historical torments by the West.
The question is: Et tu Africa and what can the continent learn from Latin Americans? Much of the Asian continent that has made economic breakthrough like Japan, China, India and of late the Malays did not have a big dose of economic colonialism from the West like Africa and Latin America.
That is why it has been easier for them to take off to economic prosperity. Latin America and Africa have had and still are experiencing a protracted path to development, largely because those who subjected them to the current state are still continuing to do so.
If there is a close historical relate, which Africa can learn from, it is definitely Latin America, though not to the same proportion. There is therefore much that the continent can learn from its South American counterpart than from Asia in terms of development.
It is therefore necessary that rich resources Africa should also discover it`s the akin of Chavez, Morales, Noriega, Castro and the like if the continent wants to guard its minerals, peoples and respect and set up its own development direction.
The question is for how long shall African countries stick to the West after so many years suffering from slavery to colonialism and independence?
Already in countries such as Tanzania, the IMF’s Deputy Managing Director Murilo Portugal, says they do not need anymore financial support.
Anyway, one also wonders whether there was a need for the Tanzania government to wait until when it was told that there was no point for it to continue getting financial dosages from the multilateral body.
All along since 1985 Tanzanians have been subjected to IMF and World Bank dosages, said to be bring about economic recovery and enhanced recovery.
Yet Tanzanians have lived for 21 years now, never to witness any the promised recovery anyway.
The advent of the IMF and contrary to that of any other, even that of Ujamaa, has been the longest-in the history of this country, covering over 21 years.
Yet from a social economic point of view, there have been no fundamental changes worth a pride in Tanzania.
We are told that macro economic benchmarks have been achieved-GDP has been upped to almost 6 per cent, inflation brought down to single digit, exports jacked up to cover more than eight months-imports.
But everybody was a witness last year when the country experienced a few months-drought and all the benchmarks were all over sudden wiped out through the window.
It is all duping, because it was the same IMF which was to come in and support the government in jacking up power production that was in taters.
If the economic benchmarks were sound, why then did the IMF come in to support something power production, these are some of the questions that need cogent answers?
Anyway, I am not saying it is now timer for Tanzania to turn its back against the IMF the way Chavez has done.
But I am saying that since the IMF says Tanzania no longer needs the Breton Woods institution, then the best thing is to rely on it at the level of consultancy only.
But as for how Tanzania and the entire continent should relate with the rest of developed world, there is a need to emulate what the ALBAs have done.
Yes, why not an Alternative Economic Development for Africans? In fact that is what the people are looking forward to see.
mwonga19@yahoo.co.uk
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