The projects we currently support in Nicaragua have arisen in situations of poverty that have been worsening due to trade policies and loan agreements of the past few decades. Many of the most destructive trade policies were codified in DR-CAFTA (Dominican Republic and Central American Free Trade Agreement), a trade agreement that parallels NAFTA in many ways, extending such policies into the Dominican Republic and Central America. DR-CAFTA has been in effect for three years now, and the Stop CAFTA coalition recently released its third annual report on the agreement’s effects, which contains some region-wide information and a few great briefs on more local effects.

The Bush Administration has tried to push a trade agreement with Colombia through Congress this year, which has many similar provisions to NAFTA and CAFTA. Fortunately, President-elect Obama, and his pick for Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, opposed the Colombia trade agreement for several reasons, though not for the fundamental design of such policies. Colombia has already seen years of horrific violence fueled by US policy there. Witness for Peace has compiled five fact sheets on the violence in Colombia as fueled by US aid. We can hope for some improvements with the Obama presidency, and this article from the Center for International Policy’s Colombia Program posted gives some predictions on what we may expect from the Obama administration’s policy in Colombia, which may resemble the kinds of changes we see in the rest of Latin America.

Free trade agreements and the so-called War on Drugs have fueled and justified much of the poverty and violence in Colombia and other Latin American nations. The rise of leftist and progressive Latin American leaders in recent years has stemmed in part from disillusionment with US goals and policy in the region. Leaders like Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Venezuelan President Chavez, and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa gained widespread support for promoting issues like greater sovereignty from the US, alleviation of poverty, debt relief, national control of resources, and stronger regional ties with their neighbors. The movie Cocalero documents the early career of Evo Morales, Bolivia’s current president, from a coca grower to a national leader, on just such a platform (and it’s available for instant viewing on Netflix!).

While Afghanistan, Iraq and India dominate the international news this winter, we should remember the crises of poverty and violence affecting millions of people in Latin America. Along with our critical support for small, community-based organizations taking direct action to improve their lives, we can always advocate for more humane public policy by our own and international governments. Finally, as we celebrate the inauguration of the first African-American president of the US, elected on a platform of hope and positive change for a better world, we can learn a great deal from the equally revolutionary elections of recent years throughout Latin America.

Goodbye for now and Happy Holidays!