Saturday, May 24, 2003

Cuaderno Latinoamericano - Andres Oppenheimer evaluates Brazil's push not only for regional supremacy within the region, but also for a rejection of the notion of a regional "Latin America" in favor of an even further sub-regionalization. Interesting concept, though it is not unprecedented and probably won't really amount to anything substantive. The ties that bind are much too deep. In other news, can it be true that Venezuelan democracy will triumph? Chavez and the opposition have apparently agreed to a referendum based on constitutional process. That this agreement would come without any catches is hard for me to believe; but maybe -- just maybe -- Venezuela's touted (but stressed) political culture of democracy will win the day. Should the referendum take place, the true test will be whether or not the loser will accept it as legitimate. In the end, a peaceful and constitutional resolution of this crisis agreeable to all parties involved would be a major success for Venezuela. And it seems that the country is headed in this direction.

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