[Marxism] President Cristina's speech at Mercosur

[Joaquín Bustelo]

I had the pleasure this morning of listening to Argentine President
Cristina Fernandez's speech as host of the Mercosur summit currently
being held in Argentina. I say pleasure not because she proposed a
program of radical democratic and transitional demands, but because
she very honestly described how the last six months had made clear the
great challenges facing the Mercosur alliance and the third world
generally, that energy and food security and independence are two of
the topmost real issues of the 21st Century.

I also got to hear a completely zilch speech by Paraguay's foreign
minister, who was in a tough position representing a president who has
resigned (among other things, to get under the umbrella protection of
legislative immunity by becoming a Senator) but is still in office
because the current opposition, soon to be government, has boycotted
the sessions, preventing the establishment of a quorum, and so his
resignation hasn't been accepted by the Congress.

This was followed by Tabare from Uruguay, who I must say significantly
underfulfilled my very modest expectations. Maybe I just listened to a
particularly vacuous and pompous section and the rest was better, but
the only thing I can say positive about him is that in comparison with
that racist rat Alan Garcia from Peru, at least he came.

Unfortunately I lost access to the signal before hearing the others at
the summit, including Lula, Evo, Chavez and Bachelet. CNN en Español
carried Cristina's speech live and had promised to carry some of the
others, but I was watching a direct raw feed, so I'm not sure whether
they followed through. I hope they did carry some of the others. They
spend so much time carrying every inconsequential statement by Bush
the least they can do is let Latin Americans listen to their own
presidents, such as they are.

Perhaps Nestor knows where to find the speech in print, so at least
those that can read Spanish can find it.

Joaquin