"Trust me, Lula, just keep blaming everything on the dirty capitalist yanquis. The dregs eat that stuff up. Maybe if you do
what I say, you'll be in power for decades like I've been"
"Trust me, Lula, just keep blaming everything on I live in Chile, which is probably the most far along of the Latin American countries in its economic development, although by no means the richest, just the most robust.
I have many Latin American friends, of all political persuasions. I even have friends who are diehard COMMUNISTS.
The reality in Chile, at least, is that there is a really big middle class that would NEVER put up with Cuban style socialism -- the standard of living in just too low.While they might sympathize with Cuba and cheer them on as the "underdog" against big bad Amerika, they would NEVER go the last mile with them and put up with the inconvenience and scarcity of a socialist economy. they look down upon the Cubans and socialists as ne'er do well incompetents and do not hate America enough to stop trying to live like Americans.
There is a strong middle class in Brazil, along with one in Venezuela.
While the "poor" in both these countries are quite powerful politically, they are not the class that gets things done, and they know it
When push comes to shove, the majority of the poor will NOT come to the aid of Lula or Chavez, and these will fall.
The Venezuelan middle class has basically decided to go for broke, the shop owners, the professionals, have, IMHO, decided that this is the LAST chance to oust Chavez: it will become almost impossible if Chavez survives this strike. I don't think he will be able to, but things will get dicey.
Keep your fingers crossed folks, the next six weeks are going to be *really* interesting not only in latin America, but in the middle east, Iraq and Korea!