Jeremy Corbyn stands with ordinary people bravely fighting for change in Latin America

Jeremy Corbyn and Chile protesters


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In recent days, UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has shone an important light on the struggle for justice in Latin America. And this comes at an especially pertinent point, as the region resists an ongoing US-backed assault by an empowered hard right.

Standing up to US imperialism

The most extreme form of capitalism – neoliberalism (i.e. austerity, privatising anything public, and giving companies total freedom to do what they want) – has been incredibly destructive. It’s brought misery to ordinary people around the world for decades. And even its main backer has admitted that it’s boosted inequality. Today, however, US-backed neoliberal governments are in power across South America, from Ecuador to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. Latin American governments that have challenged neoliberalism, meanwhile, have suffered increasing attacks from the US-sponsored right since Donald Trump took power.

One of the governments currently facing the hostility of the pro-US right is in Bolivia, where people have just re-elected left-of-centre Evo Morales. As The Canary reported, his government has lifted “millions of people out of poverty” and overseen very impressive economic growth despite “deep economic crises and an economic slowdown elsewhere in Latin America”. And Corbyn took to Twitter to praise Bolivia’s regional example, saying:

As trade unionists and other activists recently pointed out, however, “there is growing concern” that Washington and its allies are now looking to destabilise the Bolivian government. Indeed, there have already been violent US-backed protests and weak attempts to delegitimise the recent election.

Elsewhere, meanwhile…

Corbyn hasn’t just backed left-of-centre governments, though. He’s also stood alongside protesters when they’ve resisted elitist neoliberal repression. For example, he recently praised “people in Ecuador that are standing up against what the IMF [International Monetary Fund] are doing”. The IMF is a powerful and highly controversial global supporter of neoliberalism.

Amid recent repression in Western-backed Chile, meanwhile, Corbyn spoke out about the extreme violence of Chilean authorities, saying:

Massive numbers of protesters in Chile have been gathering to resist their government’s increasingly elitist policies:

And video footage has shown authorities violently repressing protesters in response:

As a result of the protests and repression, Chile’s president has apparently now sacked his entire cabinet. He claims he will listen to protesters’ demands.

Corbyn yet again on the right side of history

In Latin America, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s a war raging between those fighting for social justice and those fighting to prevent it. And Donald Trump’s government in the US is right behind the elitist offensive to protect the rich and powerful. Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, is very clearly on the side of ordinary people who are bravely standing up for a brighter future.

Featured image via Sophie Brown and Richard Burgon/Twitter

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    1. Voters around the globe are seeing that Capitalism is not for the people but for the a select few that want to control everything and have the majority of workers going back to being serfs and slaves that they can control.
      Things are finally changing as more and more voters realise that Capitalism is not working for them.

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