The Berlin wall came down in November, 1989, spelling the death of Communism for the world, or so we thought. But for a failed system, Communism is healthy and growing in Central and South America.

Bolivia
President Evo Morales has called U.S. capitalism “the worst enemy of humanity.”(Wikipedia, May, 2007)

Venezuela
Morales referred to the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas as “an agreement to legalize the colonization of the Americas.” He supports President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela in his desire to form an “Axis of Good” between Bolivia, Cuba, and Venezuela, to oppose the “Axis of Evil” made up of the United States and its allies. (America Economica, Jan 5, 2006)

Cuba
In December, 2005, Morales was welcomed with full honors in Cuba, and signed a cooperation agreement with Bolivia and Cuba. He described Castro and Chavez as “the commanders of the forces for the liberation of the Americas and the world.” (Wikipedia, May, 2007)

On September 20, 2006, Chávez delivered a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, damning U.S. President George Bush. Chávez referred to Bush as “the devil,” adding that Bush had spoken to the General Assembly a day earlier in order to “preserve the current pattern of domination, exploitation and pillage of the peoples of the world.” Although condemned by the USA, the speech was received with “wild applause” in the Assembly. (Sept. 20, 2006)

Left to right:
Schafik Handel – General Secretary of Communist Party of El Salvador, 1973-1994, presidential candidate in 2004.
Hugo Chavez – President of Venezuela
Fidel Castro – President of Cuba
Evo Morales – President of Bolivia

Nicaragua
In his first week as president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. While touring shanty towns in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, Ortega told the press that Iran and Nicaragua “share common interests and (have common) enemies.”

“’The US no longer rules Latin America!’ Mr. Ortega thunders into the dark night. “’The Yankees no longer rule Nicaragua!’” The small crowd of farmers hoists their black and red Sandinista flags…and chants: “’Daniel, Daniel!”’” (Christian Science Monitor, Sept 15, 2005)

“The triumph of the Sandinistas will raise the morale of Latin America,” says Ortega, tapping into the Bush administration’s worst fears of a growing left-leaning, populist, anti-American movement on the continent, led by Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez. “Other countries will say - ‘Look, that small country got away with it - so can we!’ We will spread the revolution. “There is an alternative,” he whispers, his voice hoarse from weeks of rallies, “to succumbing to the American Empire.” (Christian Science Monitor, Sept 15, 2005)

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay
Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua are not the only countries in Central and South America that are looking left for a solution to their problems. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay are also in danger of turning Communist. El Salvador has a Communist party. We found Marxists among student leaders at the University of Costa Rica.

In March this year, Jose and I talked with Mario Matute, Director of the University of Honduras in San Pedro Sula (CURN), about the many successes accomplished during his time as director. (A new director will be elected in July). We discussed the growth of left-leaning governments, and the possibility of Communism returning to Latin America. With great emotion, he said, “You North Americans think the threat to your security is in the Middle East. It’s not in the Middle East; it is right here on your border!”

Even the Pope warned of the dire implications of a Communist Latin America. This spring, at the end of his trip to Brazil, Pope Benedict XVI attacked Marxism, as well as unfettered capitalism, as twin scourges of Latin America. (The Guardian, May 15, 2007)

The pontiff gave a blunt warning to priests to steer clear of leftwing politics. “The Marxist system…not only left a sad heritage of economic and ecological destruction, but also a painful destruction of the human spirit,” he said.

We Can Make a Difference
We can wring our hands over what is happening on our doorstep, or we can do something about it. Through our work with Ministerio Renuevo on the campus of CURN, and the classes of the many professionals who have come to teach at universities in Honduras and Costa Rica, we are seeing hopeful changes. With enough resources and people, these changes could take place all over Latin America. The threat can evaporate as university-trained leaders help their countries become more stable and independent, or we can face conflict in our own back yard.

There is the inexpensive, grass roots way of bringing change, or the much more costly expense of war and bloodshed. YOU can truly make a difference in Latin America. The plan is not to make Latin America like us, but to help them become what they are able to be - free, secure, independent, God-fearing nations embodying the principles of Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge, the foundation of our teaching.

John