Socialism in Latin America
Cuba- Raul Castro, Communist Party of Cuba
Venezeula- Hugo Chavez, United Socialist Party of Venezuela
Bolivia- Evo Morales, Movement Towards Socialism Party
Chile- Michelle Bachelet, Socialist Party of Chile
Argentina- Nestor Kirchner, Front for Victory Party
Uruguay- Tabare Vazquez, Broad Front Party
Brazil- Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazilian Worker's Party
Ecuador- Rafael Correa, Alianza PAIS Party
"We are heading towards a Socialist Republic of Venezuela"
-
Hugo Chavez
Socialism in Latin America rose out of the ashes of the failed free-market reforms of the late 80's and early 90's known as the Washington Consensus. These reforms included an attempt to globalize and to privatize many aspects of Latin American economies in the hopes to generate more wealth. There was also an effort to strengthen democracy in Latin America in association with the United States. The failure of these reforms to bring widespread change has moved the Latin American people to look towards other ideas in attempt to bring equality to their countries. This new wave of reforms seems to be yet another attempt to improve the massive amounts of poverty within Latin America that has been in exsistence since the Spanish colonial period. The gross levels of poverty is essentially the root of this and of every other attempt at reform within Latin America.