Miriam Leitao at PostGlobal

Miriam Leitao

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Miriam Leitao is a reporter and columnist for O Globo and Radio CBN in Brazil. She is also a commentator on Globo TV Network and runs her own blog, www.miriamleitao.com, hosted at Globo online at www.oglobo.com.br. She was awarded Columbia University’s Maria Moors Cabot Prize in 2005. Close.

Miriam Leitao

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Miriam Leitao is a reporter and columnist for O Globo and Radio CBN in Brazil. more »

Main Page | Miriam Leitao Archives | PostGlobal Archives


And the Winner Is...Democracy!

There’s no such thing as one Latin leftism, but at least the most authoritarian strand has taken a blow.

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All Comments (13)

joao da rocha:

Míriam, Boa Noite.
Parece até que estou perseguindo você.Na realidade, sim, mas no bom sentido.
Tenho acompanhado a evolução dos seus escritos e que espelham, hoje,os altos e baixos da realidade brasileira e mundial,com muita clareza e objetividade.
O seu artigo, aquí no PostalGlobal, está perfeito.
A omissão, a descrença e a desmotivação com a vida pública e nos políticos,por pessoas capazes e honestas, abriu um espaço muito grande para o resurgimento de governos populistas em substituição aos governos democráticos ditatoriais. E essa omissão está custando muito caro ao mundo inteiro e não somente aos países da america latina e caribe.
Nos sujeitamos a arbitrariedades, em todas as modalidades, a uma carga tributária elevada,convivemos pacificamente com a corrupção e uma infinidade de outras impunidades e não fazemos nada, além de criticar.Mas não assumimos, através do voto, a co-responsabilidade por uma melhor escolha de nossos governantes.
Os países ricos estavam achando natural e até normal, a concentração cada vez maior das riquesas em mãos de 2% da população mundial e os pobres se tornando cada vez mais´pobres e indigentes.
Como o povo é alimentado espiritualmente por grandes sermãos nas igrejas e, no lado materialista, esses sonhos são alimentados pela demagogia política.
Como os mais pobres viviam em completo abandono, promesmas e mais promessas alimentavam o desejo de um presente melhor.
Discutiam as disputas de PIBs elevados, mas não se discutia a participação do povo em seus resultados.
O latino americano não é e nunca foi comunista.
Simplesmente , assim foram taxados e explorados pelas elites que manobram o poder desde o descobrimento do Brasil. E o populismo de hoje, é benéfico e um degráu de de uma escada de mais alguns lences.

Flávio Américo dos Reis:

As a Brazilian, and a Latin American, I do not agree with smug Ms. Leitão of O GLOBO, possibly the most reactionary, right-wing organization in Brazil, and not one that would be fair to Hugo Chávez.

Miriam Leitão, as I have said, works for one of the most reactionary organizations in Brazil--Roberto Marinho´s «O Globo»--that was the handmaiden of the dictatorship. So her appeal to street cred as an opponent of the dictatorship is laughable, truly laughable. I´m not surprised you at Newspeak/The Washington Hoax didn´t call her on «O Globo»´s reactionary history. But perhaps I am asking too much. (LOL)

The reason the people in Brazil do not want Lula to run for a third term is more likely the fact that he hasn´t really deviated from the Washington Consensus (the one that says that the everything should be entrusted to the Almighty Market´s «Invisible Hand»). Lula has not done for the poor in Brazil one one-hundredth of what Chávez has done for the poor and disenfranchised in Venezuela. That is a fact. So it´s no surprise he is thought of as a fake.

And I wonder what Miriam would have said of Bush and his entourage: sure, he always appears without security, and you never have to answer any questions to be at his cheerleading rallies! Incredible!

The Facts

(1) If an autocrat, he has to be the most consistently re-elected autocrat on earth, in elections monitored by respected electoral monitoring organizations the world over and declared free and fair.

(2) Autocrats do not submit major constitutional changes to popular referenda. They promulgate them by decree (i.e., à la Generalíssimo Francisco Franco)

(3) Dictators are not nice to those who attempt to overthrow them by simply not renewing the broadcast license of their eco chambers (e.g., RCTV). They usually try them for treason, and then, ¡paredón! (firing squad) Chávez hasn´t done that, although Francisco Franco would have.

(4) True autocrats/narcissists would not allow Gringos to continually infiltrate my country through the NED (so-called «National Endowment for Democracy») and USAID. I would also have those people rounded up and tried--as would the US. Think about it: say the Chinese tried to influence elections in the US by funding chosen groups. I suspect--and this is just a suspicion, bear me out--that the American government would expose it and crack down on it, and the American people would be livid.

(5) True autocrats would not have «conceded», in spite of, as all sane people who read and get their info from other than the mainstream press know, the shenanigans that were actively supported by the Bush administration (through funding of the NED, USAID, etc.) that spawned «guarimbas» or street disturbances throughout the country, and right-wing violence that caused the death of several people in the run up to the referendum.

It seems that on your PostGlobal, you have only invited the opinion of the right wingers (Brazil is awash in them, as is Chile).

(6) Most European democracies (and many outside Europe, viz. Australia and John Howard´s 5 terms) allow for their people to vote for a candidate for more than two terms. It simply means the people have the right to vote a candidate in for as many terms as they like. But the point is: the people have to vote that candidate in or out, and that candidate can be voted out. You ridiculously claim that that would make him a lifelong dictator. Forbear, please! How many times has Australia´s John Howard been voted in? Or Japan´s ruling coalition? Or Tony Blair (three terms)? Or FDR--four terms?!

This is only a momentary setback. There will be time to educate people about the necessary reforms and also time to inoculate the country against foreign interventionism/meddling, which was the real reason behind the high abstention rate: I too would be afraid to go out and vote and run the risk of being shot at by well-fed, private university (mostly Catholic) student thugs.

And yet, and yet..., how many people did brave the streets to go and vote! Venezuela, in sum, is a democracy: the US has many lessons to learn from it.

Don´t gloat--not yet. And reform. Get some more varied opinion on board. Do your readers a favor and stop all this propagandizing. Oh, I forgot: that's not your mission. Your mission is to carry water for the corporations and the Bush administration.

globe trekker:

Fair & Balanced: Thank you!
A Latin American WaPo Reader

Kevin Clay:

As an American and one who fully supports democracy, I find that Latin America may not be ready yet. The distribution of wealth along with the checks and balances of a democracy are still in their infancy stages.Until the above is strengthened, Latin America will still have it's problems.


juan torrealba:

Lamentablemente al igual que la mayoria de periodistas dependientes de la prensa que nunca a sido libre , pues es ejercida por el patrón una linea de editorial, usted está equivocada en su analisis, no se diferencia mucho de los dictados de la gran campaña mundial en contra de todo loque significa deslatrarse de la influencia de los estados unidos , podría culpar de la pobresa generalizada en nuestra latinoamerica , pero al buscar en la historia y ver la gran cantidad de intervenciones militares de los estados unidos , causando miles de muertos , investigar aun mas nos lleva a encontrar una gran cantidad de intervenciones no violentas , practicas sucias en contra de democracias y y de la voluntad popular , si no fuese por Estados unidos y su gran influencia en las democracias del continente , los movimientos populares hubiesen encontrado desde hace muchos años la realizacion a sus sueños. el analisis no deja de ser distante de la realidad , las democracias deben identificar a las idiosincracias de sus pueblos , no deberia haber una regla común para definir la democracias , regla por cierto impuestas , asi vemos un estados unidos que aplaude , " democracias " que le son beneficiosas y las que no les son favorables a los intereses de sus empresas trasnacionales , dejan de ser democracias , para según ellos convertirse en dictaduras, en venezuela nunca habia existido tal cantidad de democracia , nunca al pueblo se le consultaba sobre la creacion de leyes , la toma de medidas de ningun tipo , etc , hoy en vzla. tenemos un alto grado de confianza en el presidente chavez de quién no dudamos su postura democratica , hoy demostrada al reconocer el triunfo pirrico de la opocision " servil a los dictados de USA",esa opocision que violaba cuotas de opep. para mantener precios del petroleo bajos , para satisfaccion del Imperio y restandole a vzla. recursos para invertir para su desarrollo, esos los lideres que le convienen a estados unidos, dirigentes apatridas , de poca conciencia nacional, una Democracia como la que hoy tenemos en venezuela es punto de referencia para evaluar las democracias de otros paises e incluso la de los Estados unidos , y no precisamente por no tomar en cuenta a su poblacion , ya quisiera yo ver un referendum en eestados unidos para preguntarles a su pueblo ,por ejemplo , si quieren ir a alguna guerra , entre muchas otras cosas ;le recomiendo deslatrarse de todo tipo de prejuicio para poder ser imparcial en sus analisis ..

juan torrealba:

Lamentablemente al igual que la mayoria de periodistas dependientes de la prensa que nunca a sido libre , pues es ejercida por el patrón una linea de editorial, usted está equivocada en su analisis, no se diferencia mucho de los dictados de la gran campaña mundial en contra de todo loque significa deslatrarse de la influencia de los estados unidos , podría culpar de la pobresa generalizada en nuestra latinoamerica , pero al buscar en la historia y ver la gran cantidad de intervenciones militares de los estados unidos , causando miles de muertos , investigar aun mas nos lleva a encontrar una gran cantidad de intervenciones no violentas , practicas sucias en contra de democracias y y de la voluntad popular , si no fuese por Estados unidos y su gran influencia en las democracias del continente , los movimientos populares hubiesen encontrado desde hace muchos años la realizacion a sus sueños. el analisis no deja de ser distante de la realidad , las democracias deben identificar a las idiosincracias de sus pueblos , no deberia haber una regla común para definir la democracias , regla por cierto impuestas , asi vemos un estados unidos que aplaude , " democracias " que le son beneficiosas y las que no les son favorables a los intereses de sus empresas trasnacionales , dejan de ser democracias , para según ellos convertirse en dictaduras, en venezuela nunca habia existido tal cantidad de democracia , nunca al pueblo se le consultaba sobre la creacion de leyes , la toma de medidas de ningun tipo , etc , hoy en vzla. tenemos un alto grado de confianza en el presidente chavez de quién no dudamos su postura democratica , hoy demostrada al reconocer el triunfo pirrico de la opocision " servil a los dictados de USA",esa opocision que violaba cuotas de opep. para mantener precios del petroleo bajos , para satisfaccion del Imperio y restandole a vzla. recursos para invertir para su desarrollo, esos los lideres que le convienen a estados unidos, dirigentes apatridas , de poca conciencia nacional, una Democracia como la que hoy tenemos en venezuela es punto de referencia para evaluar las democracias de otros paises e incluso la de los Estados unidos , y no precisamente por no tomar en cuenta a su poblacion , ya quisiera yo ver un referendum en eestados unidos para preguntarles a su pueblo ,por ejemplo , si quieren ir a alguna guerra , entre muchas otras cosas ;le recomiendo deslatrarse de todo tipo de prejuicio para poder ser imparcial en sus analisis ..

juan torrealba:

Lamentablemente al igual que la mayoria de periodistas dependientes de la prensa que nunca a sido libre , pues es ejercida por el patrón una linea de editorial, usted está equivocada en su analisis, no se diferencia mucho de los dictados de la gran campaña mundial en contra de todo loque significa deslatrarse de la influencia de los estados unidos , podría culpar de la pobresa generalizada en nuestra latinoamerica , pero al buscar en la historia y ver la gran cantidad de intervenciones militares de los estados unidos , causando miles de muertos , investigar aun mas nos lleva a encontrar una gran cantidad de intervenciones no violentas , practicas sucias en contra de democracias y y de la voluntad popular , si no fuese por Estados unidos y su gran influencia en las democracias del continente , los movimientos populares hubiesen encontrado desde hace muchos años la realizacion a sus sueños. el analisis no deja de ser distante de la realidad , las democracias deben identificar a las idiosincracias de sus pueblos , no deberia haber una regla común para definir la democracias , regla por cierto impuestas , asi vemos un estados unidos que aplaude , " democracias " que le son beneficiosas y las que no les son favorables a los intereses de sus empresas trasnacionales , dejan de ser democracias , para según ellos convertirse en dictaduras, en venezuela nunca habia existido tal cantidad de democracia , nunca al pueblo se le consultaba sobre la creacion de leyes , la toma de medidas de ningun tipo , etc , hoy en vzla. tenemos un alto grado de confianza en el presidente chavez de quién no dudamos su postura democratica , hoy demostrada al reconocer el triunfo pirrico de la opocision " servil a los dictados de USA",esa opocision que violaba cuotas de opep. para mantener precios del petroleo bajos , para satisfaccion del Imperio y restandole a vzla. recursos para invertir para su desarrollo, esos los lideres que le convienen a estados unidos, dirigentes apatridas , de poca conciencia nacional, una Democracia como la que hoy tenemos en venezuela es punto de referencia para evaluar las democracias de otros paises e incluso la de los Estados unidos , y no precisamente por no tomar en cuenta a su poblacion , ya quisiera yo ver un referendum en eestados unidos para preguntarles a su pueblo ,por ejemplo , si quieren ir a alguna guerra , entre muchas otras cosas ;le recomiendo deslatrarse de todo tipo de prejuicio para poder ser imparcial en sus analisis ..

juan torrealba:

Lamentablemente al igual que la mayoria de periodistas dependientes de la prensa que nunca a sido libre , pues es ejercida por el patrón una linea de editorial, usted está equivocada en su analisis, no se diferencia mucho de los dictados de la gran campaña mundial en contra de todo loque significa deslatrarse de la influencia de los estados unidos , podría culpar de la pobresa generalizada en nuestra latinoamerica , pero al buscar en la historia y ver la gran cantidad de intervenciones militares de los estados unidos , causando miles de muertos , investigar aun mas nos lleva a encontrar una gran cantidad de intervenciones no violentas , practicas sucias en contra de democracias y y de la voluntad popular , si no fuese por Estados unidos y su gran influencia en las democracias del continente , los movimientos populares hubiesen encontrado desde hace muchos años la realizacion a sus sueños. el analisis no deja de ser distante de la realidad , las democracias deben identificar a las idiosincracias de sus pueblos , no deberia haber una regla común para definir la democracias , regla por cierto impuestas , asi vemos un estados unidos que aplaude , " democracias " que le son beneficiosas y las que no les son favorables a los intereses de sus empresas trasnacionales , dejan de ser democracias , para según ellos convertirse en dictaduras, en venezuela nunca habia existido tal cantidad de democracia , nunca al pueblo se le consultaba sobre la creacion de leyes , la toma de medidas de ningun tipo , etc , hoy en vzla. tenemos un alto grado de confianza en el presidente chavez de quién no dudamos su postura democratica , hoy demostrada al reconocer el triunfo pirrico de la opocision " servil a los dictados de USA",esa opocision que violaba cuotas de opep. para mantener precios del petroleo bajos , para satisfaccion del Imperio y restandole a vzla. recursos para invertir para su desarrollo, esos los lideres que le convienen a estados unidos, dirigentes apatridas , de poca conciencia nacional, una Democracia como la que hoy tenemos en venezuela es punto de referencia para evaluar las democracias de otros paises e incluso la de los Estados unidos , y no precisamente por no tomar en cuenta a su poblacion , ya quisiera yo ver un referendum en eestados unidos para preguntarles a su pueblo ,por ejemplo , si quieren ir a alguna guerra , entre muchas otras cosas ;le recomiendo deslatrarse de todo tipo de prejuicio para poder ser imparcial en sus analisis ..

juan torrealba:

Lamentablemente al igual que la mayoria de periodistas dependientes de la prensa que nunca a sido libre , pues es ejercida por el patrón una linea de editorial, usted está equivocada en su analisis, no se diferencia mucho de los dictados de la gran campaña mundial en contra de todo loque significa deslatrarse de la influencia de los estados unidos , podría culpar de la pobresa generalizada en nuestra latinoamerica , pero al buscar en la historia y ver la gran cantidad de intervenciones militares de los estados unidos , causando miles de muertos , investigar aun mas nos lleva a encontrar una gran cantidad de intervenciones no violentas , practicas sucias en contra de democracias y y de la voluntad popular , si no fuese por Estados unidos y su gran influencia en las democracias del continente , los movimientos populares hubiesen encontrado desde hace muchos años la realizacion a sus sueños. el analisis no deja de ser distante de la realidad , las democracias deben identificar a las idiosincracias de sus pueblos , no deberia haber una regla común para definir la democracias , regla por cierto impuestas , asi vemos un estados unidos que aplaude , " democracias " que le son beneficiosas y las que no les son favorables a los intereses de sus empresas trasnacionales , dejan de ser democracias , para según ellos convertirse en dictaduras, en venezuela nunca habia existido tal cantidad de democracia , nunca al pueblo se le consultaba sobre la creacion de leyes , la toma de medidas de ningun tipo , etc , hoy en vzla. tenemos un alto grado de confianza en el presidente chavez de quién no dudamos su postura democratica , hoy demostrada al reconocer el triunfo pirrico de la opocision " servil a los dictados de USA",esa opocision que violaba cuotas de opep. para mantener precios del petroleo bajos , para satisfaccion del Imperio y restandole a vzla. recursos para invertir para su desarrollo, esos los lideres que le convienen a estados unidos, dirigentes apatridas , de poca conciencia nacional, una Democracia como la que hoy tenemos en venezuela es punto de referencia para evaluar las democracias de otros paises e incluso la de los Estados unidos , y no precisamente por no tomar en cuenta a su poblacion , ya quisiera yo ver un referendum en eestados unidos para preguntarles a su pueblo ,por ejemplo , si quieren ir a alguna guerra , entre muchas otras cosas ;le recomiendo deslatrarse de todo tipo de prejuicio para poder ser imparcial en sus analisis ..

Steve:

Rubbish. Intersting that there is no comment about Lula praising democracy in present day Venezuela. Chavez has not been defeated yet. He will continue trying to stay in power, like his idol Castro, and others like Robert Mugabe, Kim Jong Il, the late Stroessner of Paraguay and Trujillo of the Dominican Republic, and the former president of Turkmenitan, all wanting to stay in power forever. Many in Brazil admire Chavez, and see nothing wrong with Castro being in power for 50 years or more without real elections. Chavez will stay in power for years, not going quietly into that good night. The U.S. will continue doing its part to maintain him as a symbol of the fight against U.S. hegemony by heaping attention on Chavez as anti-American. Chavez must be taping Fox News commentaries ("See? They hate me! I am a threat to them! I must be doing something right!").

Thursday, November 29, 2007:

Elections, elections, America, there is more to this than a leader, don't go about bragging about the parties, for the one thing that will hold America together is not the election, but it has already been established and the rock is holding you together, that is the living rock and you are a part of that wedding! For parties are a thing of the past, says the Lord. For I am the one who appoints and rules, and you will say, is there going to be enough room for the two of them once the victory has happened? You say, what do you mean the two of them, for I am talking about two nations, a nation has been divided and this was not for peace, do not be deceived. This is a separation that shall weaken the nation of 1948 if that were possible.

For a great light will come and a ship in the gulf and a message that will be a delivery of uniqueness. I do not place my plans in this crossing, for in South America, in the Panama Canal it will happen, hoards of deceit and corruption. A nation gathering their plans for a dictator that cannot last. For he will have My vengeance come upon his nation, and when he says, you will bite off what I have begun I tell you this, that he will bite his own tongue and that will cause his downfall, says the Spirit of God.

http://jcudell.blogspot.com/

Anonymous:

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Elections, elections, America, there is more to this than a leader, don't go about bragging about the parties, for the one thing that will hold America together is not the election, but it has already been established and the rock is holding you together, that is the living rock and you are a part of that wedding! For parties are a thing of the past, says the Lord. For I am the one who appoints and rules, and you will say, is there going to be enough room for the two of them once the victory has happened? You say, what do you mean the two of them, for I am talking about two nations, a nation has been divided and this was not for peace, do not be deceived. This is a separation that shall weaken the nation of 1948 if that were possible.

For a great light will come and a ship in the gulf and a message that will be a delivery of uniqueness. I do not place my plans in this crossing, for in South America, in the Panama Canal it will happen, hoards of deceit and corruption.

A nation gathering their plans for a dictator that cannot last. For he will have My vengeance come upon his nation, and when he says, you will bite off what I have begun I tell you this, that he will bite his own tongue and that will cause his downfall, says the Spirit of God.

http://jcudell.blogspot.com/

CAM:

After the December 2nd. elections I had to see with despair some shallow analysis depicting Chavez as a democrat. What a relief to find analysis like Ms.Leitao that uncovers the narcisist leninist, as Oppenheimer (Miami Herald) calls him. He acepted defeat because the Armed Forces refused to follow his desire to disregard the outcome and the opposition knew the final numbers and was willing to figth for his rigths. This is not the seal of a democrat but the attitude of a fascist.
I hope this election will change the horrible path that my country was taken. PDVSA was once the most professional and efficient Oil company in Latin America. In 1997 they were working in plans to produce 6 million Barrels per day in 2006, through PDVSA's own resources and by associations with international companies. All that demonized by this mini mussolini. Now we have a company that produces 2 million barrels per day (less than it produced 10 years ago), no realistic plans for increasing production (it is decreasing), incompetent personnel and that is used as private bank for the little fascist and his party. In the short term Petrobras will take the lead as the main oil producer in Latinamerica. You can buy Petrobras's stock in the NY stock exchange and Brazil is auctioning oil blocks to Brazilian and international investors. A move made by PDVSA in 1997 but considered anti patriotic and reversed by this backward president. Meanwhile Ecopetrol (Colombia) has sell 20% of its stock to Colombian investors to get financing for its expansion plans, with an extraordinary success. I feel that my country is becoming the land of the lost opportunities, unless something changes. I only mention Oil industry because anything else in my country doesn't have an important economic weight. This is not the case in Brazil, Mexico or Colombia. All them oil producers but with sounder and diversified economies. Ten years of government by the darling of leftist writers and communist apologists. The outcome: even our oil industry is a mediocre shadow of what it was, the people that were poor in 1999 are poor today, unless you are connected in some governmet post with Chavez's party, and the rest of the economy is pathetic.
Some shallow journalists talk about the good deeds of this government through the so called "misions". Yes, they make very poor people happy, but they won't be any more than institutionalized charity unless the people you help can get decent jobs, security and savings capacity. There are no decent jobs because nobody wants to invest in Venezuela, there is no security because the poor people are the main victims of robbers and assasins in their barrios, and there is no saving capacity because our currency is in constant devaluation and the inflation the higher in Latin America. I hope Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua take note and don't allow themselves to carry a similar curse for the next ten years.

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