Gabriel Boric’s victory in Chile is a milestone in the politics of imperialism for the continent. The New Left emerges in the region with Chile’s president, which is more aligned with imperialist interests and without a nationalist policy like the previous one, defeated by a wave of coups.
Boric and this New Left have the role of functioning as an exhaust valve for popular uprisings. The social crisis caused by economic neoliberalism imposed on Latin American countries by American imperialism led to a series of uprisings. Chile was the country where this social crisis manifested itself in a prolonged manner.
Protesters have taken the streets of the country for almost two years. The right-wing government under Sebastián Piñera was liquidated and the Chilean Communist Party, a traditional masses party of the local Left, has reached the first place in the polls.
Boric had the support of the press and bourgeoisie to defeat the PCC in the primaries elections as a candidate who supposedly congregated the left-wing. This was the coup given by imperialism to put the Left they trust – The New Left – in control of the government of Chile.
Right after winning the elections, both primary and national, Boric has already taken a turn to the right, giving clear signs for imperialism. He attacked the governments of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, refused to give amnesty to thousands of manifestants imprisoned during the demonstrations that took over the country, becoming, thus, trustworthy to Chilean bourgeoisie and Americans, welcomed by the government of Joe Biden.
This is the new strategy of imperialism, taming the petty bourgeois with Left orientation, seeking to prevent the nationalist or revolutionary left seizing the power.
The Lula’s program for government
In this week Guido Mantega (former planning minister during 2003-2004, BNDES chairman in 2015 and former finance minister 2006 to 2014) wrote an article pointing out the failures of the economic policy at Temer and Bolsonaro government.
The PT member indicated that if Lula wins the 2022 elections, his program should review some privatizations, end the austerity policy and establish a state of social welfare.
Guido is an economic advisor of the PT (Workers’ Party) and Lula, his program is reformist, nationalist and extremely moderate, without presenting any structural reform, such as land reform, for example. He only alludes to reforms that change the economic orientation of the country, redirecting it to the development of the national economy. However, his propose was received with scandal by the Brazilian press. The national bourgeoisie published a series of criticisms and attacks on Mantega initiating a debate on what should be the economic program of a possible Lula government.
This debate showed that a program in which a take account national development, with no austerity will not be tolerated. The bourgeoisie made it clear that their wish is a hard neoliberal government. It also demonstrated that the fantasies of certain sectors of PT, deluded by the electoral polls and the absence (until then) of attacks thrown at Lula, as well as the possibility of a vice-president like Alckmin, are only illusions.
It will depend on the Left to fight, not only for Lula’s electoral victory, but to conduct the government to a popular program, that reverses all the ills caused by the scammer regime. No vice scammers nor the Right!
