Copybook interventionism of US in Brazil

Less than a week after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office, thousands of protesters unsatisfied with the presidential election result and supporters of Lula's predecessor, far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro, took to the streets in Brasilia on the afternoon of Sunday, attacking the buildings of Brazilian congress, presidential residence and supreme court.

Their clashes with the police and other law enforcers, and the chaos they have created unavoidably remind the world of those who stormed Capitol Hill in Washington about two years ago in a vain attempt to overturn the presidential election result. No wonder a piece in The Atlantic magazine published on Monday said that the onslaught on the Capitol set a bad example for the rest of the world.

All violent behaviors should be condemned by reasonable minds, and cannot be tolerated in any civilized society. But the fierce criticism of the unrest in Brazil by the Joe Biden administration is in order to put pressure on the Republicans, particularly former US president Donald Trump and his supporters.

But both the condemning of the violence in Brazil by the Democrats and the studied silence of the Republicans ignore the fact that the United States is partly responsible for the socioeconomic problems and governance challenges confronting Latin American countries, including Brazil, today.

For too long, the US has regarded Latin America as its backyard, and interfered in the internal affairs of countries in the region.

Its historical assistance to the Latin Americans to fight against colonialism — a de facto process for the US to try and eradicate Spain and Portugal's influence in the region as well as implant puppet regimes — has undoubtedly evolved into a new form of colonialism.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he will urge US President Joe Biden to put an end to the US' interventionist policies in the region during the North American Leaders' Summit in Mexico City on Tuesday, which reflects the common voice of the region.

The riot in Brasilia should also serve to awaken other Latin American countries to the fact that their countries will remain an appendage to the US if they continue to pin hopes on the US for development and modernization, as the latter has never truly cared about their interests, and on the contrary is keeping them in a chronic state of underdevelopment as this is in line with the US' interests.

Cooking a frog in warm water does not create a comfort zone. There is no future for the frog although it may enjoy the warmth for a time. Instead, that warmth robs it of the independent will to try and change its fate.