Brazilian Greens seek alliance with Mockus

[Meshuga]

Brazil's Green Party is seeking an alliance with popular Colombian presidential candidate Antanas Mockus' Green Party, with the aim of creating a South America-wide left-wing union, reports EFE.

Senator Marina Silva, the Brazilian Green Party's presidential candidate, is scheduled to meet with Mockus on May 20 in Bogota, in order to discuss the alliance.

"We consider that it is important to create an alternative left-wing pole in Latin America to face off against the authoritarian, populist and anachronistic left of Chavism and of the Castro brothers in Cuba," said Alfredo Sirkis, founder and former president of Brazil's Green Party.

"The growth of Mockus in polls in Colombia and that of Marina Silva in Brazil demonstrates that Latin American society wants a new alternative left; democratic and ecological," Sirkis added.

According to Sirkis, the proposed new left-wing axis would represent a left that privileges the principles of sustainability, respect for democracy and human rights, and a modern vision of society - values that the Brazilian considers Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as lacking in his "alternative" agenda.

Sirkis said the idea was to "establish an initial axis with Mockus, who represents the proposal of urban transformation for the Greens, and Marina, who has global prestige as a defender of the Amazon," and then bring into the fold political movements from other Latin American nations, not necessarily Greens per se, but with the same core values.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/2010-elections/9441-brazilian-greens-seek-alliance-with-mockus.html

[Meshuga]

1. Kick (because of my own curiosity)

What is the take of folks here when we see the Greens in Brazil and Colombia discussing an "alternative left-wing pole in Latin America to face off against the authoritarian, populist and anachronistic left of Chavism and of the Castro brothers in Cuba?"

I surely find it refreshing and hope to see Marina Silva grow in the presidential election polls in Brazil. So far, from my own observations, the top two candidates are not looking so good. Dilma Rousseff is making a lot of mistakes and pissing people off (with some people saying that Lula made a terrible choice for his successor) and José Serra who (like his opponents in PT) have a history of bullshit politics attacking the character of his opponents.

Too bad Marina Silva and the Green Party don't have the huge alliance to get the air play that PT/PMDB and PSDB have in this election because she would be doing much better. It would be a wonderful surprise to see her make the second round of votes. Regardless, at this moment in time she has my vote.

[ChangoLoa]

3. She has your vote, you say. Interesting.

I think these tendencies represent a lot better our political and social goals in South America than the past ones... at least potentially. Lula was very important in this step forward and as soon as Mockus came out in Colombia (!) I had the same kind of feeling.

Now, what I like most about this info is that I see for the first time the will to organize a political movement "continentally" at the Latin American level from its beginning. This would really be the most "Bolivarian" (between other ideologies) event in our recent history.

[Meshuga]

4. I actually think that Lula was stupid not to call Marina Silva back to PT...

...and support her as his party's candidate. Rousseff is proving to be a nightmare so far. Marina Silva seems much more capable to continue the current path and she has run for office before. And Marina Silva transmits a sense that she is a person with legitimate concerns as opposed to focusing on the rhetorical bullshit to make the ideologues happy.

[naaman fletcher]

2. Excellent.

This is the kins of leadership LA needs. Hopefully we could see a similar movement in Venezuela.

[rabs]

5. Marina Silva cancels trip to Bogota over threats to Mockus

Aspirante a la presidencia de Brasil suspendió viaje a Colombia por amenazas a Antanas Mockus

Marina Silva, del Partido Verde en Brasil, canceló un encuentro con el candidato colombiano debido a las amenazas de muerte que éste ha recibido por Internet.

"Sabemos que la situación en Colombia es muy tensa", declaró el presidente del Partido Verde brasileño, Alfredo Sirkis, quien citó la preocupación causada por la creación de un grupo en la red social Facebook denominado 'Me comprometo a matar a Antanas Mockus antes del 30 de mayo'.

El encuentro entre Marina Silva y el candidato del Partido Verde colombiano sería el próximo 20 de mayo en Bogotá y tendría como objetivo discutir la articulación de un polo alternativo para la izquierda latinoamericana.

Al anunciar la cita el pasado día 5, Sirkis explicó que la idea era crear una alternativa de izquierda regional "que pueda hacer frente a la izquierda autoritaria, populista y anacrónica", con la que identificó a los presidentes de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, y Cuba, Raúl Castro.

BRASILIA
Efe



http://www.eltiempo.com/mundo/latinoamerica/aspirante-a-la-presidencia-de-brasil-suspendio-viaje-a-colombia-por-amenazas-a-mockus_7699267-1

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Could be an over reaction? But then the Brazilian Greens may know something that we do not.

This week the uribista government said it had augmented the security of all candidates, but that is to be taken with a grain of salt.

[Meshuga]

6. The threats are unfortunate

I guess it is better to stay on the side of caution.