Blog Post #13: Week 13

Latin America is very angry. In Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia, there are a plethora of protests for lack the of democracy; in Chile, Ecuador, and Haiti, there are protests due to the lack of opportunities and greater equality. Meanwhile, Argentina returns to the Peronist-Kirchnerist left, and Mexico does not see the exit to the growing spiral of narco-violence.

Latin America's rich and not-so-rich are very separated from its many poor and not-so-poor. The sad lesson is that democracy is necessary but not sufficient. From the Colonies to the present day, Latin American economies have been organized for the benefit of a few. After decades of dictatorships and authoritarian governments, many countries — in addition to electing their leaders with votes — expected a time of economic well-being for all. But this majority welfare has still not arrived. The future of Latin America is uncertain. It will always be like this until this changes.

Nevertheless, I am hopeful. I believe the new era of social organization will change the traditional attitude many civilians have towards the social contract. These protests that we are watching unfold are actually the product of the new spaces created by democracy; in the dictatorships of Pinochet, of Videla in Argentina or in Mexico of 1968, citizens were massacred for protesting. Today citizens are no longer afraid. These new spaces are the new forms of social organization that take place thanks to new technologies - from the internet and social networks to the use of cell phones - these tools will hopefully circumvent any attempt at control and censorship. Official press releases have to compete on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with the fluidity of millions of videos, photos, and texts that contradict them. You can no longer govern if legitimacy and credibility are lost in networks. In my opinion, there is hope for our uncertain future due to an increase in certainty in the networks.