The Puebla Group calls for regional integration …

“We have to think of an alternative development model to neoliberalism.” In this case, the Puebla Group held its fifth meeting on Friday, where its members virtually discussed and contributed ideas for the drafting of a manifesto. More than 60 presidents, ex-presidents, officials and referents of progressivism agree on the need to promote regional unity and warn that the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the enormous inequalities that affect Latin America. Faced with this scenario, they propose to democratize access to vaccines and to assess different ways of dealing with economic reconstruction.

A vast debate brought together President Alberto Fernández and regional leaders like the ex-presidents of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Ecuadorian Rafael Correa and the Colombian Ernesto Samper. Under the slogan “The changed Latin America”, the coordination of the V Meeting of the Puebla Group was in charge of the former candidate for the Chilean presidency Marco Enríquez-Ominami. Since its creation in July 2019, The Puebla group is consolidated as one of the most active alliances in Latin America. However, there is also, inside, the urgency to move from a simple debate of ideas to action.

“The main suffering of the region has been the destruction of its unity as a continent. Unasur and the channels of communication that have served for years to evolve the continent in harmony and democracy have been broken, ”he said. Alberto Fernandez, in charge of the inauguration of the virtual summit. “It is essential that Latin America reintegrates and discusses again. United, we can accomplish much more than separately”, stressed the Argentine president.

In turn, Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has warned democracy in her country is “totally corrupt”. But the responsibility does not lie solely with President Jair Bolsonaro, because he would be a “product of this corrosion” which has lasted for several years. Rousseff demanded that the manifesto which speaks of “soft hits” be amended, because the fact that “there are no tanks in the streets, home invasions, closure of the National Congress and explicit torture does not mean any kind of sweetness “.

For its part Lula, who wore a red guayabera brought from his recent trip to Havana, thanked the Cuban brothers for the medical treatment he received there to recover from covid-19 and insisted on supporting the island and Venezuela. “The group needs to be an international protagonist again, to have strength outside of our meetings”, said the founder of the Brazilian PT.

Former Colombian President Ernesto Samper he was one of those who put the region’s new relationship with the United States into the debate. He underlined “the very important agenda that Joe Biden proposes on migration, climate change, Cuba and even on the peace process in Colombia, which is in a kind of dangerous ‘airplane mode'”.. As far as Venezuela is concerned, however, the signs of change regarding the policy implemented by the administration of Donald Trump are not so clear.

From Belgium, Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said the pandemic was “a terrible test that revealed our weaknesses, but at the same time he agrees with progressivism “, because the region has eight percent of the population but 30 percent of infections. “It is necessary to overcome the crisis at the lowest cost and to decide who bears these costs. The new colonialism is cognitive, so we have to generate knowledge“Correa added.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, did not want to miss the appointment. By a letter called for strengthening multilateralism and international cooperation, adding that “this adversity (covid-19) has reminded us, in the harshest way possible, of the price we are paying for the weaknesses of a development style that has deepened inequalities.”

Progressive manifesto

After a debate that lasted more than two hours, former President Samper spoke about the main directions of the manifesto prepared by representatives of different countries. The document includes short-term positions (linked to the coronavirus) but also medium and long-term aspirations (“alternative or united model which seeks to replace the neoliberal model”, an old premise of the Puebla group).

In this way, Samper identified the three fundamental legs of the Progressive Manifesto. First, the recognition that “democracy is resentful”. For this reason, the group proposes “to change the actors, to make the companies privatized to the State, to give a different role to the civil society and to revitalize the political parties”.

The second task that the region must undertake is to “make a great social leap” since with the pandemic “we have regressed between 10 and 15 years in terms of inequalities”, declared the former secretary general of Unasur. To fill this gap, the manifesto proposes the job creation through increased demand. A second instrument is the “basic solidarity income“in Samper’s words,” the funneling of money for millions of people below the poverty line. “

Third, the Puebla group offers reactivate the regional economy by penalizing tax evasion. Another section of the manifesto suggests guarantee the coronavirus vaccine as a public and universal good. In addition, the group of progressive leaders considered the request of Lula, who proposed that the UN convene underdeveloped countries to a special meeting on vaccines against covid-19.

Origins of the Puebla group

At the first meeting of the Ibero-American Forum, held July 12-14, 2019 in Puebla, Mexico, 30 leaders from 12 countries agreed to join forces and make proposals to consolidate a new axis regional with the objective of “Produce consensus and politically articulate progressivism.” The Puebla group positions itself fundamentally as the other side of the Lima group, formed in 2017 to demand the departure of President Nicolás Maduro from the government of Venezuela.

For the Puebla Group, “neoliberalism is responsible for the lack of growth and the increase in inequalities”. They believe that the search for individualism and meritocracy has accentuated the concentration of wealth and the inability to meet the demands of the most backward classes. With proposals necessary to overcome a period of deep uncertainty and emboldened by the build-up of progressive governments in the region, the regional bloc should try, taking over Lula, to take the plunge to take an “international role”.