Forum Americas
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By Moisés Naím / Foreign Policy
The 'Axis of Lula' vs. the 'Axis of Hugo'
Latin American leaders face a choice between provocation and progress.
The same weekend that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez celebrated Mauricio Funes's election as El Salvador's new president, his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama. The election in El Salvador and the meeting at the White House are manifestations one of the most important trends that will shape Latin American politics in coming years....And here is where El Salvador's election becomes such an interesting gauge of larger trends. Sooner rather than later, countries like El Salvador will have to choose. Do they want to join an alliance predicated on the willingness of the Venezuelan president to give away large chunks of his country's (declining) oil income, and constant confrontations with the United States? Or would they rather get as close as possible to Brazil -- a giant continental ally that has good and improving relations with the United States and a real influence in the global forums where decisions that affect Latin America are made?