El Nino, El Viejo and the global reshaping of Latin America: Surviving the UNCED coups

Abstract

Faced with a new wave of neoliberal authoritarianism on the one hand, and on the other a Democrat alliance on human rights and the environment, Latin America's social-democrat politicians were key organisers of the 1992 Earth Summit. Like their US Democrat allies on human rights and natural resource planning, they had local experience which appeared to validate the risks of climate change, and a decade's experience in pioneering alternative regional energy strategies. They were also concerned about the impact on environmental rescue strategies of repayments on a US$420 billion regional debt. The outcome, despite compromises, was a bargaining position beyond the tolerance of vested interests. Two key presidents in Latin America involved in UNCED's organisation were deposed within a year of the summit in military assisted impeachment processes: one, Carlos Andres Perez, had been a cornerstone of regional work on resource management, human rights, debt, Latin American economic integration, South-South cooperation and the economic roots of democracy for a generation.