Panel discussion during the Dilemmas of Humanity Conference. Photo: Zoe Alexandra
“Today, the countries of the South do not have to submit to the dynamics of the world economy organized by the North,” declared Peruvian political scientist Monica Bruckmann at the opening panel of the Regional Dilemmas of Humanity Conference in the Recoleta municipality of Santiago, Chile, which took place from September 2 to September 4. Referring to the recent expansion of the BRICS block, Bruckmann added, “At this moment, the emerging powers and countries are in a position to modify the world economy and geopolitical power relations.”
The concluding date of the conference, September 4, marked the 53rd anniversary of the victory of the Popular Unity alliance led by former Chilean President Salvador Allende.
Veteran communist militant and thinker Héctor Béjar, who spoke at the first panel of the conference highlighted the importance of the date, stating, “On this anniversary, we must also celebrate the failure of the policy of extermination [of the left]. We are here, they tried to exterminate us, but we are here, the sons and daughters are here, and that shows that this policy failed.”
He added that in today’s new geopolitical scenario, “Imperialism has nothing to offer us, only threats, they tell us not to trade with China and not to associate with any Russians.”
The conference in Chile is one of several conferences being held ahead of the III International Conference of Dilemmas of Humanity in Johannesburg, South Africa, from October 14-19. The debates and deliberations of these regional spaces will be systematized and integrated into the discussions in Johannesburg.
The event, which brought together more than 230 representatives of social movements, trade unions, and left parties from 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, took place amid tectonic geopolitical shifts. In the last year, tensions between imperialist powers of the Global North and emerging Global South economies have intensified significantly. This was evident in the context of the recent BRICS Summit that was met with alarm by Washington and the European Union, which continue their campaign of aggression against Russia and China, and all those that work with them.
from the Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service