CHILE (Spain Herald)
February 13, 2006 — Former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar
told a Chilean newspaper El Mercurio that he would like to
see a stop to the "populist wave" in Latin America, because
"badly-thought-out political formulas might come back." He called
the current situation in Latin America, which is experiencing a
resurgence of leftist governments, "worrying," and added that the
right "is silenced, has disappeared, or has a complex."
Said Aznar, "Someone has to stop
the populist wave, somebody has to say that this is the wrong
road," and said that he himself was willing to do so. Aznar said
he has the support "of very good friends in Latin America
willing to work too. So, let's see if we get organized and
begin."
The former PP leader attributed the appearance of leftist governments to "a search for a solution, of shortcuts to democracy, of shortcuts to development," and added that "this is historic work that will take many years, not just four." He said, "These indigenist movements are in part Marxist, in part revolutionary, and in part based on ethnic criteria. This is not what modern societies in the present-day are made of." Aznar added that center-right ideas are those that have had most success and have created the most employment, prosperity, and justice, "but currently in Latin America their possessors seem ashamed."
According to Aznar, "The situation in Latin America is very worrying, The Latin American world in general has two risks. First, there is the danger of coming unlinked from the developed world. The deficits in level of competitiveness and technology are becoming more and more serious. The second risk is from the political point of view. The region might divide along the lines of those countries that are looking to belong to the First World. This is the risk of populism." He listed Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and "perhaps Argentina" as countries at risk of falling into populism, or that already have.
The former PP leader attributed the appearance of leftist governments to "a search for a solution, of shortcuts to democracy, of shortcuts to development," and added that "this is historic work that will take many years, not just four." He said, "These indigenist movements are in part Marxist, in part revolutionary, and in part based on ethnic criteria. This is not what modern societies in the present-day are made of." Aznar added that center-right ideas are those that have had most success and have created the most employment, prosperity, and justice, "but currently in Latin America their possessors seem ashamed."
According to Aznar, "The situation in Latin America is very worrying, The Latin American world in general has two risks. First, there is the danger of coming unlinked from the developed world. The deficits in level of competitiveness and technology are becoming more and more serious. The second risk is from the political point of view. The region might divide along the lines of those countries that are looking to belong to the First World. This is the risk of populism." He listed Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and "perhaps Argentina" as countries at risk of falling into populism, or that already have.
The interviewer asked Aznar about
Spain's intervention in the Iraq conflict. He strongly
defended the support his administration gave to the US-UK
intervention. "I do not repent having defended an
interventionist policy in Iraq. I would repent if I had not done
so, and if Saddam Hussein were there next to the ayatollahs and
their nuclear bombs."
