Bowser's post contains the Noam Chomsky article that touches on the Bolivian popular election of a socialist leadership. But no one seems to be noticing the presidential elections in Chile.

You remember Chile? The Latin nation that in a popular election elected a socialist, Salvadore Allende? In a CIA distabilization economic pressure was placed on the ruling class and Allende committed suicide. He reportedly shot himself 17 times. That was a serious suicide. Oh, and his head of treasury was the victim of street violence and was murdered in Washington, D.C. his name was Orlando Lettilier. Under US sanction the right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet was kept in power from 1973-1990.

Well, today strange things are happening. A socialist committed to continuing free market policies is in a close election battle with a billionaire, Harvard educated economist Sebastian Pinera, who vows to fight poverty in his political platform. Oh, and I didn't mention the socialist candidate that appears to have the slight edge is a female, and if elected she would be the first female president of Chile. Is this a harbinger of things to come here? Interesting thought.

Both candidates are looking to replace Ricardo Lagos, the popular socialist leader that had survived Piochet's bloody coup. At any rate, Chile has entered into a free-trade pact with the United States, are presently managing inflation and are enjoying a GDP growth rate of 6 per cent per year. Oh, and I might mention they are selling ADR's on a closed end fund, the Chile Fund (sticker symbol CH) that is currently paying me over 20% per year dividends.

Latin American socialism seems to be doing quite well, thank you.

Publius