Obama Lifts Afro-Latin American Politics BBC NEWS | Americas |
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- jkw077
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Barack Obama's candidacy in the US presidential elections is being seen as historic not only in the US but by some black leaders in Latin America, who hope his run for the White House can encourage change in their own countries.
It is not the first time Afro-Latin Americans have looked northwards for inspiration.
"Obama is a great point of reference for us," says Afro-Brazilian Senator Paulo Paim.
"In Latin America, racism has always been half-disguised. It has always been said that it doesn't exist, while at the same time blacks have been kept out of the spheres of power."
At least 110 million Latin Americans are believed to be of African descent, compared with an estimated 40 million African-Americans in the US.
Brazil has never had a black president, despite the fact that people of African and mixed-race ancestry make up nearly half the population.
Apart from Haiti and the Dominican Republic which have black majorities, only Venezuela and Cuba have had black leaders during the 20th Century.
It is not the first time Afro-Latin Americans have looked northwards for inspiration.
"Obama is a great point of reference for us," says Afro-Brazilian Senator Paulo Paim.
"In Latin America, racism has always been half-disguised. It has always been said that it doesn't exist, while at the same time blacks have been kept out of the spheres of power."
At least 110 million Latin Americans are believed to be of African descent, compared with an estimated 40 million African-Americans in the US.
Brazil has never had a black president, despite the fact that people of African and mixed-race ancestry make up nearly half the population.
Apart from Haiti and the Dominican Republic which have black majorities, only Venezuela and Cuba have had black leaders during the 20th Century.
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freeforall2008
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A big paradox for Cuba is that Fidel Castro overthrew a black dictator (Fulgencio Batista) and has a disproportionately white dictatorship for half a century but has managed to maintain a progressive image abroad with draconian repression at home.
P.S. I am no fan of the Batista dictatorship either although prior to the 1952 coup Fulgencion Batista was elected in 1940 in free and mostly fair elections.
- 3 years ago
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freeforall2008
