2006年VOA标准英语-Latin America Continues March to the Left

By Chris Mitchell
Washington
27 March 2006

Mexican presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets supporters as he arrives to a campaign rally in Tijuana (File photo - Jan. 26, 2006)    
  
Recent public opinion polls taken in Mexico and Peru show left-leaning candidates leading as presidential elections approach in the two countries. The current front-runners are in position to replace two close U.S. allies.

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A recent Mexican public opinion poll shows leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leading a field of presidential candidates, as the July 2 presidential election approaches. Some 42 percent of respondents supported Lopez Obrador, placing him ahead of ruling party candidate Felipe Calderon with 32 percent and Roberto Madrazo with 24 percent.

Critics of the former Mexico City mayor have branded him a populist for what they describe as handout¹ programs during his tenure², but Lopez Obrador has also sought support from Mexico's business elite³, offering protection for industry.

Director of the University of New Haven⁴'s Center for International Industry Competitiveness George Haley told VOA Lopez Obrador would likely continue in the economic footsteps of his predecessors⁵, including current President Vicente Fox, a U.S. ally.

"Obrador isn't a fire-breathing radical⁶. Mexico has had substantial economic improvement or economic enhancement and job creation under the policies of the most recent presidents," noted⁷ Haley.

In Peru, recent polls show former military officer Ollanta Humala leading the race for the presidency⁸. With the election scheduled for April 9, polls how Humala holds a narrow 42-to-38-pecent lead over former Congresswoman Lourdes Flores.

The figures put him in position to replace Alejandro Toledo, a key U.S. ally who signed a free trade agreement with Washington last year.

Humala describes himself as a nationalist. He led a failed coup⁹ against President Alberto Fujimori in 2000, and is seen as a close ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bolivian President Evo Morales, two leaders who have been political thorns in Washington's side.

While Flores is seen as a pro-business candidate and the favorite of international investors¹⁰, Humala has pledged to limit foreign investment in the Andean nation. He has also vowed¹¹ to end the U.S.-sponsored campaign to eradicate¹² coca production.

Davidson College political science professor Russell Crandall says a victory by Humala could pose political problems for Washington.

"Humala poses to be a much more anti-American nationalist president who could really complicate¹³ the United States' drug policies in the Andes in particular, especially given that last December we saw the victory of former coca leader and populist Evo Morales," said Crandall.

Haley, of the University of New Haven, says the recent success of left-leaning leaders in Latin America has its roots in the conservative policies held by previous administrations. While such policies have been successful in countries like Mexico, where Haley says some 750,000 jobs have been created since the 1992 North American Free Trade Agreement, expectations in other Latin American countries have not been met.

"More conservative economic policies were, to a great extend, oversold, as to how fast they would create the benefits," he added. "They were also oversold as far as what benefits they would bring."

The leftward shift has had its effects in Washington. Crandall says the Bush administration has begun to understand that dealing¹⁴ with Latin America in ways that can be seen as heavy-handed could cause more nations to adopt radical-style governments.

"So I think what you will see from Washington, from the Bush administration is a lot of diplomatic carrots," he commented. "They'll have diplomatic visits in an effort to demonstrate that Washington is willing and able to do business with the left in Latin America."

The United States has had its problems in Latin America over the years, including a decades-old feud¹⁵ with Cuban President Fidel Castro. Washington has also traded barbs¹⁶ with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez since his election in 1998.

More recently, newly-elected Bolivian President Evo Morales campaigned on promises to legalize the cultivation¹⁷ of coca, the base ingredient of cocaine¹⁸. A former leader in the country's coca growers association, Mr. Morales had also vowed to be "a thorn in the side of the United States."

1 handout   

n.散发的文字材料；救济品

参考例句：

• I read the handout carefully.我仔细看了这份分发的资料。
• His job was distributing handout at the street-corner.他的工作是在街头发传单。

2 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

3 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

4 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

5 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

9 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

10 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

11 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

12 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

13 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

14 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

15 feud   

n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇

参考例句：

• How did he start his feud with his neighbor?他是怎样和邻居开始争吵起来的？
• The two tribes were long at feud with each other.这两个部族长期不和。

16 barbs   

n.（箭头、鱼钩等的）倒钩( barb的名词复数 )；带刺的话；毕露的锋芒；钩状毛

参考例句：

• She slung barbs at me. 她说了些讥刺我的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I would no longer uncomplainingly accept their barbs or allow their unaccountable power to go unchallenged. 我不会再毫无怨言地洗耳恭听他们带刺的话，或让他们的不负责任的权力不受到挑战。 来自辞典例句

17 cultivation   

n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成

参考例句：

• The cultivation in good taste is our main objective.培养高雅情趣是我们的主要目标。
• The land is not fertile enough to repay cultivation.这块土地不够肥沃，不值得耕种。

18 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。