Kenneth T. Tellis: "Perhaps a South American COMMON MARKET would be the real answer"

VHeadline commentarist Kenneth T. Tellis writes: The keys to the world are sometimes the control of food and other products being made available to countries, which can be manipulated to create unnecessary shortages if the controls are held by monopolies like corporations.

The recent shortages of foodstuffs in Venezuela which were the result of a deliberate policy against Venezuela, was actually planned to make the Bolivarian revolution look like a failure.

But as we discovered later they were set in motion by the U.S. Government and many of its overseas agencies. There was therefore not much that the Chavez government could do, but check into the reasons why these shortages occurred locally, and then try to catch hoarders within Venezuela.

But the main thrust to break the shortages could not be dealt with, because they were created well outside the borders of the country, and the government's hands were therefore tied. Now let's look at the situation very clearly.

Why is the international coffee market located in New York, USA, instead of Brasilia, Brazil, where most of the world's coffee is produced?

• It's time that this was amended and the International Coffee Market located in Brazil, instead of New York, USA.

Now think of a fruit producing country like Costa Rica, and where most of its produce goes to? Why of course the U.S. and this allows the U.S. control over its pricing. In the case of Costa Rica which is tied to the U.S. under the CAFTA, this hold cannot be broken, so things will stay as it now stands.

Then there is course Colombia, Mexico and Peru, three of which are tied to the U.S. by agreements and are therefore really nothing more states which are under U.S. puppet regimes. If countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Venezuela form a COMMON MARKET along with others countries of South America and the Caribbean, they can work out ways to have an ample supply of all they produce available to other member states without outside control over the supply lines, and thus there would no longer be any real shortages in South America or the Caribbean ... because U.S. Corporations like Chiquita (United Fruit) would no longer be in control the produce market of South America.

So, as can be seen, its time to remove the wrinkles and work out a plan for a better distribution of every day products and goods to all the countries in the region, without having some country not belonging to the area controlling the supply and demand of these goods.

• Remember as long as countries like the U.S. controlled the means of supply and demand, Latin America was at their mercy.

That would not happen if the controls were of a local nature. Venezuela would not have the shortages, as has been happening, and neither would any other country in the area be at the mercy of U.S. Corporations.

That would make a world of difference to the people of South America and the Caribbean region.

Kenneth T. Tellis
kenttellis@rogers.com