The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
January 30, 2009

Latin American Leaders Criticize US at World Social Forum
---------------------------------------------------------



In Brazil, the ninth World Social Forum continues in the Amazon city of
Belem. On Thursday, a panel of Latin American presidents criticized the
US for its role in the financial crisis and its double standards in
allowing massive state intervention in financial markets. Ecuadorian
President Rafael Correa spoke alongside Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez,
Paraguay’s Fernando Lugo and Bolivia’s Evo Morales.

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa: “The guilty parties in this crisis
try to give lessons on morality and good economic handling. The most
powerful people on the planet have united to find a therapy for the
dying. They’re getting together—the central bankers, the representatives
of the large financial firms, the people primarily responsible for the
crisis."

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is also attending the
forum, choosing to boycott the gathering of business leaders in Davos,
Switzerland.



.