América Latina: ¿clase media de las naciones?

formulation behind the struggle of the Third Wodd fol' a morejust globa,l system. Brazil is also slowly becoming' a contender for somekind 'of leadership in the politics of the ThirdWorld, and to someextent sorne level of sub-imperialism within Afriea. The fact that Portuguese– speaking Africa for the time heing constitutes part of the most udical element in the African eontinent, whHe Brazil itself remains one cf the paradigms of capitalist reaction, these two facts togethe¡: have r'esulted in a divergenee petween Portuguese-speaking Africa and the l:argest Portuguese-speaking country in the world, Bra~il. But the size of Brazil, 'and its growing industrial potential, are likely to make a difference sooner or 'later in Mozambique's and Angola's response to Brazilian overtures. Sodo-linguistic links might in time compensate for ideological ,differences. ' In the meantime, Brazil has at least taken the lead in a few economic initiatives affeeting the Third World. AftÍcan producers of coffee have teason to be grateful to Brazil for the high prkes enjoyed by coffee in the second half of the 1970's. At first, it was a case oí frost affeeting Brazi!'s production, and redudng the world's supply,of coffee. But by the second half of 1977 it had become a. cIear and open poliey of Brazil to keep the priees oí coffee high ,even if it meant her buying up large supplies of coffee 'On the international market.,Bm.. zil's leadership in gettinga good prke for thispopular beverege of the affluent societies heralded Brazil's future function as an origi!l!ator of Third World initiátives. Struggling economies partly based on coffee looked to Brasilia in 1977 for eeonomic salvation. Even Idi Amin's Uganda managed to stagger lalong a few economic stéps further partly beeause the priees of coffee continued to be búoyant. What a:11 thi5 means i5 that micro..,dependency by sorne Third World countries upon others in the Third World helps to make more effeetive the struggle of the Third World asa whole fora better ",deal in the globa,} sysf:em. Cuba's role in Afrka i5 thusa case-stu,dy.· From this point of view, Afro-Latinism i5 on the one hand an asymmetrical alignment between Africa ana Latín America, involving Africa's micro.dependeney on Latin American initiative; but on' the other hand Afro-Latini5m is also !ah alliance for liberation, a: mergér of forces among the exploited, a partnership in the quest for a just world order. Castro's Cuba has for the time being been cast in preci_ sely such a rOle. Yet the temptation to make fun of the political eunuch i5 often great. That temptation isa specia1 case of exploitation. It remains to be seen if Castro will resist the arrogam:e of machismo at AfriCa's expense. 86