Adolfo and Beverly founded Jubileo-Dialogo 2000 in Argentina. Adolfo won the Nobel Peace Prize in the early 1980’s for his human rights witness during the time of the rule of the generals in Argentina. He continues to make the connections between militarization and economic justice with a focus on debt cancellation. In 2005 Adolfo led a Jubilee South delegation to Haiti to address Haitian concerns about militarization and debt.
Twenty Jubilee supporters gathered at Holladay Park Plaza’s penthouse, as guests of Nancy Johns, to discuss the new phase of debt – especially in Latin America where Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia have settled their obligations with the IMF. In the case of Argentina the IMF and other creditors accepted 35 cents for every dollar owed.
The newly formed Bank of the South has promise of a new approach to regional development and lending, but grassroots organizations in South American are looking for how and what this new bank will fund and support.
Adolfo expressed his frustration with the lack of political will among Latin American governments to take strong stands against IMF policies as well as to take responsibility for the debts incurred. Ecuador is the hopeful exception as it is conducting the first official debt audit to see what debts were legitimate – e.g. benefited the people and which debts were illegitimate.
Rev. Chris Laing presented Jubilee USA t-shirts to Adolfo and Beverly in appreciation for the Jubilee North-South partnership on debt and their continued efforts to support Haiti’s citizens’ debt network.
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