Auditoriums filled to the last seat, sound trucks, offices. Organizations such as the Millenium Institute, Free Brazil Movement (MLB), the Liberal Institute, the Ludwig Von Mises Institute – Brazil – and Students for Liberty Brazil as if by magic emerged in Brazil’s political scenario, publishing books and organizing demonstrations with huge structures, as well as giving training and lectures – a process that found a fertile breeding ground in the country, due to the global crisis and the Lava Jato operation.
But despite the attempts by its founders and by part of the media to paint the projects they promote as something “for Brazil”, originated by the Brazilian people and “spontaneous”, all these organizations are funded and trained from abroad, as Marina Amaral reported in an article for Agência Publica, showing how a network of NGOs promote leadership training and fund “intellectuals” in order to build consensus as well as movements to put the streets on fire. Among such organizations present in Latin America is the Atlas Network.
Founded in 1981 with the goal of “promoting free market economic policies around the World”, Atlas is a think-tank that openly funds right-wing activities in more than 90 countries. With an annual budget of U$ 11,5 Million, it acts by funding and shaping neoliberal figures. As U.S. legislation prohibits such organizations from funding political agitation around the world, each movement is supported by “formation institutes”, which are free to receive funds. That’s the relationship between the education center Students for Liberty (EPL) with the professional activism of the Free Brazil Movement, for instance. EPL’s budget this year amounted to R$ 300,000 (about $ 85,000). “In the first year we have about R$ 8,000, in the second year we had about R$ 20,000, and in 2014 and 2015 it grew a lot. We receive money from foreign organizations as well, such as Atlas. Atlas, with Students for Liberty, are our main donors. In Brazil, the main organizations are Friderich Naumann, a German organization, which aren’t allowed to donate money, but they pay for our expenses”, said Juliano Torres, executive directors of the Brazilian branch of Students For Liberty.
In Ukraine – where there was a coup d’etat against elected President Viktor Yanukovich in 2014 – Atlas funded the Bendukidze Free Market Center and the Center for Social and Economic Research. The first one has members such as the former President of Georgia and current governor of Odessa, Mikheil Saakashvili, and Deputy head of the (post coup) presidential Administration of Ukraine, Alexander Danyluk. The former is also funded by Open Society Foundation, of known speculator and color revolutions’ man, George Soros, and has among their partners government agencies from Ukraine, Canada, England, as well as USAID (U.S.A) and the World Bank.
In 2014, Atlas Network gave about $ 4,5 million to various organizations around the World. In Latin America alone they gave $ 984,000 to organizations that follow the teachings of Milton Friedman, Hayek and Mises, and target the progressive governments of the region. That’s the case of Cedice Libertad, in Venezuela, and of organizations such as the U.S based Human Rights Foundation, created by Venezuelan Thor Halvorssen, Leopoldo López’ cousin and son of an ambassador of Andrés Pérez’ government, which target non-aligned governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Russia, and which became known in 2015 for creating an online campaign to push propaganda into North Korea’s territory.
But Atlas itself is also funded by various corporations and foundations. Companies such as Google, Exxon Mobil and organizations such as DonorsTrust [1], State Policy Network – created by businessman and Ronald Reagan’s adviser Tom Roe – and Charles G. Koch Foundation, linked to the known Koch Industries, are only some of the names that helped Atlas to donate more than U.S.$ 4 million around the world.
A Color Revolution in Brazil?…Follow the money. Cui bono?
OffGuardian
Coup in Brazil: the International Connection
Pedro Marin | OutrasPalavras
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