Re: LATIN AMERICAN HERALD TRIBUNE: Beatrice Rangel: On Transatlantic Lessons

[Jose E. López-Contreras]

Asi escribe mi colega Internacionalista  de la UCV(Promoción Dr. Gustavo Gonzalez Eraso  11-02-1972)  y amiga de toda la vida Beatrice Rangel  sobre el nuevo Presidente de Francia y  tambien el colega ignaciano Miguel Castillo Bracho,  asesinado en dias pasados en Las Mercedes por un Guardia Nacional al servicio no de la Nación y sus ciudadanos sino de la más feróz  tirania en la Historia contemporanea de nuestro pais..

Atentos saludos,

Jose   Eugenio Lopez Contreras

---

From: Alfredo Coronil <acor...@yahoo.com.mx>
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2017 11:21 AM
To: Beatrice Rangel Mantilla
Subject: LATIN AMERICAN HERALD TRIBUNE: Beatrice Rangel: On Transatlantic Lessons

 

Beatrice Rangel: On Transatlantic Lessons 
Former Venezuela Presidential Chief of Staff Beatrice Rangel looks at how France embraced change for the better while Venezuela still clings to the errors of the past.

By Beatrice E. Rangel

The past two weeks have brought plenty reasons to be optimistic about Latin America and to a certain degree Europe.

Two young figures have emerged as role models of two different generations that have faced the same never-ending dilemma: how can freedom be preserved?

And both stepped forward to face the challenge right on.

One succeeded in becoming the new leader of France, the other died under the grip of the most ferocious dictatorial repression ever to be exerted in Latin America. 


Emmanuel Macron has been throughout his life a child prodigy. 

From primary school to the Lycee Henry IV no one could seriously entertain the idea of surpassing him as a star-studded student.

At Ecole Nationale d’Administration -- the bureaucratic elite crib and training ground for successful politicians -- Macron excelled as a student, colleague and trainer for other students.

He then became a Supervisor at the French IRS where he learned to detect tax evasion and tax avoidance.
Again, he left his mark at the service as he pushed for greater automatization of procedures.

He became an investment banker at Rothschild and Cie where he acquired a global vision. 

He was a member of the Socialist Party when appointed Minister for the Economy by Francois Hollande.

Macron took the post with the aim to conduct a much-needed institutional reform to create a more business-friendly economic environment. 

As his reforms were sabotaged by the left and the right, Macron resigned to jump on the electoral waters once it was clear to him and to everyone in France that citizens were about to put their lot in the hands of Marine Le Pen in order to show disgust with traditional political parties and their leadership.

His political movement “En Marche!" was created September 2016 and now has over 200,000 members who follow their leader passionately. 

Macron, in short, rose to the challenge and pushed France into the future when it was about to fall prey to an ugly past. With his strong support base enhanced by Republicans and Socialists, Macron was propelled into the Élysée Palace.

Miguel Castillo was too young to die. 

But totalitarianism does not forgive dissent.

Miguel had excelled as a student at the Jesuit school San Ignacio, where he graduated in 2008. He then went on to study journalism. 

Miguel was always ready to support fellow students that felt left behind. He was an enthusiastic participant in extracurricular activities that took him to the slums of Caracas to teach destitute youngsters. He had a flair for making fun of himself and friends. He was planning to get a master’s degree. 

But he also felt that his dream of working as a publisher was never going to come to fruition under the totalitarian regime suffocating Venezuela. He knew that to have a future, the present needed to be shattered. 

And he enthusiastically participated in every single protest march for 36 days until the bullet of hatred nested in his chest exploding his dreams.

Miguel, as Macron did, knew there was something profoundly wrong about the way his country was being ruled and decided to do something about. He paid his country the greatest tribute: surrendering his life in search of her redemption. For all those who loved him he has left a trail to follow: that of never comprising principles in the fight for freedom.

These two lives fill our hearts and minds with optimism.

In France, the people clearly chose the right path to change.

Faced with astounding decay in the institutional framework and needs to let change in, the French people searched and found the most able leader for the circumstances.

Faced with similar dilemma, the Venezuelan people made at the dawn of the 20th century the most inappropriate choice.

But that same people has produced a Millennial generation that is set out to rebuild the country from the ashes of corporativism and rent extraction even at the cost of their lives.



Beatrice Rangel is President & CEO of the AMLA Consulting Group, which provides growth and partnership opportunities in US and Hispanic markets. AMLA identifies the best potential partner for businesses which are eager to exploit the growing buying power of the US Hispanic market and for US Corporations seeking to find investment partners in Latin America. Previously, she was Chief of Staff for Venezuela President Carlos Andres Perez as well as Chief Strategist for the Cisneros Group of Companies. 

For her work throughout Latin America, Rangel has been honored with the Order of Merit of May from Argentina, the Condor of the Andes Order from Bolivia, the Bernardo O'Higgins Order by Chile, the Order of Boyaca from Colombia, and the National Order of Jose Matías Delgado from El Salvador.

You can follow her on twitter @BEPA2009 or contact her directly at BRa...@amlaconsulting.com.