In a democracy, the people vote for their leaders, ergo they get what they deserve – most of the time. Brazilians enthusiastically elected Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (“Lula”) and his Workers’ Party in 2002, in the hopes he would clean up the country’s endemic political corruption. But Lula, a former shoeshine boy, and his communist compatriots have not delivered. Quite the contrary, according the BBC:

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has asked for forgiveness from the Brazilian people for a scandal that has engulfed his government.

He apologised on TV but said he did not know about the alleged corruption, including a cash-for-votes scheme in the Brazilian Congress.

He didn't know? Hmmm…

Let’s face it: Latin America is a big, corrupt mess, except for notable exceptions like Chile. Too many people there still succumb to the wishful thinking that socialism is the cure to the old, corrupt, colonialist ills of the past.

Look at Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). It ruled for 71 years and brought nothing but corruption. Yes, it took some land away from the old-style colonialist Mexicans, but did not redistribute it to the peasants. It just put the land in the control of PRI bosses. Some “revolution.”

Corruption and bribery are too much a part of Latin American culture. Time to stop blaming the Yanqui. Time to stop borrowing money from the IMF and stealing it -- can you say, "Argentina?" Time to take responsibility and create a truly democratic and open societies. Latinos are certainly up to the challenge. They can handle it.