Chicago Boyz forum has posted a translation of an article that appeared in one of the bigger Mexican newspapers MILENIO, capturing some of the discussions on the recent elections in the country and providing some insights into regional trends.
The article calls Calderon a model for Latin American right and shows the involvement of the Christian Democrat Organization of America in spreading the message of democratic institutions throughout Latin America, even in countries that stand firmly on the socialist side – Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela, and others.
The organization’s priorities available on their website are quite interesting. They focus on social equity, development of value systems, education, and democracy promotion, yet avoid direct references to market economics. I can see why, knowing how loaded the term is in Latin America. However, market economics runs through the objectives indirectly, at least as I see it, as they talk about things like equality of opportunities and building trust.
In fact, Calderon’s actions suggest that he may, in fact, be able to resurrect the region’s trust in the values and ideals of markets and to move away from misperceptions about market economies. This is why Chavez may fear Calderon, who is
[s]trengthening Mexico’s private sector by advancing plans for cutting taxes and red tape and providing greater transparency. He also welcomed new investors, especially those being expropriated in places such as Chavez’s Venezuela. In the past month, Mexico’s stock market has hit new highs;Venezuela’s has lost a third of its value.
So, could it be that he is really the model for Latin America’s right not only in terms of his commitment to democracy, as MILENIO suggests, but also in terms of market economics, as recent business news from the country imply?
Published Date: January 31, 2007