Research Reports

12-31-2007

Latin American Tendencies

THE BEGINNING OF THE END IN VENEZUELA
Chávez has been forced to accept, in a clearly angry state, that Venezuelans did not want to turn their country into a totalitarian dictatorship. The election results in Venezuela may influence the other countries of what we could call the chavista axis, particularly Bolivia.
A REGION IN SEARCH OF ITS DESTINY
Beyond the threat of authoritarian populisms, Latin America’s problem is that it is not fully taking advantage of the favorable economic juncture it faces. Meanwhile, the emphasis its leaders place on redistributing wealth before creating it, impatience over the inequalities between its inhabitants and the instability -or more exactly unpredictability- of its political destinies stop investments from flourishing adequately and hamper growth.

By Carlos Sabino

THE BEGINNING OF THE END IN VENEZUELA

Chávez has been forced to accept, in a clearly angry state, that Venezuelans did not want to turn their country into a totalitarian dictatorship. The election results in Venezuela may influence the other countries of what we could call the chavista axis, particularly Bolivia.

A REGION IN SEARCH OF ITS DESTINY

Beyond the threat of authoritarian populisms, Latin America’s problem is that it is not fully taking advantage of the favorable economic juncture it faces. Meanwhile, the emphasis its leaders place on redistributing wealth before creating it, impatience over the inequalities between its inhabitants and the instability -or more exactly unpredictability- of its political destinies stop investments from flourishing adequately and hamper growth.

Latin American TRENDS seeks to offer readers a balanced panorama of reality in our region: as a biannual report, it is not a typical juncture analysis –since it transcends the immediate in order to identify trends that extend beyond the daily news. However, this does not imply moving to the other extreme: a purely abstract reflection, disinterested in the various events of the region. This balance also refers to the subjects and events that will be underlined: the proposal is to link economics with politics and social affairs. The information featured here will not be limited to a specific group of countries, but it will also cover events that, on occasion, may pass unnoticed.

Carlos Sabino holds a degree in Sociology and a Ph. D in Social Sciences. He teaches at the Esceula de Sociología and the Doctorado en Ciencias Sociales at the Universidad Central de Guatemala, as well as at Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala as a Visiting Professor. He is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society and a correspondent for the AIPE agency in Venezuela. He has authored books such as: Empleo y Gasto Público en Venezuela: De Cómo un Estado Rico Nos Llevó a la Pobreza; El Fracaso del Intervencionismo en América Latina; Desarrollo y Calidad de Vida; and Guatemala: dos Paradojas y una Incógnita.