For the last few decades, a strong consensus has held that Latin America is not only the most economically unequal region in the world, but also one where inequality has become structurally entrenched. Even in countries where income levels are relatively high by global standards, a small elite continues to control a disproportionate share of national wealth. This consensus reflects a broader shift in the development community and public arenas.
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The numbers tell the story (see the tables). Brazil is underdeveloped because its economy failed to grow or grew too slowly for most of its history. In the colonial era, sugar, gold and slavery did…
Read MoreA quarter century ago, ReVista could not have published a special issue devoted to analyzing open and competitive elections in Latin America. ReVista did not exist then (it was founded in 2000), but even if it had existed, an elections issue would have excluded most of the region. Only Costa Rica and Venezuela were still holding regular, peaceful democratic elections. Military dictatorships, civilian-led authoritarian regimes, and internal …
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In less than a decade, Mexico and the United States have outgrown the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA. Mexican president Vicente Fox would like to move on to something…
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