Latin America's Political Economy of the Possible: Beyond Good Revolutionaries and Free Marketers

Throughout the 20th century, a tug-of-war of political and economic policies was waged in Latin America, with revolutionary Marxists on one side and neo-liberal reformers on the other. But now, in the early 21st century, pragmatism rules the day, or so argues Santiso, the chief development economist at the OECD Development Centre. Through his cogent analysis of political and economic trends in the region over the last century, Santiso suggests that leaders have discarded utopianism, moving their focus from the future to the present. This shift has allowed policy and planning to focus on the real needs of the various countries, and has engendered solutions that mix a number of formerly exclusive ideologies. In his chapters on Chile, Mexico and Brazil, Santiso argues that Latin American leaders no longer believe in a region-wide panacea. Though his case for economic steadiness is strong, Santiso disregards the great economic inequalities in Latin America, and he ignores how recent policies are affecting the poor. This book is a refreshing look at Latin America and will be encouraging to those who fear those countries are turning too for to the left, or for anyone who wishes to see how the land of magical realism has become quite pragmatic. (Apr.)