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Op-Ed
Chávez Between Romanticism and Pragmatism
In February 2002 the price of Venezuelan oil barely reached US$16 per barrel, after having reached US$20 during the previous two years. On the 18th day of that month, President Hugo Chávez announced an unlikely policy package that comprised a 40% devaluation of the bolivar, an increase of the Value Added Tax, the implementation of a bank debit tax, and a reduction in public expenditure. The International Monetary Fund could have not done it any better. This event brought on what would later become a key feature of the chavista process: while deep in romantic, leftist orientations, Chávez does not hesitate to resort to utter pragmatism when circumstances warrant. Thus, notwithstanding Chávez’ anti-imperialist rhetoric, the United States still accounts for more than half of Venezuela’s international trade. Alongside a resurgence of the old endogenous growth model, Venezuela has reached record level of imports. Last year, luxury vehicles imports doubled in the midst of a galloping oil bonanza and the fast wealth creation of some private entrepreneurs. Some revolutionary leaders ride across Caracas in Audis, Hummers and BMWs.
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Constitutional Assembly and Turmoil in Ecuador
The overwhelming victory of the Ecuadorean government’s proposal to set up a “Constituent Assembly” in a national referedum held on April 15 represents a dramatic shift in the power struggle between the President and the opposition. When President Rafael Correa was inaugurated in January of this year, the prospects for escalated political conflict with the legislature were quite high. Correa had no party representation in congress, the congressional majority led by his electoral arch-rival Alvaro Noboa had appointed key control and oversight officials, and a conflict of interest with Former President Lucio Gutiérrez diluted any prospects for political cooperation with his Patriotic Society Party (PSP). In this context of political solitude, Correa turned to the Constituent Assembly as a political lifeboat that would breathe popular legitimacy and allow his government to navigate Ecuador’s troubled waters. Mexico-Brazil: Myths and Reality, Toward a New Vision on Cooperation
The traditional view of the historical rivalry between Mexico and Brazil assumes that both nations have tried to be the regional leader at different points in time. The truth is that this idea is largely a myth and in reality neither country has the sufficient structural conditions to establish regional hegemony. One can also offer an alternative interpretation: the rivalry lies in their opposing views on international integration and different strategies for linking development and globalization, plus the role of the government in such a process. While Mexico opted for liberal integration and views globalization as an internal development strategy, Brazil opted for competitive integration to avoid the total dismantling of its protectionist structures and to allow it to strengthen its domestic market and government apparatus. Mexico is among the countries with the most free trade agreements. In contrast, Brazil’s geopolitical strategy focuses on sub-regionalism and south-south cooperation.
The Paradox of the Cuban American Identity
As historic changes take place in Cuba, researchers from the Florida International University (FIU) Institute for Public Opinion Research and Cuban Research Institute have developed and conducted the eighth FIU Cuba Poll, a detailed survey designed to measure the political attitudes of the Cuban American community in South Florida.
Chávez: Entre el romanticismo y el pragmatismo
Corría el mes de Febrero de 2002. El precio del petróleo venezolano, por encima de veinte dólares por barril durante los dos años previos, apenas superaba los dieciséis. El martes 18 de aquel mes, Chávez anunció un improbable paquete de medidas que incluían una devaluación de 40%, el incremento en la tasa del impuesto al valor agregado, la creación del impuesto al débito bancario, y un recorte del gasto público. El Fondo Monetario Internacional no lo habría hecho mejor. Un hecho puntual que descubrió lo que luego sería una de las claves del proceso chavista: Dentro de una orientación romántica de izquierda, no vacila en recurrir, cuando las circunstancias lo imponen, al más puro pragmatismo. Así, en medio de la cháchara antiimperialista, Estados Unidos sigue contabilizando más de la mitad del comercio internacional de Venezuela. En medio del resurgimiento del modelo de crecimiento hacia adentro (“desarrollo endógeno”), Venezuela ha alcanzado récord de importaciones. El año pasado, en medio de una galopante bonanza petrolera, la importación de vehículos de lujo se duplicó, así como el surgimiento de un enriquecimiento rápido por parte de algunos empresarios. Algunos líderes de la revolución se desplazan por Caracas en Audi, Hummers, o en BMW.
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