World Bank’s new version of how to do “good business”, covered 175 countries. Factors like the protection of foreign investments and labor market flexibility were highligthed. However, social and environmental aspects are not included as part of good business. Analysis by C. Villalba. Download …
by Eduardo Gudynas – In Latin America, confusion and ambiguity over trade and regional integration continues to be commonplace. Different governments declare their dedication to strengthening relations between countries, but their trade policies indicate otherwise. On this slippery terrain, the concept of “open regionalism” has often been used to justify very different stances. Published by […]
by Eduardo Gudynas – There is a proliferation of different discourses on integration in Latin America in which it is conceived particularly in the form of trade agreements while other critical issues are overlooked, such as the changes in cultural patterns or the inheritance of neo-liberal reforms. Eduardo Gudynas argues that by ignoring this other […]
by Eduardo Gudynas – Recently the presidents of South American nations launched a proposal to form a “Community of Nations” that would group twelve countries covering 17 million square kilometers, with 361 million inhabitants, and a GDP of more than $970 billion dollars. Published by the Americas Program of the International Relations Center (IRC, online […]
by Eduardo Gudynas – Negotiations toward the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) are currently under extreme pressure. There are diverse ideas about the very nature of the hemispheric continental accord; some talk of a strong FTAA, and others of an FTAA light. At times, it seems like a contest for […]
by Eduardo Gudynas – Integration processes in Latin America have highlighted new topics and new challenges for the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). The trade bloc, formally created in 1991 (one year before NAFTA), comprises Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay as full members, and Chile and Bolivia joined as associate members several years later. Published by […]
by Eduardo Gudynas – In Martin Scorsese’s recent movie Gangs of New York, one of the main characters, Bill the Butcher, lives in a world ruled by violence. At one point he stops to reflect for a moment and declares: “Civilization is crumbling.” This scene, which takes place in New York City circa 1860, could […]
by Eduardo Gudynas – The foreign debt in southern countries continues to grow and is once again becoming a major problem. By the end of 2002, the Latin American debt had grown to over $725 billion; the most indebted nations were Brazil ($230 billion), Argentina ($150 billion), and Mexico ($140 billion). Eduardo Gudynas is senior […]