Desigualdade na América Latina

A The Economist comenta alguns dados do World Bank sobre as desigualdades sociais na América Latina. Segundo a revista, o problema não está piorando, mas tb não melhorou.

Today, inequality in Latin America is mainly due to the interlocking effect of four things, says the Bank: access to education is unequal; the earnings of educated people are disproportionately high; the poor have more children with whom they must share their income; and targeting of public spending is ineffective.

A Newsweek traz uma reportagem sobre a crise latino-americana, mostrando a insatisfação geral com o Consenso de Washington... A revista americana diz que "apenas os esquerdistas tem credibilidade popular para acalmar as massas desencantadas". Entretanto, os americanos não estão preocupados com a "revolução", pois, segundo a Newsweek, a esquerda da região tb mudou nos últimos 20 anos e os incentivos do mercado e as restrições institucionais limitam a possibilidade de mudanças mais radicais...

The challenge will be to push ahead with reforms that boost government transparency, reduce corruption and create jobs. But Latin America will also need more support and less hypocrisy from the rich North. If that happens, the people of Latin America might start to recognize the benefits of globalization—and renew their commitment to reform.

A Newsweek publicou tb um artigo do ex-economista chefe para a América Latina do Banco Mundial, Sebastian Edwards, comentando a revolta popular contra o Consenso de Washington e as alternativas para melhorar a vida do povo da região.

The closest there is to a new policy blueprint is the so-called Consensus of Buenos Aires, recently signed by presidents Luis Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Nestor Kirchner of Argentina. But a close reading of this document shows that it is nothing more than a wish list that deplores “poverty, inequality, hunger, and illiteracy.” Who doesn’t want to fix those problems? In the document, not a word is said on how to actually improve the quality of education, or how to persuade teachers’ unions—which have opposed modernization, decentralization and testing—to participate in this important effort.

Outro destaque na imprensa internacional é a disputa entre o Brasil e os EUA relacionada à ALCA que foi tema de reportagem da AP, publicada em vários lugares como o Newsday.

"This is a very perilous trade situation facing the United States and the world," said Fred Bergsten, head of the Institute for International Economics, a Washington-based think tank. "You could have another Cancun in Miami. That would mean the administration's goal (of a hemisphere-wide free trade area) would be, if not up in smoke, at least in suspended animation."