For decades Latin America has presented itself to the world as a diverse region. Said characterization, which usually refers to geography, ethnicity or culture, It was confirmed yesterday in Davos on behalf of politics.
And in just half a day those attending the main hall of the Swiss Congress Center witnessed two very different ways of seeing things in this part of the planet. The reason is that the only two Latin American presidents present at the Economic Forum made a radically different analysis of what is happening.
At one end was located Gustavo Petrowho participated at the stroke of noon in a panel on the schism between the north and the south, which also included personalities such as the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gatesor the director general of the World Trade Organization, the Nigerian Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Although the president had already been to two other events, this one took place on the main stage, minutes after the UN Secretary General spoke.
(You can also read here: 'President Petro spoke with EL TIEMPO and took stock of the economic forum in Davos').
During his interventions, The Colombian president insisted that humanity is at a critical moment, due to the challenges it poses to climate change. He stressed that the only possible way out to avoid “barbarism” is planning and open intervention to finance the protection of nature, along with the transition towards a sustainable productive model in those nations where forests and jungles such as the Amazon exist.
Four hours had not passed when the turn was for Javier Milei, the president of Argentina who has only been in office for five weeks. For 30 minutes, the former deputy reiterated the libertarian messages that brought him to power, praised the power of the markets, He attacked socialist ideology head-on for being a threat and stressed that today the inhabitants of the planet are more prosperous, educated and healthy than ever, thanks to capitalism.
(You may also be interested in: 'World fragmentation, a concern at the Davos Forum').
That the schism that exists in the world is not only between the North and the South, but also between the South and the South – at least in South America– was fully demonstrated. As one attendee noted at a later panel, “Depending on who I listen to, I don't know whether to be happy or depressed.”
The contrast between an almost apocalyptic perspective and a hopeful one in which credit is given to the positive forces that individual initiative can unleash overshadows a regional reality that, at first glance, is not as distressing as that of other continents. To begin with, this part of the world map is not the scene of any military conflict, nor does it have nuclear weapons that put anyone's peace of mind in check.
Even despite showing growth rates that are below the international average and facing profound challenges in terms of crime or inequality, the experts present in Davos insist that Latin American prospects are good, thanks to the resources it has. For example, the president of the Inter-American Development Bank, Ilan Goldfajn, said yesterday that he is optimistic about the future due to the opportunities that are opening up with processes such as energy transformation.
However, the appreciation is that political differences act with a burden that comes with their collection account. To cite one case, the Pacific Alliance, which came to be seen as a benchmark for deep integration, is in a hibernation stage due to the differences between the rulers of Colombia and Mexico, compared to the administration of Dina Boluarte in Peru.
(You may be interested in: '50-year-old camera discovered in an Argentine mountain unravels forgotten history').
Furthermore, we need to observe what happens in Mercosur, now that Javier Milei wants a different approach to that scheme. To put it frankly it is not just about business, but about ideology.
If one thing was clear in Davos, it was that What is happening now goes beyond the usual distance between left and right, since there is a wider gap that will make the dream of Latin American unity even more distant., at least for the foreseeable future. And that will have not only diplomatic consequences, but also commercial ones, which will translate into a lower rate of progress for a region where everyone decided to go their own way.
RICARDO AVILA
SENIOR ANALYST
SPECIAL ENVOY OF TIME
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