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Mauricio Cardenas rejects common misconceptions about Latin America and explains why the a relationship with the region would be beneficial in the long-term.
"Latin America is ideologically divided."
Not as much as you think. Many think that there is an ideological race in the region, reminiscent of Cold War tensions between East and West Germany. The popular perception is that one of the camps is led by Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, while the other camp is formed by the right-of-center governments of Colombia, Chile, and Peru.
In reality, most countries -- with the notable exceptions of Bolivia, Cuba, and Nicaragua -- have definitively rejected Chavez's "21st century socialism," which is based on heavy state intervention, forced nationalizations, and fiscal profligacy. The disastrous economic consequences in Venezuela are visible: Inflation hovers at around 30 percent and investment has been falling continuously since 2007. The economy contracted by 1.4 percent in 2010, in sharp contrast with the rapid growth of other countries in the region. Fewer and fewer countries are tempted by the populist rhetoric and the attacks on private enterprise.