About the Book
Latin America's Foremost Political Journalist Makes a Brilliant and Passionate Argument for Real Reform In the Economically Crippled Continent
In "Liberty for Latin America," Alvaro Vargas Llosa offers an incisive diagnosis of Latin America's woes--and a prescription for finally getting the region on the road to both genuine prosperity and the protection of human rights.
When the economy in Argentina--at one time a model of free-market reform--collapsed in 2002, experts of all persuasions asked: What went wrong? Vargas Llosa shows that what went wrong in Argentina has in fact gone wrong all over the continent for over five hundred years. He explains how the republics of the nineteenth century and the revolutions of the twentieth-populist uprisings, Marxist coops, state takeovers, and First World-sponsored privatization-have all run up against the oligarchic legacy of statism. Illiberal elites backed by the United States and Europe have perpetuated what he calls the "five principles of oppression" in order to maintain their hold on power. The region has become "a laboratory for political and economic suicide," while comparable countries in Asia and Eastern Europe have prospered.
The only way to change things in Latin America, Vargas Llosa argues, is to remove the five principles of oppression, genuinely reforming institutions and the underlying culture for the benefit of the disempowered public. In "Liberty for Latin America," he explains how, offering hope as well as insight for all those who care for the future of this troubled region.
About the Author :
A native of Peru, ALVARO VARGAS LLOSA was trained at the London School of Economics and has worked as a journalist in Latin America, Europe, and the United States for fifteen years. He is a fellow of the Independent Institute in Oakland, California.
Review :
""Liberty for Latin America" is an analysis of how differing cultures and institutions enable or impede the emergence and flourishing of free, representative governments and broadly productive economies. It is an analysis of the causes and consequences of liberty and oppression in the history of mankind, focusing on and thus constituting the most profound, enlightening study available of Latin American history." --William Ratliff, research fellow and curator of the Americas Collection at the Hoover Institution
"There is much to admire in Alvaro Vargas Llosa's "Liberty for Latin America," not least of which its sweep, ranging across centuries of economic history from Mexico to the Southern Cone. He is especially incisive on the free market reforms that became the rage during the '80s and '90s, with Washington's encouragement, but that have left intact the stagnation and crony capitalism they aimed to end. This is an intriguing manifesto, passionately argued." --Samuel Dillon, co-author of "Opening Mexico"
"You may not agree with everything Alvaro Vargas Llosa says in his "Liberty for Latin America," but you should take very seriously his central argument: that lack of political and economic freedom is at the root of our region's underdevelopment. With this volume, Alvaro makes an important contribution to the present debate on the causes of Latin America's poor economic and social performance." --Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico; Director of the Center for the Study of Globalization, Yale University
""Liberty for Latin America" presents Alvaro Vargas Llosa's thoughtful analysis of what has impeded Latin America's progress and what needs to be done. It is well worth reading." --Lawrence Harrison, The Fletcher School, Tufts University, author of "The Pan-American Dream"
""Liberty for Latin America" is a gripping story of five hundred years of Latin American oppression. But it's not just another re-cycle of that well-worn story. Far from it. Vargas Llosa marshals an impressive array of evidence to successfully make his incisive case: no rule of law, no liberty, no progress. This book is essential reading" --Steve H. Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics, Johns Hopkins University
"Why does 'everything' in Latin America usually fail? Vargas Llosa has a daring, but coherent, explanation: Neither the cultural features of Latin America nor its prevailing institutions lead to stability and a growing prosperity." --Carlos Alberto Montaner, "The Miami Herald"
""Liberty for Latin America is an analysis of how differing cultures and institutions enable or impede the emergence and flourishing of free, representative governments and broadly productive economies. It is an analysis of the causes and consequences of liberty and oppression in the history of mankind, focusing on and thus constituting the most profound, enlightening study available of Latin American history." --William Ratliff, research fellow and curator of the Americas Collection at the Hoover Institution
"There is much to admire in Alvaro Vargas Llosa's "Liberty for Latin America, not least of which its sweep, ranging across centuries of economic history from Mexico to the Southern Cone. He is especially incisive on the free market reforms that became the rage during the '80s and '90s, with Washington's encouragement, but that have left intact the stagnation and crony capitalism they aimed to end. This is an intriguing manifesto, passionately argued." --Samuel Dillon, co-author of "Opening Mexico
"You may not agree with everything Alvaro Vargas Llosa says in his "Liberty for Latin America, but you should take very seriously his central argument: that lack of political and economic freedom is at the root of our region's underdevelopment. With this volume, Alvaro makes an important contribution to the present debate on the causes of Latin America's poor economic and social performance." --Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico; Director of the Center for the Study of Globalization, Yale University
""Liberty for Latin America presents Alvaro Vargas Llosa's thoughtful analysis of what has impeded Latin America's progress and what needs to be done. It is well worthreading." --Lawrence Harrison, The Fletcher School, Tufts University, author of "The Pan-American Dream
""Liberty for Latin America is a gripping story of five hundred years of Latin American oppression. But it's not just another re-cycle of that well-worn story. Far from it. Vargas Llosa marshals an impressive array of evidence to successfully make his incisive case: no rule of law, no liberty, no progress. This book is essential reading" --Steve H. Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics, Johns Hopkins University
"Why does 'everything' in Latin America usually fail? Vargas Llosa has a daring, but coherent, explanation: Neither the cultural features of Latin America nor its prevailing institutions lead to stability and a growing prosperity." --Carlos Alberto Montaner, "The Miami Herald
