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Ecuador

Latin America and the Caribbean

World

Policies to Match the Rhetoric: Buen Vivir in Ecuador

A guest post by former CEPR intern Tara Ruttenberg.

Ecuador made international headlines this week, first for plaintiffs taking their fight to Argentina and Colombia to hold Chevron accountable for decades of toxic pollution, and secondly as a result of the government’s recent decision to tax bank profits as a way to increase state revenue for social spending on poverty alleviation. As Ecuador celebrated the fourth anniversary of its relatively new citizen’s constitution last month, news agencies and policy analysts have made note of the successes of the many changes taking place under President Correa, particularly related to social policies targeting poverty reduction through increased public social expenditure and cash transfers to the poor. These and other reforms embody Correa’s proclaimed commitment to 21st century socialism and an inverted juxtaposition of traditional power relations, placing people and the environment above the market economy and the formerly unbridled reign of the private sector. Ecuador’s social and economic policy platform and successful poverty reduction experience are a strong reflection of wider regional trends in countries governed by left-of-center leaders now nearly a decade into Latin America’s post-neoliberal era.

While analysts continue to draw due attention to Ecuador’s success in reducing poverty and improving socioeconomic indicators by balancing strong economic growth with policies geared toward greater income redistribution (see CEPR publication on Ecuador’s economy since 2007), many have neglected the wider paradigmatic framework within which Ecuador’s new constitution thrives; that is, the indigenous-born and politically articulated concept of ‘buen vivir’ (living well). Buen vivir as a social paradigm incorporated into Ecuador’s constitution seeks to “better the quality of life of the population, develop their capacities and potential; rely on an economic system that promotes equality through social and territorial redistribution of the benefits of development; ….establish a harmonious coexistence with nature… promote Latin American integration; and protect and promote cultural diversity” (Article 276 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador). Refreshingly, we see Ecuadoran policies living up to these ambitious constitutional aims based on buen vivir, with Correa continuing to focus on income redistribution, as demonstrated by the most recent tax on banks.

CEPR and Tara Ruttenberg / November 06, 2012

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Latin America and the Caribbean

Daily Headlines – November 5, 2012

Before hitting the U.S.’ east coast last week, Sandy wreaked havoc on Haiti leading many to fear a food security crisis, reports the Miami Herald. Coming just nine weeks after Tropical Storm Isaac devastated agricultural crops throughout the country, Sandy inflicted an estimated $70 million in agricultural damages, mostly in the South department. An analysis done by the Haitian government following Isaac found that changing weather patterns were negatively effecting food security in almost every region of the country. Writing in NACLA, Kevin Edmonds discusses how climate change will affect Caribbean countries. Edmonds speaks with University of the West Indies professor Norman Girvan, “30 years ago, one expected to deal with major disasters of this kind, say, once every ten years. Nowadays, most islands expect at least one, and possibly two or three, every year. In other words this now has to be seen as a permanent, recurring phenomenon or integral feature of Caribbean development.” Edmonds notes that despite climate change presenting a significant threat to the Caribbean, the countries lack the power to address to the problem on a global scale.

Speaking at the G-20 summit in Mexico City, Argentina’s Economy Minister called on advanced countries to place restrictions on vulture funds, reports Bloomberg. The call comes after a U.S. court ruled that Argentina must pay vulture funds with the same priority that they pay holders of their restructured bonds, which some 93 percent of creditors accepted following Argentina’s default in 2001.  The court ruling, which has been called a huge win for vulture funds, could impact other sovereign debt restructurings. Economy Minister Lorenzino told his fellow ministers, “We hope that G-20 nations understand that the latest developments could affect any future restructuring process of sovereign debt…All nations should be on alert.” Meanwhile, Argentine and South African officials met to discuss NML Capital’s attempts to detain an Argentina ship docked in South Africa. The move by NML Capital, run by billionaire Republican donor Paul Singer, comes after they successfully detained an Argentina naval vessel in Ghana last month.

The Peruvian government is moving forward with plans to pay back billions of dollars in 40 year-old land bonds, reports Reuters. General Juan Velasco issued the bonds as compensation during a land redistribution program started in the 1970s. In 2001, the Constitutional Court ruled that the government should repay the bonds, yet a string of government’s since then have punted on the issue. Now, the payment is becoming more pressing as the U.S.-Peru Free Trade agreement comes into force. Over the years, many of the bonds have been bought by investors on a secondary market. With the “free trade” agreement, the funds which hold the bonds could sue in U.S. courts to seek payment, a similar strategy as vulture funds have employed in Argentina. Constitutional Court president Ernesto Alvarez told Reuters, “There is a worry among some authorities in the executive branch ... that Peru could find itself hurt if complaints were lodged in courts under clauses in the free-trade pact with the United States.” If Peru pays back the bonds, they could be on the hook for up to $8 billion, or 4 percent of GDP.

Jake Johnston / November 05, 2012

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Robert Samuelson Goes Way Overboard in Getting it Wrong on the Economy

Robert Samuelson sounds like he is really angry at American voters since it doesn't look like they are following his advice. He therefore pulls out all the stops in misrepresenting the country's economic situation in his column today.

He starts quickly, telling us in the second paragraph:

"There’s a triple threat to stronger economic growth. The first stems from the legacy of the 2007-09 financial crisis, which induced households and companies to shed debt and, more important, made both more cautious spenders. The second is an aging population that stunts expansion of the labor force. Finally, chronic deficits — caused increasingly by a surge of promised benefits — imply future spending cuts and/or tax increases, which might dampen economic growth."

Okay, on the first point those with access to the Internet know that neither households nor businesses are especially cautious spenders at the moment. Here's the consumption story brought to you by our friends at the Commerce Department.

consumption-disp-income-09-2012

Source; Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The story here is that while consumers are not spending as large a share of their income as they were at the peaks of the stock or housing bubbles, they are spending a larger share of their income today than they were on average in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, or even 1990s. (The adjusted consumption measure has to do with a technical issue, the statistical discrepancy in national income accounts.) So consumers are not being overly cautious, contrary to Samuelson' assertion.

Dean Baker / November 05, 2012