Latin America Faces the Twenty-First Century: Reconstructing a Social Justice Agenda by Susanne Jonas

Author:Susanne Jonas [Jonas, Susanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780367011734
Google: -2nexQEACAAJ
Goodreads: 46179754
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2019-05-23T00:00:00+00:00

Notes

1. For a fuller description and analysis of the PT, see Sader and Silverstein, 1991.

References

Lowy, Michael 1987 “The Brazilian PT,” Latin American Perspectives, Fall.

Sader, Emir, and Ken Silverstein 1991 Without Fear of Being Happy: Lula, the Workers Party, and Brazil. London: Verso.

11.

The Continental Development and Trade Initiative

Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas

CUAUHTÉMOC CÁRDENAS is the leader of the Partido de Ia Revolucion Democratica (Monterrey 50, Colonia Roma, Mexico 06700, D.F.) and was a presidential candidate in the 1988 Mexican elections. This article is based on a speech given in New York City on February 8, 1991. Translated by Ed McCaughan.

WE FACE A CHALLENGE NO OTHER GENERATION OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE U.S., Canada, and Mexico have encountered: to prepare for the future by creating a framework of genuine continental cooperation. If we succeed in establishing a mechanism for equitably sharing our respective talents and resources, our economies will be strengthened and our people will live better, not at one neighbor’s expense, but thanks to the prosperity of all. However, we must not be misguided by false illusions or self-indulgence; such compatible andequitable prosperity will not come automatically.

To have a new relationship, to do things the right way, Mexicans and North Americans [the term generally used by Mexicans to refer to U.S. citizens--Eds.] in particular must acknowledge that the existing premises of our economic integration are not necessarily adequate to build a just and viable new relationship. The exploitation of cheap labor, energy and raw materials, technological dependency, and lax environmental protection must not be the basis upon which Mexico establishes links with the U.S., Canada, and the world economy.

We cannot be satisfied with the kind of future that would emerge from simple economic liberalization. This would extend present trends and exacerbate present vices. Instead, we must take visionary action to see and meet- not simply wait for - the future. Let us be responsible and prudent: not just any kind of trade is a mutually advantageous exchange; not just any type of investment is going to transform our productive foundations and create the jobs and incomes we want for our people; not just any kind of industry is going to make optimum use of our resources and protect our habitat; not just any profitable business is a responsible enterprise. Economic liberalization is not our objective, it is one of our tools. Development, social justice, and a clean environment are our objectives.

We favor a broad continental trade and development pact that primarily includes free trade between Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. This pact also must serve the interests of Mexico’s development and not compromise U.S. or Canadian standards of living.

We know that some regard any agreement as better than no agreement. They believe that for Mexico, any access to the U.S. market is reason enough for indiscriminately accepting U.S. demands, since such access is both a necessary and sufficient condition for Mexican development. We reject that position. Trade, we insist, must be a tool of development, not an end in itself.

Due to the inertia of

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