• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [],
  "type": "pressRelease",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "",
  "programs": [],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South America",
    "North America"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Economy"
  ]
}
REQUIRED IMAGE

REQUIRED IMAGE

Press Release

Latin America’s recovery requires both market and state

The global financial crisis was a result of failures in both the market and state—markets created financial turmoil and regulatory agencies failed to detect risks and correct imbalances. As Latin American countries emerge from the crisis, both the market and state are needed to ensure sustainable growth.

Link Copied
Published on Nov 11, 2009

WASHINGTON, Nov 11—The global financial crisis was a result of failures in both the market and state—markets created financial turmoil and regulatory agencies failed to detect risks and correct imbalances. As Latin American countries emerge from the crisis, both the market and state are needed to ensure sustainable growth, says a new paper by Alejandro Foxley, former foreign and finance minister of Chile.

Analyzing the successes and mistakes of economic policies over the past twenty years, Foxley makes recommendations for Latin America to achieve development that creates fewer inequalities and increases the capacity for innovation.

Recommendations

  • Establish more competitive markets: The economic crisis should not serve as an excuse to increase protectionism. Latin American economies need to move toward a greater reliance on the market and more competition in industries known for monopolies or oligopolies.
  • Restructure state institutions: To compete globally, governments need to retool economies to spur development and create new, better-quality jobs. High-quality education that creates a well-trained workforce should be a priority. 
  • Develop a welfare society: Policies should make it easier for women and other vulnerable groups to get jobs and provide equal access for all children to education.
  • Create public-private partnerships: States need to increase the involvement of the private sector in providing basic social services, including education, health, and housing.

“As they emerge from the most recent crisis, Latin American economies need both—more market and more state. More market will enable them to exploit new opportunities through bilateral or multilateral trade agreements, and expand public-private partnerships,” writes Foxley. “A more intelligent state, acting as a catalyst for development, could encourage creativity and foster entrepreneurship.”

###


NOTES

  • Click here to read the report
  • Alejandro Foxley is a senior associate in the Carnegie International Economics Program. Before joining Carnegie, Foxley was minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Chile (2006–2009). Between 1998 and 2006, he was a senator of Chile, serving as chairman of the Finance Committee and the Permanent Joint Budget Committee. Previously, he was also Chile’s minister of finance and concurrently served as a governor of the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank (1990–1994).
  •  The Carnegie International Economics Program (IEP) monitors and analyzes short- and long-term trends in the global economy, including macroeconomic developments, trade, commodities, and capital flows, and draws out policy implications. The initial focus of the Program will be the global financial crisis and the policy issues raised.
  • The International Economic Bulletin draws on the expertise of Carnegie's global centers to provide a candid view of the economic crisis and its political implications. Addressing the momentous challenges of the economic downturn will require objectivity, and the ability to analyze the political dimensions of reforms around the world.
  • Press Contact: David Kampf, 202/939-2233, dkampf@ceip.org
EconomySouth AmericaNorth America

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • President of Argentina Javier Milei walks among supporters during his arrival to a closing campaign rally ahead the mid-term election on October 23, 2025 in Rosario, Argentina.
    Paper
    Right-Wing Populism and Strategic Realignment: Argentina’s Milei Experiment

    Argentina’s president blends libertarian populism with leader-centric diplomacy, transnational right-wing networks, and selective disengagement from multilateral institutions.

      Federico Merke

  • Commentary
    Southeast Asia’s Agency Amid the New Oil Crisis

    There is no better time for the countries of Southeast Asia to reconsider their energy security than during this latest crisis.

      Gita Wirjawan

  • Commentary
    Fuel Crisis Forces Politically Perilous Trade-Offs in Indonesia

    As conflict in the Middle East drives up fuel costs across Asia, Indonesia faces difficult policy trade-offs over subsidies, inflation, and fiscal credibility. President Prabowo’s personalized governance style may make these hard choices even harder to navigate.

      Sana Jaffrey

  • Commentary
    Emissary
    In Its Iran War Debate, Washington Has Lost the Plot in Asia

    The United States ignores the region’s lived experience—and the tough political and social trade-offs the war has produced—at its peril.

      Evan A. Feigenbaum

  • Commentary
    China Financial Markets
    What GDP Means in a Soft Budget Economy Like China

    The GDP measure is an attempt to measure value creation in an economy. This measure, however, can vary greatly between economies that have disciplinary mechanisms that force them to recognize investment losses quickly and economies that don’t, and can postpone this recognition for many years.

      Michael Pettis

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600Fax: 202 483 1840
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.