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Peace, Security & Human Rights / Comment

The 17th Ibero-American Summit: hot air and new movements

23/11/2007 By Manuel Délano

In the days leading up to the event, which brought together the heads of state and government from 22 countries in Santiago de Chile from November 8 to 10, a great deal of newsprint was dedicated to insisting the meeting would be a waste of energy, with more rhetoric than meaningful debate.

Many veteran correspondents were sceptical: “What shall we write about,” asked one reporter, with a certain unease, as the debates got underway.

In general, the critical arguments emanated from conservative circles in the region, for whom a forum which did not make business interests its epicentre was bordering on the bizarre. Attacks also came from left-wing social democratic groups and the indigenous community, however, as these summits have not served to reduce social exclusion.

This Comment attempts to answer some of the questions that the meeting has provoked. In order to do this it takes a brief look at the current situation in Latin America, before analysing the principal agreements of the summit.

The article then explores the ramifications of the King of Spain’s “why don’t you shut up?” outburst to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

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Keywords

Chile Inequality Latin America & Caribbean Populism

Bio author: Manuel Délano

Chilean journalist, permanent collaborator of the Spanish newspaper "El País" in Chile, ILO consultant, academic.