Search results

In modern day Chile the economic entrepreneurial landscape is made up of large multinational conglomerates, local economic groups, and so-called emerging economic groups (that burgeoned with the transformation of former government employees into owners of important parts of state-owned companies).This last group is mainly comprised of the neoliberal technocracy that designed the economic policy of the Pinochet dictatorship. The power of these emerging technical groups in democratic Chile is based not only on direct private property, but also on their participation as high-ranking officials that dominate strategic decision-making in companies and conglomerates. Their power has been consolidated with the so-called second wave of privatizations (1985-90), as they took advantage of both profound neoliberal convictions and the unconditional support for multinational companies, which technocratic officials consider to be the materialization of the globalization of the Chilean economy. In turn, many of these technocrats operate as agents or strategic executives, associating with local economic groups and transnational conglomerates. The analysis of the origin and formation of the economic groups and conglomerates that today dominate the globalized Chilean economy is the main objective of this article.

Liberalization in the Developing World compares the success of liberalization strategies in Asia, Africa and Latin America over the past decade. Three models emerge, corresponding to the three continents covered, which reflect the degree of state intervention in the economy and the success of the liberalization policies adopted. The conclusions drawn demonstrate that economic and political liberalization do not have to go hand in hand. On the contrary, the case studies presented in this volume show that the role of the state can be crucial in mobilizing both the human and capital investment ne

The rapid expansion of China is one of the key economic and political issues at the start of the twenty-first century. China's importance in South-South trade (and competition) as well as in South-South investment has already brought about many changes for developing regions, and they are likely to be extrapolated in the years to come. The growing economic position of the biggest developing country in the world implies much greater political power, affecting all other countries as well as international relations and global politics. For Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern and Central Europe, the effects are likely to be far reaching. This article first looks into the global expansion of China, providing an overview of some striking economic figures. It also reviews the economic development of China, explaining how its communist party has used neoliberal measures to cause an economic transformation. It then analyzes how this transformation has affected China's role in Asia and China's policies towards the 'Global South'. Finally, contemporary South-South relations in the context of globalized markets are discussed.