The period of neoliberalism was promoting a series of actions and mechanisms that imposed the acceleration and deepening of globalization. Among those impositions was a specific type of monetary policy that outlined and purged an obsession against inflation that included fiscal balance, that is, the serious danger of public spending and deficits, almost a religion; dangers that according to the discourse were exorcised since the 2007 crisis, with the wheelbarrows of public money that have flooded the channels of the financial system; policies that were actually designed for the benefit of some sectors, small and closed, but against large social segments, especially the most vulnerable. This policy began gaining an appearance of normality a long time ago, either more or less stealthily, or, as in the 1980s, which was implemented in an open and radical way in Latin America, although it was imposed in almost or perhaps all countries of the world. However, for a long time many of its drivers have been retracting their theories on inflation, trying to state that it is a theoretical orientation that solves problems that no longer exist; although in reality the discourse remains, since it continues to benefit that small group and the political class, whether they are rulers, political parties, and especially the highly concentrated media, all together continue to impose such discourse. Apparently, these groups no longer need such controversial discourse as today they have concentrated power, and these theories have been revealed to be speeches to sustain the specific needs of these groups in power. Because now the speeches about the need for policies against unemployment, low wages, high income concentration, and against climate change do not have the same echo among powerful groups.
These theoretical orientations have generated a series of imbalances not only in so-called emerging countries, but also in developed ones, although it must be pointed out that in the case of Latin America they have been devastating. Since the 1980s it has accelerated and deepened deterioration at all levels in almost all countries of LA. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, several countries in the region sought alternative strategies, which to some extent contained and/or minimally counteracted the deterioration. Objectives were put in function of the most vulnerable groups, although also benefiting selected powerful groups. This redistribution of wealth is being challenged and a series of mechanisms to reverse such redistribution have been promoted.
In this context, the current number 35 of www.olafinanciera.unam.mx addresses issues related to pensions in the case of Mexico, or the benefits that are being reversed in Bolivia; situations that have been replicated in other countries such as Ecuador, Brazil, and Argentina, where those real conflicts of interests in one way or another are manifested in the various theoretical and analytical positions.
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