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 Business News | May 2008 
Former Mexican President Fox Discusses Foreign Affairs, Economics in Atlanta
 Joe Rauch - Atlanta Business Chronicle
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| | During his six-year term, Fox was credited with instituting democratic reforms within Mexican government, but was also criticized for slower economic growth than his predecessors. | | |
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox is concerned populist leaders and dictators are dragging Latin and South America countries back to nondemocratic regimes, after years of pushing for reform.
"We must not repeat the mistakes of the past and the reverse the trend that I consider real and disturbing," he said.
In a speech to a small audience at Atlantic Capital Bank's corporate headquarters in Buckhead on May 1, Fox, Mexican president from 2000-2006, said he believes "messianic-styled leaders" - including Venezuela's Hugo Chavez - are capitalizing on the region's impoverished and uneducated, pushing the region closer back to autocratic rule.
"In Latin America, we lost the 20th Century because of those ways," he said, referring to the region's revolving door of dictatorships by individuals, parties and broad corruption.
The solution, he said, comes only through dedication to education and long-term commitment to market-based economies "built reasonably."
Fox's speech comes as he is completing Mexico's first presidential library, which he said will be dedicated to fostering research and education about democracy and market-based economies across Latin and South America.
The library, built at a cost of $18 million, is scheduled to open in Fox's hometown of San Cristobal the week of May 5.
During his six-year term, Fox was credited with instituting democratic reforms within Mexican government, but was also criticized for slower economic growth than his predecessors.
But he conceded the long-term installation of democratic governments in the region would be difficult, and would be tied closely to better economic performance.
"Trying to found an democracy amid ignorance and poverty is difficult," Fox said. |
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