As long as Latin America’s democracies fail to take seriously the tasks of reducing inequality, spreading opportunity and nurturing more cohesive societies, they will continue to court disaster. To avoid this outcome, it is vital to purge certain reactionary and numbing beliefs, including the idea that reducing poverty obviates the need to address inequality, or that development is possible without introducing modern and progressive tax systems.
If the 10th anniversary of Chavez’s tenure can serve as a reminder of the perils that beset unjust democracies — especially now that a new electoral cycle in Latin America looms — then Venezuela’s agonizing recent history would, at least, be redeemed.
Kevin Casas-Zamora was Costa Rica’s vice president and minister of national planning and economic Policy in 2006 and 2007, and is a senior fellow in foreign policy at The Brookings Institution in Washington.
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