The Relationship Among Financial Institutions, Safeguards and Hydroelectric Dams in the Amazon

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Relationship Among Financial Institutions, Safeguards and Hydroelectric Dams in the Amazon The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Master's Projects and Capstones Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects Spring 5-15-2020 The Relationship Among Financial Institutions, Safeguards and Hydroelectric Dams in the Amazon Amy Juelsgaard [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Juelsgaard, Amy, "The Relationship Among Financial Institutions, Safeguards and Hydroelectric Dams in the Amazon" (2020). Master's Projects and Capstones. 1013. https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/1013 This Project/Capstone is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Projects and Capstones by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This Master's Project The Relationship Among Financial Institutions, Safeguards and Hydroelectric Dams in the Amazon by Amy Juelsgaard is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of: Master of Science in Environmental Management at the University of San Francisco Submitted: Received: ...................................……….. ................................…………. Amy Juelsgaard Date Stephanie A. Siehr, Ph.D. Date Table of Contents List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ ii List of Tables ........................................................................................................................ iii List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................... iv Abstract ................................................................................................................................ v 1. Introduction and Research Questions ................................................................................. 1 2. Background ....................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Significance of the Amazon .......................................................................................................3 2.2 Infrastructure in the Amazon ....................................................................................................7 2.3 Environmental and Social Safeguards ...................................................................................... 12 3. Methodology ................................................................................................................... 15 3.1 Policy Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 15 3.2 Case Studies ........................................................................................................................... 16 4. Policy Analysis ................................................................................................................. 17 4.1 Evolution of safeguards through World Bank .......................................................................... 17 4.2 Traditional approach versus country systems approach ........................................................... 23 4.3 Comparison of safeguards by financial institution ................................................................... 25 5. Case Studies .................................................................................................................... 28 5.1 Coca Codo Sinclair Dam in Ecuador ......................................................................................... 28 5.1.1 Project location ......................................................................................................................................... 28 5.1.2 Project history ........................................................................................................................................... 29 5.1.3 Social and environmental impacts of the project ..................................................................................... 35 5.1.4 Analysis of CHEXIM’s compliance with social and environmental items .................................................. 38 5.2 Belo Monte Dam in Brazil ....................................................................................................... 40 5.2.1 Project location ......................................................................................................................................... 41 5.2.2 Project history ........................................................................................................................................... 42 5.2.3 Analysis of BNDES compliance with social and environmental items ....................................................... 51 5.2.4 Social and environmental impacts of the project ..................................................................................... 53 6. Discussion and Conclusions .............................................................................................. 58 6.1 Traditional Approach Bests Country Systems Approach ........................................................... 60 6.2 Safeguards Futile Without Implementation ............................................................................. 61 6.3 National Development Banks Take Over ................................................................................. 62 7. Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 63 8. Literature Cited ................................................................................................................ 67 i List of Figures Figure 1. Map of South America showing the location and outline of the Amazon biome in yellow and basin in blue ................................................................................................................. 4 Figure 2. Global maps showing species richness (biodiversity) levels for different categories of species: birds, mammals and amphibians ...................................................................................... 5 Figure 3. Map depicting the major rivers and tributaries in the Amazon ...................................... 6 Figure 4. Map depicting the current and planned dams in the Amazon and their location relative to protected areas and indigenous territories ............................................................................... 8 Figure 5. Image showing the deforestation caused by a hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon ......................................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 6. Graph showing the amount of loans granted by the various types of financial institution and the specific banks in 2013 in USD billion ............................................................. 12 Figure 7. Graph showing the global outward foreign direct investment stock from four emerging economies in USD billion .............................................................................................................. 20 Figure 8. Timeline outlining the events related to the evolution of environmental and social safeguards at the World Bank ...................................................................................................... 22 Figure 9. Map of the location of the Coca Codo Sinclair Dam and the surrounding protected forests and protected areas .......................................................................................................... 29 Figure 10. Timeline of major events related to the Coca Codo Sinclair Dam ............................... 34 Figure 11. The environmental and social impacts caused by the Coca Codo Sinclair Dam in Ecuador ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Figure 12. A photo showing the power lines cutting through protected Amazonian forest ....... 36 Figure 13. Map showing the location of Belo Monte Dam and the surrounding indigenous territories ...................................................................................................................................... 41 Figure 14. Photo of Tuira, a Kayapo woman, and the President of Eletronorte, Jose Lopes Muniz, at the Meeting of Indigenous Peoples of the Xingu in Altamira .................................................. 43 Figure 15. Timeline of major events related to the Belo Monte Dam ......................................... 50 Figure 16. The social and environmental impacts caused by the Belo Monte Dam in Brazil ...... 54 Figure 17. Photo depicting deforested wood for the construction of the Belo Monte Dam ....... 56 ii List of Tables Table 1. The benefits of environmental and social safeguards for different stakeholders involved in development. ............................................................................................................................ 13 Table 2. Percentages of each type of land cover at the project site during specific years throughout the project cycle of the Belo
Recommended publications
  • Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot
    TECHNICAL SUMMARY OF THE ECOSYSTEM PROFILE TROPICAL ANDES BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT 2021 Update DONOR COUNCIL NO-OBJECTION APPROVAL VERSION 26 APRIL 2021 Prepared by: Pronaturaleza - Fundación Peruana por la Conservación de la Naturaleza In association with: Panthera Colombia (Colombia) Fundación Ecológica Arcoiris (Ecuador) Practical Action (Bolivia and Peru) Birdlife International (UK) as Secretariat of the KBA Partnership Under the supervision and co-authorship of: Michele Zador, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund Ecosystem profiling team: Rafael Antelo Alfredo López Rocío Bardales Shirley Pazos Judith Borja Elizabeth Peña Mónica Cuba Fernando Regal David Díaz Daniel Toro Mirella Gallardo Antonio Tovar Sandra Isola Julieta Vargas Maricruz Jaramillo Rocío Vásquez Arturo Jimenez Claudia Vega Melina Laporte With the support of the Tropical Andes Regional Implementation Team (RIT) Jorge Mariaca, Bolivia Odile Sánchez, Perú Martha Silva, Colombia Paola Zavala, Ecuador 1. INTRODUCTION The Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot extends from the Andes Mountains of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and the northern sections of Chile and Argentina (Figure 1.1). It constitutes one of 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world that together cover 16.7 percent of the Earth's land surface, but are home to an inordinate number of threatened endemic species. Biodiversity hotspots contain at least 1,500 endemic plant species and have lost at least 70 percent of their natural habitat. Most hotspots are located in tropical countries with complex political systems, major economic and human development challenges. Figure 1.1. Location of the Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) was established to channel funding to non-governmental organizations to conserve critical ecosystems in biodiversity hotspots.
    [Show full text]
  • Key 2017 Developments in Latin American Anti-Corruption Enforcement
    Anti corruption Key 2017 developments in Latin American anti-corruption enforcement Anti-corruption laws are being tightened across Latin America and businesses active in the region need to take note. In this article, lawyers at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher review key recent developments in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. n 2017, several Latin American countries stepped up enforcement I and legislative efforts to address corruption in the region. Enforcement activity regarding alleged bribery schemes involving construction conglomerate Odebrecht rippled across Latin America’s business and political environments during the year, with allegations stemming from Brazil’s ongoing Operation Car Wash investigation leading to prosecutions in neighbouring countries. Simultaneously, governments in Latin America have made efforts to strengthen legislative regimes to combat corruption, including expanding liability provisions targeting foreign companies and private individuals. This article focuses on five Latin totaling $10.5 million USD to Mexican corruption cases. The allegations are also American countries (Mexico, Brazil, government officials between 2010 and notable due to their similarity to the Argentina, Colombia, and Peru) that 2014 to secure public contracts. 4 In allegations in Brazil’s Car Wash have ramped up anti-corruption September 2017, Mexico’s SFP released a investigation. In both inquiries, funds enforcement or passed legislation statement noting the agency had were allegedly embezzled from state expanding anti-corruption legal identified $119 million pesos (approx. coffers for the benefit of political party regimes. 1 New laws in the region, $6.7 million USD) in administrative campaigns. coupled with potentially renewed irregularities involving a Pemex public prosecutorial vigour to enforce them, servant and a contract with an Odebrecht Legislative update make it imperative for companies subsidiary.
    [Show full text]
  • Neoliberal Modernity Crisis in Latin America at the Twenty-First Century: Social Cleavages, National Challenges and Hemispheric Revisionism
    Neoliberal Modernity Crisis in Latin America at the Twenty-First Century: Social Cleavages, National Challenges and Hemispheric Revisionism by Gustavo Adolfo Morales Vega A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2015 Gustavo Adolfo Morales Vega To my wife Catalina and our son Gabriel who often remind me that our representations of the world are also tied to deep feelings and emotions. ii Abstract This dissertation is concerned with the way the crisis of the neoliberal modernity project applied in Latin America during the 80s and 90s affected the political order of the hemisphere at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This work’s main argument is that the responses to the social cleavages produced by the global hegemonic pretension of neoliberalism have, on one hand, produced governments in the region driven internally by different and opposed places of enunciation, practices, ideas, and rationalities. On the other hand, these responses have generated locked international communities in the continent between “blocs” moved by different collective meanings. What Latin America is currently living through is not a process of transition resulting from the accomplishment of a new hemispheric consensus but a moment of uncertainty, a consequence of the profound crisis of legitimacy left by the increased weakness of neoliberal collective meanings. It is precisely the dispute about the “correct” collective judgement to organize the American space that moves the international stage in an apparently contradictory dynamic of regional integration and confrontation.
    [Show full text]
  • Labour Exploitation, Trafficking and Migrant Health
    Labour Exploitation, Labour Exploitation, Trafficking and Migrant Health and Migrant Trafficking Labour Exploitation, Trafficking and Migrant Health: Multi-country Findings on the Health Risks and Consequences of Migrant and Trafficked Workers International Organization for Migration (IOM) International Organization for Migration (IOM) IOM OIM The opinions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) or the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM or LSHTM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries. IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. As an intergovernmental organization, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to: assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants. Report authors: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Ana Maria Buller, Hanni Stoklosa and Cathy Zimmerman International Organization for Migration Vanesa Vaca and Rosilyne Borland Publisher: International Organization for Migration 17 route des Morillons 1211 Geneva 19 Switzerland Tel: +41.22.717 91 11 Fax: +41.22.798 61 50 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.iom.int This publication was made possible through support provided by the United States Department of State, under the terms of Award No.
    [Show full text]
  • Special Activities
    59th Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association Abstracts & Program May 30 - June 4, 2010 Puerto Iguazú Misiones, Argentina Iguazú, Argentina. 59th Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association WDA 2010 OFFICERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS OFFICERS President…………………………….…………………...………..………..Lynn Creekmore Vice-President………………………………...…………………..….Dolores Gavier-Widén Treasurer………………………………………..……..……….….……..…….Laurie Baeten Secretary……………………………………………..………..……………….…Pauline Nol Past President…………………………………………………..………Charles van Riper III COUNCIL MEMBERS AT LARGE Thierry Work Samantha Gibbs Wayne Boardman Christine Kreuder Johnson Kristin Mansfield Colin Gillin STUDENT COUNCIL MEMBER Terra Kelly SECTION CHAIRS Australasian Section…………………………..……………………….......Jenny McLelland European Section……………………..………………………………..……….….Paul Duff Nordic Section………………………..………………………………..………….Erik Ågren Wildlife Veterinarian Section……..…………………………………..…………Colin Gillin JOURNAL EDITOR Jim Mills NEWSLETTER EDITOR Jenny Powers WEBSITE EDITOR Bridget Schuler BUSINESS MANAGER Kay Rose EXECUTIVE MANAGER Ed Addison ii Iguazú, Argentina. 59th Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Executive President and Press, media and On-site Volunteers Conference Chair publicity Judy Uhart Marcela Uhart Miguel Saggese Marcela Orozco Carlos Sanchez Maria Palamar General Secretary and Flavia Miranda Program Chair Registrations Elizabeth Chang Reissig Pablo Beldomenico Management Patricia Mendoza Hebe Ferreyra
    [Show full text]
  • Bringing Economic Development for Whom? an Exploratory Study of the Impact of the Interoceanic Highway on the Livelihood of Smallholders in the Amazon
    Landscape and Urban Planning xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Landscape and Urban Planning journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/landurbplan Research Paper Bringing economic development for whom? An exploratory study of the impact of the Interoceanic Highway on the livelihood of smallholders in the Amazon A.S. Oliveiraa, B.S. Soares-Filhoa, M.A. Costab, L. Limac, R.A. Garciad, R. Rajãob, ⁎ S.M. Carvalho-Ribeiroa, a Instituto de Geociências, Centro de Sensoriamento Remoto, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-900, Brazil b Departamento de Engenharia de Produção, Laboratório de Gestão de Serviços Ambientais, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-900, Brazil c Departamento de Engenharia Hidráulica e Recursos Hídricos, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-900, Brazil d Instituto de Geociências, Departamento de Geografia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-900, Brazil ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Significant research efforts have been devoted to characterizing smallholding productive systems and assessing Amazon forest livelihoods the relative contribution of small-scale farming to global food production. However, there is a noted paucity of Land use rents studies addressing the determinants of and contributors to income generation of smallholders around the world, Smallholders particularly in the Amazon
    [Show full text]
  • Association ANDES
    Association ANDES Policy That Works For Biodiversity and Poverty Reduction: The ANDES Community Initiative Component of the Scoping Study on Biodiversity Governance in Peru Final Report Research team: ANDES Staff: Inti Montenegro de Wit, Madalena Monteban, Irma Valdez ANDES Barefoot Technicians in Lares: Feliciano Gutierrez and Victor Oblitas Time Period: April 1st-May 10th 2005 Submission Date: July 28th, 2005 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Problem: A conventional approach to assessing poverty would employ definitions and measures of poverty based only on income levels or consumption levels, with the conjecture that the poverty line can be adequately drawn primarily according to the cost of food. National household surveys would follow with questions like: What is your primary job? Secondary job? How many family members are there? How many members work? How much do you spend daily? etc. Finally, the survey data would be compiled, analyzed, mapped out and used in the elaboration of national poverty alleviation strategies. Conducting this type of poverty analysis with a fixed set of indicators and easy to compile survey answers would certainly be a very straightforward procedure with clear and manageable results, easily transformed into map form with color-coded zones that vary according to poverty level like the one generated by Peru’s Ministry of Economy and Finances in 2001. Nevertheless, a relevant question that inevitably emerges is what does this kind of map mean? In particular, what relevance does this kind of map have to Peru’s poor? Ideally, since poverty alleviation strategies derive directly from maps such as these, the zones indicated as most economically poor would correspond to populations most in need and deserving of social assistance.
    [Show full text]
  • Standardizing Sustainable Development?
    Standardizing Sustainable Development? Development Banks in the Andean Amazon Rebecca Ray Kevin P. Gallagher Cynthia Sanborn Boston University’s Global Economic Governance Initiative (GEGI) is a research program of the Global Development Policy Center (GDP Center). The GDP Center’s mission is to advance policy- oriented research for financial stability, human well-being, and environmental sustainability. To fulfill our mission, we conduct rigorous policy research; provide a convening place for scholars and stakeholders; engage in policy dialogue with policy-makers, civil society, and media; and offer experiential learning for Boston University students. The GDP Center is a University-wide center in partnership with the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research. The Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies is a pioneering initiative of Universidad del Pacífico, in Lima, Peru, which seeks to study China´s role in the world economy and analyze its transformations, policies and strategies of development, as well as its international projection. It also aims at generating up-to-date knowledge of the evolution of trade, investment and cooperation between China and Latin America, Peru in particular, and at having a global approach of challenges and opportunities of the Asia-Pacific region. It promotes and develops research, academic exchanges and education, while opening networks with Chinese and Asia-Pacific academic institutions. This work was supported financially by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. In addition to this institutional and financial support we would like to thank the following individuals for their support and commentary throughout this process: Janine Ferretti, Emmanuel Boulet, Paulina Garzon, Amy Rosenthal, Cesar Gamboa, Eduardo Forno, Silvia Molina, Sven-Uwe Mueller, John Reid, Debra Moskovits, Dietmar Grimm, Li Zhu, and Sara Van Velkinburgh.
    [Show full text]
  • Financing Infrastructure Projects in the Southern Amazon of Peru: Its Relation with Environmental and Social Safeguards
    Global Development Policy Center GEGI WORKING PAPER 017 • 10/2018 GLOBAL ECONOMIC GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE Financing Infrastructure Projects in the Southern Amazon of Peru: its relation with environmental and social safeguards JUAN LUIS DAMMERT B. ABSTRACT Peru’s Amazon is home to rich biodiversity and numerous indigenous communities, as well as ambitious infrastructure mega-projects that bring significant potential environmental and social challenges. This paper analyzes the role of national and development bank safeguards in mitigating these risks. Specifically, it takes two case studies in the Madre de Dios: Segments 2, 3, and 4 of the Southern Interoceanic Highway (CVIS) and the planned (though ultimately cancelled) Inambari Juan Luis Dammert Bello Hydroelectric Dam (CHI). In both cases, competition emerged between coalitions of actors organized earned a B.A. in Sociology in favor of project development and those who prioritized protecting ecosystems and communities from Pontificia Universidad from negative impacts. In the case of CVIS, the “growth coalition” secured an accelerated schedule, Católica del Perú (PUCP) leaving environmental and social risk to be considered only partially, through relatively small mitigation and an M.A. and Ph.D. in programs that – while helpful – were unable to contend with the ultimate scale of project impacts, Geography from the Graduate including deforestation, land trafficking, and mercury contamination from informal gold mining that has School of Geography at Clark become a major economic driver near the highway. The CHI met with widespread opposition from a University, Massachusetts. “conservation coalition” which united affected communities in opposition and ensured that the project He currently works as would not proceed.
    [Show full text]
  • The Amazon and the Internationalisation of Chinese Companies Vol
    Contexto Internacional vol. 40(2) May/Aug 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-8529.2018400200006 The Amazon and the Internationalisation of Chinese Wegner & Fernandes Companies Rubia Cristina Wegner* Marcelo Pereira Fernandes** Abstract: The objective of this article is to analyse the announced and ongoing foreign direct in- vestment of companies from China in the Amazon region, mainly in Brazil, which covers most of the region, and Peru. We will also to a certain extent include the Amazon region that crosses Colombia and Ecuador. These countries constitute one of the centres of South American integra- tion due to their infrastructure, and the construction of a highway linking Peru and Brazil to the Pacific has been planned. Segments such as mining, petroleum and grains have been the target for the productive internationalisation of Chinese companies. In the analysed countries, the volume of announced and ongoing direct investment of Chinese companies is indeed significant, targeting the above-mentioned natural resource industries. The large infrastructure project announced will be a logistical support for the companies that announced investments in the Amazon, especially between Brazil and Peru. Even though these countries and the other five that share the Amazon rainforest have presented some proposals of co-operation, they have not developed a common approach for the reception of investments from Chinese companies. Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment; Chinese Multinational Company; Amazon; Internationalisa- tion; Integration. Introduction Developing countries were initially the preferred recipients of foreign investments, even though Chinese state-owned enterprises have acquired shares of companies in devel- oped countries, such as the USA and European Union countries (Karreman, Burger and Oort 2016).
    [Show full text]
  • Corruption in Peru: an Overview of Systemic Corruption and an Interview with Former Prosecutor José Ugaz
    aperio-intelligence.com FINANCIAL CRIME DIGEST | JUNE 2019 SPECIAL FEATURE Corruption in Peru: An overview of systemic corruption and an interview with former prosecutor José Ugaz By Mario Levin Associate Head of Latin America Practice Aperio Intelligence Like other countries in Latin America, Peru has suffered for decades from systemic corruption that has reached the highest tiers of its executive, judicial and legislative systems. Over the last couple of years, revelations in the Odebrecht scandal, otherwise known as the “Lava Jato” case have highlighted the sheer scale and scope of corruption in the country, with allegations levelled Photo: Cristo del Pacífico, Lima. A replica of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer, which was given as a gift by Odebrecht to against all living former presidents. former president Alan García, and is now called “the Odebrecht Christ” by Lima locals. It is therefore no wonder that current president Martín Vizcarra, who came to Peru is one of the countries that suffers America, uncovering a pervasive scheme in power in March 2018 after corruption from the worst levels of political corruption which Odebrecht used money to influence allegations forced his predecessor in Latin America. In Transparency elections and bribed politicians and public to resign, has described 2019 as the International’s 2018 Corruption Perceptions officials to win billions of dollars-worth of year of the fight against corruption. Index, Peru fell to 35/100, eight points lower public work contracts in a dozen countries in Vizcarra’s anti-corruption efforts, which than the global average of 43, two points Latin America.
    [Show full text]
  • Brazil's Mercosur Economic Strategy
    Brazil’s Mercosur Economic Strategy: From Destiny to Impairment Written by Carlos Pio This PDF is auto-generated for reference only. As such, it may contain some conversion errors and/or missing information. For all formal use please refer to the official version on the website, as linked below. Brazil’s Mercosur Economic Strategy: From Destiny to Impairment https://www.e-ir.info/2011/10/28/brazil%e2%80%99s-mercosur-economic-strategy/ CARLOS PIO, OCT 28 2011 “Mercosur is Brazil’s destiny; the FTAA and the EU are options” President Fernando H. Cardoso, 2002. Mercosur is a government-led customs union created by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in the second-half of the 1990s. In its first years, intra-Mercosur trade grew significantly due to the fact that its major associates – Argentina and Brazil – were experiencing an unusual period of price and exchange rate stability. Over the years, instead of deepening integration, Mercosur-countries have agreed to revert part of the previous liberalization of trade, a path still under way. Increasing macroeconomic difficulties in Argentina and Uruguay, especially after Brazil abandoned its crawling-peg (managed) exchange rate regime in January 1999, led to further postponement of the completion of both the free trade area and the common external tariff and trade defence structures that had been agreed upon in the Asunción Treaty and Ouro Preto Protocol, signed in 1991 and 1994, respectively. Today, Mercosur is more of a dysfunctional set of rules, decision-making procedures and abstract principles that never materialise for the benefit of the more competitive industries and firms in the region than a well-functioning case of open regionalism.
    [Show full text]