Marcos Ricardo dos Santos
Special Envoy

Montevideo (Uruguay) – The slow economic growth and the inequality are the two major problems of Latin America, in the opinion of Argentinean economist José Luis Machinea, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), an organism of the United Nations. To combat them, Machinea suggested extensive social covenants and the reevaluation of the role of the State.

For poverty reduction, Machinea considers that it is essential to increase public resources aimed at areas of social protection, and he suggests three steps: to raise taxation; to increase and protect the participation of social public expenses in the budget; and to improve the quality and distribution of public programs.

Jose Luis Machinea spoke at the opening ceremony of the 31st Session of the ECLAC. Its 42 member countries are participating in the event this week in Montevideo, capital of Uruguay. The President of Uruguay, Tabaré Vásquez, who was present at the ceremony, said he shares ECLAC diagnosis about the importance of social protection. Vásquez believes that development measures that do not prioritize people’s quality of life, their hopes and rights, may "even mean growth, but not development."

Translation: Andréa Alves