The past two decades have brought dramatic changes to South America. Beginning in the early 2000s, Chinese demand for commodities fueled an economic boom that leftist governments across the region used to tackle poverty and inequality, reshaping their countries’ societies and political arenas in the process. But the end of the commodities super cycle in 2013 led to slowed growth, an end to government largesse and a return of center-right parties, while calling into question the sustainability of the previous decade’s gains.
In this big picture Trend Lines interview, Frida Ghitis joined WPR editor-in-chief Judah Grunstein to discuss the impact the past two decades have had on South America and where the region stands today. Ghitis is a contributing columnist at The Washington Post, and a frequent on-air analyst and commentator on CNN and CNN en Espanol. She has been a WPR contributor since 2006, and her weekly column appears every Thursday. You can sign up for her weekly newsletter at fridainsight.substack.com.
Listen to the full conversation here: