President Fernando Cardosa

Democracy Today: The Future of Latin America

Former Brazilian President Fernando Enrique Cardosa discusses the future of democracy in Latin America in a public address at the Clinton School. Cardosa calls democracy an “unfinished process,” something that should be constantly strived for, but can never fully be reached. He contends that while democracy has been challenged on his continent, it is very much alive in Latin America. “The best way to safeguard democracy in our part of the world and elsewhere is always by strengthening and deepening its substance,” Cardosa says. Cardosa talks about the economic and social change in Latin America as the result of the influx of democracy and the rise of globalization. Cardosa mentions the rise of Jugo Chavez and other left-wing leaders in Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua in discussing the complexity of the political and social situation throughout the region.

Bio

Currently a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Brown University, Fernando Cardoso served as President of Brazil from 1995-2003. During his time in office, Cardoso worked to reduce government involvement in the Brazilian economy to attract foreign investment and spur economic growth. Cardoso’s administration also encouraged an increase in ethanol production through the country’s sugar cane crop, which has made Brazil a model for the use of alternative fuels.