A few days ago, I had the pleasure to meet Alejandro Toledo, the former President of Peru, during his great exposé on his vision for Latin America. There Toledo introduced his new book The Shared Society.
Before becoming President, and throughout his years in office, Toledo showed himself to be a man with great democratic convictions.
Toledo, who is now a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University, and a Senior Fellow and Lecturer at Stanford University, sees the future of Latin America as bright. New statistics about poverty in Latin America indicate that it is declining, and Latin American societies are becoming more equitable.
Latin America. In his view, Latin America is going through a renaissance, with the exception of countries like Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, and Nicaragua. Those countries are still dealing with undemocratic populist leaders who are trying to remain in power indefinitely. Toledo predicts that, by the year 2050, Latin America could be at the center stage of the world’s economic growth and development.
Toledo's strong belief in democracy and his respect for human rights have been present throughout his career. He was a vocal critic of the oppressive rule that began in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez and the closing of RCTV, Radio Caracas TV in 2007. That year, one of his many articles for the New York Times was entitled “Silence = Despotism.” In it, he condemned the closing of RCTV and urged Latin American leaders to take a stand against Chavez’s rule by oppression.
Hugo Chavez closed the RCTV and appropriated most of the media outlets in Venezuela, yet Latin American leaders remained quiet. The result was an oppressed Venezuela; the country plunged in economic and social chaos that continues today under the Nicolas Maduro regime.
“History will judge those leaders who opted to be quiet as accomplices of the situation," Toledo said.
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