Abstract
Twenty-five years after the establishment of NAFTA, the limits of this trade agreement are obvious. Rather than integration, NAFTA’s actual outcomes evince a profound North-South inequality. This utopian agreement developed trade but turned into a dystopia in terms of security, migration, and development, particularly for Mexico. While USMCA features some changes, democratic oriented policies are badly needed. Contrary to the right-wing, anti-free trade discourse, I argue that, beyond a technocratic perspective, a radical transformation is needed to build a continental integration based on democratic institutions and cooperation beyond supranational organizations. I propose an integration based on a) security through justice institutions; b) global development that addresses migration; and c) sustainable cooperation in environmental policies.
Highlights
Privatization has been the main goal of conservative governments, in Mexico
Privatization often shows a lack of democratic means, such as corruption and lack of transparency
The integration we propose consists of mechanisms that serve as a framework for transparent cooperation with clear criteria and standards
Summary
3 "Trade first, democracy comes after," has been dominant and powerful rhetoric, with present-day China as a successful model. This discourse has negative repercussions for democracy. For technocratic elites, less government means more democracy. Privatization has been the main goal of conservative governments, in Mexico. Privatization often shows a lack of democratic means, such as corruption and lack of transparency. Mexican elites have tried to open the oil industry to the private sector for decades instead of reforming that industry by cutting off corruption, corporatism, favoritism, and inefficiency that wastes public resources. Mexican elites blame the "nationalist approach to oil wealth and the sensitive attitude toward sovereignty" (Castañeda, 2011)
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