MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile and Uruguay the most stable in the region

Chile and Uruguay have the highest democratic development index of Latinamerica, while Paraguay and Venezuela stand at the extreme opposite according to the latest report from the German Foundation Konrad Adenauer simultaneously released last week in several continental capitals.

The Democratic Development Index of Latin-America rates nations between 1 and 10 taking into account basics such as democracy, human rights, civil liberties, institutional quality and government delivery.

Top of the list figures Chile with 10 points, followed closely by Uruguay with 9,7, although according to the release, both governments are not entirely satisfied with the workings of their countries democratic institutions.

A second group of countries is headed by Panama, 8,02; Costa Rica 7,84 and Mexico 6,62, all of them above the regional average for the 17 countries involved that stands at 5,117 out of 10 possible points.

Brazil is half way in the list with 5,02 points. Argentina figures number eleven with 3,9 points although the 2003 Index was elaborated on December 2001 data, the worst moment of the recent political and financial crisis of the country.

The rest of the countries are packed well below the average index: Bolivia 2,82; Ecuador 2,82; Venezuela 2,6 and Paraguay 2,2.

Compared to the previous report, eight countries improved, and one (Uruguay) remained stable and in the rest the Index reversed.

The 2003 edition warns that "crisis conditions" in some Latinamerican countries still subsist "with a strong deterioration for rights, liberties and institutional procedure".

Regarding welfare Uruguay is ahead by itself with 7,28 points and Bolivia in the opposite position with 3,81 points. Chile and Argentina figure with the greatest macroeconomic liberty and Uruguay with the least gap in income distribution.

In political rights and civil liberties, again Uruguay is top of the list with Costa Rica; in Institutional Quality and Political Efficiency, Chile and Uruguay stand first with Venezuela and Bolivia in the opposite position.

In "Corruption Perception", Chile, Uruguay and Costa Rica figure as the cleanest while Bolivia, Paraguay and Ecuador, the worst.

Regarding political stability, Chile, Uruguay and three Central America countries top the list, with Argentina (2001 data), Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela and Guatemala stand out as those countries with most risk of de-stabilization. Mexico and Colombia are rated as fragile because of internal armed resistance.

The annual report is done on data from among others, World Bank, Interamerican Development Bank, UN Economic Committee for Latinamerica and Inter Parliamentarian Union.