Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) told Mexican senators that the country still had time to employ its demographic surplus, and avoid drug trafficking taking it over, as is already happening in Central America.
In a meeting with Senate President Roberto Gil Zuarth and senate commissions, the CEPAL official said that the region of Latin America and the Caribbean is facing a moment where the structures of the democratic state must be consolidated.
She stated that Latin American and the world as a whole are facing a series of challenges that must be overcome. Among these she mentioned China’s push to occupy multilateral positions, the uncoupling of the financial and the real economy, the fourth industrial revolution and the consequences of climate change.
However, one of the challenges that most preoccupied her was social inequality.
“I’ve said that 62 people have the riches of 3 and a half billion people. That is to say that 62 individuals have the same amount of riches as half of the world population. Something happened. And some years ago there were 85, so its not getting better, but worse.”
Bárcena Ibarra added that another worrying situation was the demographic transition, that is to say, the future diminishing of population growth and the menace drug trafficking will take over Mexico’s current demographic surplus.
“Mexico still has a small window of opportunity for that demographic surplus, to bet on education and innovation and not to hand it over to the drug trafficking that is right now winning the demographic surplus in Mexico and Central America, which are some of the few countries were this bonus exists.”
Bárcena Ibarra concluded that a global governance is needed that will close the asymmetries between countries, as it is not sufficient that every country do its part.
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