December 07, 2007

The poor prospective of the Bank against the North

Sir when on your first page you announce the birth of Bank of South you state that the six signing parties aim “to challenge the influence of US-based organizations”. I would contend this is a great exaggeration. Perhaps such a thing might be in the mind of the extremist of the group but for instance a country like Brazil has no interest whatsoever in challenging the World Bank or the Inter American Development Bank, on the contrary it is quite logically doing their utmost to strengthen their voice in those institutions.

Initial funds will be placed in the Bank of South and rapidly withdrawn by each investor for their own favourite projects and thereafter,with its role reduced to paying the salaries of some bureaucrats, it will most probably linger unproductively forever and ever. Could not the south benefit from a Bank of South? Of course, but not from a Bank against the North.