Michael Reid

Michael Reid, Canning House, London, 2 November 2007

Michael Reid is the "Americas Editor" at The Economist magazine. Reid has reported for many years from Peru, Mexico and Brazil for the past 20 years. While previously a far-lefty who purportedly went to Bolivia for ideological reasons, he is presently in the "neoliberal camp". He is an associate of James Dunkerley and Lord Brennan.

Book Launch

On 2 November 2007, Reid's book was launched to much fanfare at Canning House in London. Many diplomats, foreign office officials, investment bankers, financial analysts, risk analysts and a sprinkling of academics were present. Reid's new book presents a history of Latin America which is critical of the "dependency theory analysts", suggests that the best model for Latin America is a mixture of liberal democracy and neoliberal economics, and also is highly critical of developments in Venezuela which are termed populist. The broad overt approval of the book among the senior foreign office operatives and foreign diplomats (they were seated in the front row), suggests that this is the dominant policy framework among the foreign policy elite.

References, Resources and Contact

Publications

• Michael Reid, Forgotten Continent: The Battle for Latin America's Soul, Yale Univ. Press, Nov. 2007.

This fact was related by James Dunkerley during his comments at the Reid's book launch at Canning House, London, 2 November 2007.

Observations and comment by Paul de Rooij who sat in the second row behind the Foreign Office senior operatives and the ambassador of the Dominican Republic.