Why Argentina’s New Leader Is Good For Latin America And Global Investors

It might be hard to believe now, but Argentina once ranked among the top 10 wealthiest nations in the world, following the United Kingdom, United States and Australia.

Today, however, it’s one of the most corrupt, according to Transparency International, a group that annually measures public sector corruption around the world. In 2014, Argentina ranked 107, sandwiched between Niger and Djibouti.

That’s largely because for more than half a century, Argentina has been led almost exclusively by the far-left Justicialist Party, based on the political thought of Juan Perón—an admirer of Mussolini—and his wife Evita.

But this week, Argentina said “no, gracias” to further leftist rule when it elected conservative businessman and two-term Buenos Aires mayor Mauricio Macri to succeed CristinaFernández de Kirchner as president. It was an upset victory for the people of Argentina, who have seen their once-prosperous nation deteriorate under decades of Marxist policies.

It was also a strong win for investors around the globe. Not since Narendra Modi’s election last year has a leader’s entry on the world stage inspired such bullishness.

In the three months leading up to the November 22 election, Argentina’s Merval Index rose 30 percent as optimistic investors anticipated a win by Macri.

This week I was in San Francisco attending the Silver Summit & Resource Expo, where many fund managers commented that their Argentine holdings had seen huge jumps recently. Many people I spoke with were bullish on the country.

Latin America Veering Right to Escape Corruption

I join many others in expressing my belief that this change in leadership points to an ideological shift in Latin America and a rejection of the Peronism that has threatened to turn the region into an also-ran economy. I’m confident that once Argentina demonstrates to its neighbors that market-friendly policies stir economic growth and help lead to widespread prosperity, the people of Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela and others will demand similar corruption-free leadership.