Nunca olvidaré mi encuentro con María Corina Machado, en Lima, Perú, en el 2014. Al aterrizar en esa ciudad para un evento de la Fundación Internacional para la Libertad, se enteró de que el gobierno venezolano, que ya la venía persiguiendo, le había retirado su inmunidad parlamentaria y que, si regresaba a su tierra natal, no podría volver a salir. María Corina regresó a Venezuela y tuve que esperar más de 11 años para abrazarla y felicitarla en persona. Fue en Oslo donde acudió para recibir el Premio Nobel de la Paz 2025. María Corina llegó un día tarde debido…
Author: Alejandro Antonio Chafuen
Just over a decade ago, I wrote an article about the famous Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) and the numerous think tanks and academic efforts he inspired. Ludwig von Mises’s clarity of thought and rigorous logical method made him a powerful voice for economic truth and individual liberty. His ability to trace complex economic phenomena back to fundamental principles won him enduring respect among champions of the free society, who saw in his work a robust defense of markets and human freedom. Books such as Human Action, The Theory of Money and Credit, and Socialism have cemented his reputation…
Maria Corina Machado has been persecuted by those who usurped the government of Venezuela, criticized by collaborationists as adopting a scorched-earth policy against the corrupt regime, and accused of being soft and a fake by those who would prefer that she led an armed crusade. Despite the criticism from all sides, Maria Corina, as she prefers to be called, continues to push forward as a true leader of those who fight for Venezuelan freedoms.
Originally on Forbes I have been working with think tanks in Poland since the 1990s, and the progress I have witnessed over the years is truly remarkable. Many challenges remain, but after the victory achieved by conservative presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, coupled with good first-round results for Sławomir Mentzen of the Konfederacja (Confederation for Liberty and Independence) alliance, Poland has a chance to continue building support for economic and social policies that lead to prosperity. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—along with your property—are the foundation of prosperity. They also explain why Poland’s economy has outperformed that of most…
Miami, Florida. – We are the Carvalho Dialogue. In 2009, the Brazilian philosopher and educator Olavo de Carvalho warned that the Foro de São Paulo, the world’s largest coalition of Marxist parties, individuals, non-governmental organizations, and terrorist groups, was dismantling democratic institutions throughout the Americas. This made it necessary for their opponents to develop a new, multilateral perspective, and collectively act if they were to defend their countries. We have common enemies.
Originally from Forbes With the goal of providing a moral compass, theologians and leaders of the Catholic Church have often written about economic principles. Some such principles can even be drawn from Christ’s own parables. Here, though, I will focus on writings of the three most recent popes: John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. It is a safe bet that Pope Leo XIV will continue with similar messages, incorporating the teachings of his immediate predecessors. To put these writings in context, it is necessary to start with the framework provided by Church documents, especially the Pastoral Constitution on the…
Originally from Forbes Several of the largest and most established think tanks advocating for free-market principles continue to lead across major social media platforms. The digital landscape, however, is dynamic, and a few newer organizations with credible voices, compelling messages and savvy media strategies are gaining influence, helping to advance the cause of a free society. The rankings in this piece are based on the latest publicly available data and reflect my own assessments as a Forbes contributor—they are not official Forbes rankings. As always, I invite readers to alert me to any pro-free-society organization they believe deserves recognition for…
This article, originally published in 2013 (Forbes), offers a timely and insightful exploration of Pope Francis’s early economic thought, particularly as expressed in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. In light of the Pope’s recent passing, Alejandro Chafuen was kind enough to share this piece with us, as its reflections on justice, economic systems, and the Church’s evolving role in global economic discourse remain profoundly relevant today. The Original Article The recent economic statements by Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (EG) read as a call for a “Third Way” economic system ruled by experts and people of good…
I will never forget the first time I saw Murray Rothbard. It was in September 1980 at the meeting of the Mont Pelerin Society at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. I didn’t see him in the mornings, he only appeared during the afternoon sessions. I remember seeing him standing at the back of the auditorium on one side. Next to him was his great friend Leonard P. Liggio (1933-2014). I would never have imagined that several decades later I would be lucky enough to have Leonard as a professional colleague. During that meeting I spent time asking difficult questions, with implicit…
Hace diez años, comencé mi artículo sobre la economía diciendo: “Con el mercado de valores en un máximo histórico, con un desempleo del 5,8%, un crecimiento económico del último trimestre del 5%, una inflación de precios al consumidor relativamente moderada y la bonanza de la gasolina barata, hay un mayor optimismo sobre la economía de Estados Unidos”. También hay optimismo hoy. El mercado de valores está en máximos casi récord y casi se ha duplicado en relación con hace diez años. El desempleo, del 4,2%, es un cuarto menor. La inflación es casi el doble de lo que era en…
