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| Fundación Libertad | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fundación Libertad |
| Formation | 1988 |
| Type | Nonprofit think tank |
| Headquarters | Mar del Plata, Argentina |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | Eduardo Eurnekian |
Fundación Libertad Fundación Libertad is an Argentine think tank based in Mar del Plata associated with classical liberal and free-market ideas. It produces research, hosts conferences, and maintains publishing and educational arms that engage with political actors, academic institutions, and media outlets across Argentina and Latin America. The organization interacts with figures and institutions in Argentine politics, regional networks, and international policy forums.
Founded in 1988 amid the presidencies of Raúl Alfonsín and Carlos Menem, Fundación Libertad emerged during a period marked by hyperinflation, neoliberal reform, and debates involving International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank programs in Argentina. Early associates included economists and intellectuals influenced by Austrian School, Chicago School, and thinkers such as Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Adam Smith. The foundation published position papers during the privatization waves associated with the National Congress of Argentina legislation and engaged with provincial administrations in Buenos Aires Province and municipal governments including Mar del Plata. Over time it established links with academic centers like the University of Buenos Aires, National University of La Plata, Torcuato di Tella University, and international networks including the Atlas Network, Cato Institute, and Heritage Foundation.
Fundación Libertad states a mission emphasizing individual liberty, property rights, and market-oriented public policy, aligning rhetorically with thinkers such as John Locke, Jean-Baptiste Say, and Ludwig von Mises. Its ideological orientation situates it within Latin American liberal-conservative and neoliberal debates involving parties like Propuesta Republicana (PRO), Radical Civic Union, and coalitions that have contested administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Policy positions often reference comparative cases such as Chile under Augusto Pinochet reforms, United Kingdom under Margaret Thatcher, and United States episodes associated with Reaganomics. The foundation also engages with constitutional law debates invoking texts like the Argentine Constitution and judicial decisions from the Supreme Court of Argentina.
Fundación Libertad operates research programs, publishes books and policy briefs, and organizes seminars and conferences that feature guests from institutions such as Harvard University, Yale University, University of Chicago, Stanford University, and regional universities like Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. It runs training courses, workshops, and public lectures aimed at legislators, journalists, and students, cooperating with organizations including Concord Coalition, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Society for Human Rights. The foundation's publications respond to fiscal debates involving the Ministry of Economy (Argentina), provincial budgets in Buenos Aires Province, trade disputes involving Mercosur, and macroeconomic episodes tied to currency boards, peso crisis, and sovereign debt restructurings with creditors such as BlackRock and Goldman Sachs. It also participates in electoral analysis, polling collaborations, and media appearances on networks like Clarín Group, La Nación, Infobae, TN (Todo Noticias), and Página/12.
The organization is governed by a board and an executive team that interact with scholars, visiting fellows, and an extended advisory council drawing from legal scholars, economists, and public intellectuals affiliated with institutions such as the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Mar del Plata National University, University of Salamanca, and think tanks like Instituto de Empresa (IE) and Fraser Institute. It maintains publication series, a legal observatory, and an events department that liaises with provincial legislatures and municipal councils. Partnerships have included collaborations with private sector entities, chambers like the Argentine Industrial Union, and international academic exchange programs linked to Fulbright Program alumni.
Funding sources reported in public materials have included private donations, corporate sponsorships, and project grants from domestic and international foundations such as the Carnegie Corporation, Ford Foundation, and network grants through Atlas Network. Financial transparency has been the subject of scrutiny in Argentine media outlets including Clarín Group and La Nación over disclosure practices, donor lists, and affiliations with business groups like the Sociedad Rural Argentina and financial actors based in Buenos Aires City. The foundation files nonprofit reports in provincial registries and engages auditing firms; debates over funding mirror wider Argentine controversies about civil society financing during the administrations of Mauricio Macri and Alberto Fernández.
Fundación Libertad has influenced policy debates on privatization, deregulation, tax reform, and labor law reform, cited by legislators in the Argentine Congress and provincial assemblies. Supporters point to impact on public procurement reforms enacted in provincial codes and participation in policy networks alongside institutions like the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation. Critics from parties such as Frente de Todos and intellectuals associated with Centro Cultural de la Cooperación and National University of La Plata scholars have challenged the foundation's ties to corporate donors, ideological positions on austerity, and stances during social policy debates, invoking case studies like the 2001 Argentine crisis and analyses by economists from Central Bank of Argentina. Human rights organizations and labor unions including CGT (Argentina) and CTA (Central de los Trabajadores de la Argentina) have also contested its policy recommendations and public campaigns.
Category:Think tanks based in Argentina