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| Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo | |
|---|---|
| Name | Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo |
| Native name | Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Founder | Hernán Büchi, Cristián Larroulet |
| Headquarters | Santiago, Chile |
| Type | Think tank |
| Key people | Andrés Velasco, Hernán Büchi, Cristián Larroulet |
Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo is a Chilean public policy think tank founded in 1990 that focuses on market-oriented public policy, regulatory reform, and institutional analysis. It has been active in debates involving tax reform, social insurance, and regulatory frameworks, interacting with political actors and academic institutions across Latin America. The institute frequently participates in discussions alongside parties, ministries, and international organizations.
Founded in the aftermath of the Chilean transition to democracy and the end of Augusto Pinochet's rule, the institute emerged amid debates shaped by figures like Hernán Büchi, Cristián Larroulet, and advisors associated with the Chicago Boys network and the Universidad Católica de Chile. During the 1990s it engaged with policy processes influenced by administrations such as those of Patricio Aylwin, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, and later Ricardo Lagos, while interacting with regional actors including Fujimori-era advisors and advisers linked to Colombian reforms. The institute's trajectory intersects with episodes like the 2000s tax debates during Michelle Bachelet's government, the pension reform controversies present in the tenure of Sebastián Piñera, and wider dialogues involving organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank.
The institute states a mission promoting liberal economic policies, regulatory efficiency, and institutional stability, aligning with strands of classical liberalism and neoliberal thought associated with thinkers like Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and policy networks connected to the Mont Pelerin Society. Its ideological orientation places it in proximity to center-right parties such as Renovación Nacional and Unión Demócrata Independiente, and to policy platforms advocated by ministers and legislators including Hernán Büchi and Cristián Larroulet. Debates in which it participates often reference model proposals advanced by scholars from Harvard University, Universidad de Chicago, and Stanford University.
The institute is organized with a board of directors, executive leadership, and research units that mirror structures found in think tanks like Heritage Foundation, Brookings Institution, and Cato Institute. Its board has included public figures and former officials from administrations such as Joaquín Lavín and Andrés Velasco, while research staff often have affiliations with universities like Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Chile, and international partnerships with centers such as FRIDE and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It maintains programs for fellows, internships, and visiting scholars similar to arrangements at Oxford University, London School of Economics, and Georgetown University.
Research themes include tax policy, regulatory reform, social security, healthcare policy, and education reform, drawing on comparative studies from Argentina, Peru, Mexico, and Brazil. Publications include policy briefs, working papers, and books circulated among ministries like the Ministry of Finance (Chile), legislative committees of the Chamber of Deputies (Chile), and academic journals tied to Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and Universidad Diego Portales. The institute publishes analysis engaging case studies such as the Chilean pension system, reforms similar to those in Mexico's pension reform, and regulatory comparisons with European Union frameworks, often citing methodologies used at IMF and OECD research units.
The institute has engaged in policy advocacy, testimony before legislative committees, and advisory roles to governments and political campaigns, interacting with leaders like Sebastián Piñera, Michelle Bachelet, and congressional figures from Renovación Nacional and Unión Demócrata Independiente. It has participated in public seminars alongside international figures from Inter-American Dialogue, panels involving scholars from Harvard Kennedy School, and conferences with representatives of OECD and World Bank delegations. Its activities have influenced debates on reforms proposed in instances such as the 2010s tax overhaul and pension debates during the 2019 social unrest that also concerned institutions like the Constitutional Convention (Chile).
Funding sources include private donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from national and international foundations, resembling funding patterns of think tanks such as Atlantic Council and Chatham House. The institute has affiliations and cooperative agreements with universities like Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and international partners including Cato Institute-style networks, and has accepted project financing linked to entities similar to Inter-American Development Bank and philanthropic organizations modeled on Open Society Foundations and regionally focused donors.
Criticism has come from left-leaning parties such as Partido Socialista (Chile) and civil society groups associated with the 2019 protests, as well as academics from Universidad de Chile and Universidad de Santiago de Chile, who challenge its policy prescriptions and funding transparency. Controversies include debates over perceived proximity to business interests represented by conglomerates like Cencosud and Falabella, disputes over influence in tax and pension legislation debated in the Chamber of Deputies (Chile) and the Senate of Chile, and public scrutiny during constitutional debates involving the Constitutional Convention (Chile). Opponents draw parallels with policy networks criticized in cases involving Washington Consensus reforms and contest connections similar to those scrutinized in analyses of think tanks like Heritage Foundation and Cato Institute.
Category:Think tanks based in Chile