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The readers' editor on… putting the record straight on Hugo Chávez's legacy The readers' editor on… putting the record straight on Hugo Chávez's legacy
(5 months later)
Almost any statement about Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's late president, is bound to generate controversy. When Ricardo Hausmann, a distinguished Harvard economics professor, wrote a critical article about the Chávez legacy in the Guardian on 25 February just before the Venezuelan leader died, there was a particularly strong reaction to these two sentences: "Chávez's sustained electoral success is remarkable because he managed to achieve it despite a dismal economic and social performance. Since 1999, the year he took over the presidency, Venezuela has had the lowest average GDP per capita growth rate and the highest inflation of any Latin American country except Haiti." This provoked a vigorous complaint that Venezuela's GDP was not the worst bar Haiti, and that Haiti's inflation rate was not even the worst in Latin America.Almost any statement about Hugo Chávez, Venezuela's late president, is bound to generate controversy. When Ricardo Hausmann, a distinguished Harvard economics professor, wrote a critical article about the Chávez legacy in the Guardian on 25 February just before the Venezuelan leader died, there was a particularly strong reaction to these two sentences: "Chávez's sustained electoral success is remarkable because he managed to achieve it despite a dismal economic and social performance. Since 1999, the year he took over the presidency, Venezuela has had the lowest average GDP per capita growth rate and the highest inflation of any Latin American country except Haiti." This provoked a vigorous complaint that Venezuela's GDP was not the worst bar Haiti, and that Haiti's inflation rate was not even the worst in Latin America.
Joe Emersberger wrote: "As of 2012, the IMF estimates Haiti's inflation rate to be 6.7% – well below at least seven other countries in Latin America … His claim about Venezuela's GDP per capita growth rate since 1999 is also wrong, based on a search of IMF data. As you can see, between 1999-2012, Venezuela's GDP per capita (measured in constant prices in national currency) increased about 21% – a higher percentage than occurred in the other four countries listed." The claim that Hausmann's statement was in error was supported by Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research, in Washington DC.Joe Emersberger wrote: "As of 2012, the IMF estimates Haiti's inflation rate to be 6.7% – well below at least seven other countries in Latin America … His claim about Venezuela's GDP per capita growth rate since 1999 is also wrong, based on a search of IMF data. As you can see, between 1999-2012, Venezuela's GDP per capita (measured in constant prices in national currency) increased about 21% – a higher percentage than occurred in the other four countries listed." The claim that Hausmann's statement was in error was supported by Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Centre for Economic and Policy Research, in Washington DC.
It is the kind of complaint that is very difficult to resolve. Readers' editors are not, by and large, economics professors. As I talked to each side of the argument, consulted colleagues who had worked in the region and economists in the office, I found it very difficult to make sense of the conflicting sets of data.It is the kind of complaint that is very difficult to resolve. Readers' editors are not, by and large, economics professors. As I talked to each side of the argument, consulted colleagues who had worked in the region and economists in the office, I found it very difficult to make sense of the conflicting sets of data.
Hausmann, who like his interlocutors sought to help at every turn, used data from both the World Bank and the IMF. It is clearly important for journalists to try to ensure that one compares like with like and be as certain as can be that the data is "good" data, ie accurate.Hausmann, who like his interlocutors sought to help at every turn, used data from both the World Bank and the IMF. It is clearly important for journalists to try to ensure that one compares like with like and be as certain as can be that the data is "good" data, ie accurate.
That is not always possible in all the countries that historically fall within the region that is Latin America, which the New Oxford Dictionary defines as "the parts of the American continent where Spanish or Portuguese is the main national language (ie Mexico and, in effect, the whole of central and South America, including many of the Caribbean islands)". Hausmann, Venezuela's former minister of planning (1992-93), did not include the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean.That is not always possible in all the countries that historically fall within the region that is Latin America, which the New Oxford Dictionary defines as "the parts of the American continent where Spanish or Portuguese is the main national language (ie Mexico and, in effect, the whole of central and South America, including many of the Caribbean islands)". Hausmann, Venezuela's former minister of planning (1992-93), did not include the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean.
Guardian journalists rely more often on World Bank statistics because it is on the ground in all the countries where it works, while they believe that the IMF tends to pay more attention to the countries where it lends. Lacking confidence that I would be able to make accurate comparisons with the sea of data, I submitted a request for help and information to the World Bank, to get the clearest data set that was explicable to a reader. As a result of this request I was sent two tables that show the cumulative growth and inflation rates for the whole period from 1999 to 2011 – some of the figures for 2012 were not available – using world development indicators set by the bank.Guardian journalists rely more often on World Bank statistics because it is on the ground in all the countries where it works, while they believe that the IMF tends to pay more attention to the countries where it lends. Lacking confidence that I would be able to make accurate comparisons with the sea of data, I submitted a request for help and information to the World Bank, to get the clearest data set that was explicable to a reader. As a result of this request I was sent two tables that show the cumulative growth and inflation rates for the whole period from 1999 to 2011 – some of the figures for 2012 were not available – using world development indicators set by the bank.
It was clear that the article was wrong about GDP per capita growth rate at constant prices and that Venezuela has the highest inflation throughout the region using the consumer price index. I amended the copy and footnoted in the following way: "This article was amended on 22 April 2013. The original incorrectly stated that Venezuela had the lowest average GDP per capita growth rate and highest inflation of any Latin American country except Haiti. According to the world development indicators of the World Bank it ranks 18 in a list of 28 countries in the region for GDP per capita growth between 1999 and 2011 and had the highest inflation rate of 32 countries in the region over the same period."It was clear that the article was wrong about GDP per capita growth rate at constant prices and that Venezuela has the highest inflation throughout the region using the consumer price index. I amended the copy and footnoted in the following way: "This article was amended on 22 April 2013. The original incorrectly stated that Venezuela had the lowest average GDP per capita growth rate and highest inflation of any Latin American country except Haiti. According to the world development indicators of the World Bank it ranks 18 in a list of 28 countries in the region for GDP per capita growth between 1999 and 2011 and had the highest inflation rate of 32 countries in the region over the same period."
Clarity is one of the key things that the readers' editor tries to bring when investigating a complaint. On this occasion it has been difficult to achieve, although the two tables are reproduced below, which should help. And resolution of the complaint will barely put a dent in the ongoing argument over the legacy of Hugo Chávez.Clarity is one of the key things that the readers' editor tries to bring when investigating a complaint. On this occasion it has been difficult to achieve, although the two tables are reproduced below, which should help. And resolution of the complaint will barely put a dent in the ongoing argument over the legacy of Hugo Chávez.
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