At the same time, many countries have worked hard to privatize state-owned enterprises, reform their regulatory systems, and modernize their economies. All this is to the good. But there is a troubling flip side. As this audience well knows, the fruits of growth in the last decade have not appeared on every table either within or among countries in our region. While many people enjoy higher living standards, many others remain mired in poverty.
Inequality of income is too wide.
And in too many nations, crime and corruption are undermining faith in public institutions. If these problems are not addressed more effectively in this decade than in the last, the democratic tide in the Americas may begin to recede. And countries may again be lured down the dead-end roads of protectionist policies and authoritarian rule. In fact, it is already starting to happen. That is why the United States is determined to work with our partners, and through regional institutions, to achieve two main goals.