Prior to neoliberalism, international support of big capital took the form of the Cold War doctrine of Containment. On the one hand, this was carried out by devastating campaigns of destabilization, terrorism and counterrevolution. The transition to neoliberalism's greater market purity came about as the Third World's periodic restricting of foreign businesses in favor or national industry became increasingly intolerable. In Mexico, this tightening up on foreign firms occurred primarily in the pharmaceutical industry. Classic liberalism marks the policies of the 19 th century colonial powers, who used the ideology of competition, free trade, and comparative advantage to justify their control of Third World societies.
Neoliberalism refers to today's new liberalism.
In 1996, the Zapatistas held an international forum on neoliberalism, the Intercontinental Encounter for Humanity and against Neoliberalism, in La Realidad, Chiapas. Interestingly, one feature of globalization and neoliberalism is that governments, in shrinking their roles, are less able to respond to the crises they help to create. This could hasten the end of the PRI, creating an opening for popular rule in Mexico.