For example, the reforms of former presidents Carlos Andres Perez in Venezuela, Fernando Collor de Melo in Brazil, and Alan Garcia in Peru are widely regarded as ineffective, but their failure had little to do with weak communication. Even the most sophisticated communications program cannot produce jobs out of thin air or place bread on the table. Mexico's former president Carlos Salinas was considered a brilliant communicator, but because of failed economic policies he was forced to flee the country in disgrace. The key question facing Latin American governments today is not how to communicate their policies effectively, but what their policies should be. Entities such as the World Bank are proficient at advising countries about which economic measures should be enacted, but offer little or no advice as to how those measures should best be carried out.
Structural adjustment requires leadership beyond the capacity of the average technocrat.
The economic reasoning behind policies is often complex and counter-intuitive, as in Venezuela, where higher gas prices are believed to have led to lower inflation rates. The formulation of a communication strategy should be a group project among political and public relations experts, seeking a balance between the message's informational content and its tone. Morrow remarked on the importance of communications strategy, noting the close relationship between and interaction among government communication, economic behavior, and politics. He stressed the importance of presenting a coherent policy plan and communicating it clearly to a range of economic actors, including community groups, industry associations, foreign investors, multilateral institutions, and the public. The message to each group must be specific, yet broadly coherent.