Democracy, Uribe style

Ex-Prez Alvaro Uribe of Colombia was always ragging on about how democratic he was throughout his doubletime presidency (no matter about the death squads, his own close family members involved with far-right wing terror brigades, the Macarena secret graveyard, his own connections to the infamous Pablo Escobar et cetera ad infinitum).

And it's true! He was democratic! We see today just how democratic Uribe really was when in charge. He didn't make any distinction between his enemies and democratically treated them as equals...by illegally wiretapping them all. Colombia Reports (we love that site) takes up the story:

Documents leaked to Caracol Radio reveal that Colombia's intelligence agency DAS spied on anyone suspected of opposing former President Alvaro Uribe, including government officials close to the then-president, the radio station claims.

The illegal wiretapping carried out by Colombia's state intelligence agency extended to CONTINUES HERE

It must be why The USA loves Uribe so. He could brazenly get away with things that Dubya, the CIA and The Hawaiian get wet dreams about doing.

Hanging on the telephone

So how does this work again? What are the prescribed images thrown at us about certain LatAm countries? Let's try a quick pigeon-holing or two:

• Chile: Yeah, all serious and advanced and rich and stuff
  
• Argentina: Reckless and behind the times and suffering
  
• Peru: The growth miracle and worthy of investment grade
• Brazil: The regional powerhouse and a nation of shoppers
  
• Venezuela: Stagnating due to communist rule, moving backwards while others advance

Sound kinda familiar? Well let's see how the 21st century's most rampant piece of technology, the cellular phone, has made inroads into the LatAm market.

In its latest quarterly report, Telefonica de España (TEF) maps out the cellular market penetration of its eight key LatAm markets for 2007 and 2008. Here's a chart I made of the Telefonica figures.

Click to enlarge

So, what do we have?

• Number one is Argentina! Wow, 110% penetration* and a fully mature market. Hoodathunkit?

• Next we have....errrr...well, it's Venezuela, isn't it? Up 14% in just one year, so there must be a tiny smidgeon of disposible income left over after those downtrodden class warriors have stocked up at Mercal, no?

• Third is Chile. Well at least that one doesn't surprise, as Chile is now a nigh on mature wireless market.

• And so on and so on. Note that the two biggest markets by absolute volume of handsets, Brazil and Mexico, still have plenty of growth left in them.

• And what's that one coming up the rear? Oh yeah, it's that investment grade country...y'know, the one with 40% of people living on U$2 per day. The one that is made out to be the new spearhead of modern society.

As usual, the facts point out that English language media coverage of LatAm is a crock. Argentina and Venezuela the most advanced cellular markets and clearly with the money to spend. Peru lagging way behind and still scrimping to make that call. Any questions?

*Please don't bother me with the "more than 100% penetration is impossible" argument again. Have a look in your house for that second pre-paid phone you have from a couple of years ago and think about it.