The private sector faces a significant challenge. I am not referring only to groups of businessmen, united by a community of interests originating from businesses or companies whose purpose is profit, which is legitimate in a free trade society.
One of the great distortions of the role of private initiative in the development and management of the economy comes precisely from negative propaganda that restricts its definition to such narrow and exclusive spheres. On the contrary, it is a much broader and more generous concept, which encompasses all individual or group activities resulting from the free decision of human beings, from the street vendor who sells produce, to the prosperous businessman who has more than 500 workers on his payroll, to the artist who captures the fruit of his inspiration on canvas and makes a living from it.
There is a strong tendency to favour a growing role for the State, greater than it already has and exercises, in national affairs, even on the part of many business sectors. Applied to the economic game, these doctrines have been catastrophic. Our history should suffice as irrefutable evidence. The only possibility of avoiding the repetition of traumatic experiences is by expanding the opportunities for development and the capacity of individuals and private groups to promote free creation, in which the government has a fundamental role. But this could only be undertaken in the future through doctrinal approaches that clearly define the role of the private sector, a task that is very difficult due to the diversity and struggle of interests and the complicity of the power groups with the political clans to prevent authentic climates of free competition.
After all, it is well known that money is not everything. Love is the other two percent.”
