The economist with a meteoric political career
Economist Iván Heyn, who was found dead in his hotel room in Uruguay today, had been appointed as Trade undersecretary on December 10th and also was the head of Corporación Puerto Madero.
Heyn, who turned 34 on November 29th, was the president of the Corporación Antiguo Puerto Madero, a state-run organization which carries out development plans in the City neighbourhood of Puerto Madero.
He was also appointed as the State’s director in the company Aluar, representing shareholder Anses. Previously, Heyn spent five years in different posts in the public administration. He was the macroeconomic and sectorial studies manager in the Investment and Foreign Trade bank (BICE) between January 2009 and January 2011, Industry undersecretary between May 2008 and January 2009, an adviser to the Economy Ministry between April 2006 and the same month of 2008.
Heyn had a degree in economics from the UBA Buenos Aires University and a Master in Development and Industrial Policies from the General Sarmiento National University.
Heyn was also the first president of the FUBA University Federation of Buenos Aires after the downfall of student association Franja Morada. He was sworn-in in December 27th 2011, amidst the economic and political crisis brought by the downfall of Fernando de la Rúa’s government, and was backed by a leftist and independent student coalition.
The Trade undersecretary was also a high profile member of La Cámpora, the pro-government political group led by Máximo Kirchner. He joined the Kirchnerite ranks in 2002 after he ended his term as FUBA president.
Two years earlier, he was a member of TNT, Tontos pero no tanto (Foolish but no too foolish), an independent university association founded by current Economy vice-minister Axel Kiciloff, which defeated the Radical Party’s Franja Morada in the Economy Faculty Student Center elections.
“We are soldiers in this process and we don’t ask places for ourselves, but do ask that doors are opened for us and that you allow us to participate,” he said the time.
The late government official was a City lawmaker candidate in the July 2011 elections in the list headed by Kirchnerite Juan Cabandié, although he was on spot number 25 and thus a “testimonial candidate.”
Heyn used to say he was a Kirchnerite-Peronist, with strong national and popular ideologies in a political level and as an "heterodox" economist. In light of his self-described economic beliefs, he was member of the Economy Association for Argentine development, headed by Matías Kulfas, current president of the Nación bank. He led an intense intellectual activity and wrote several papers in which he tried to give a political and theoretical background to the Kirchnerite social and economic model.
In his last Twitter post, on October 29th, Heyn recommended an article of Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman on the European economic crisis, which was published in La Nación newspaper.
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At the mean time....
Mercosur offers Palestinians free trade deal
Published: Dec. 21, 2011 at 5:43 PM
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Mercosur has been seeking free trade accords with the European Union but the latest announcement gives the Latin American bloc a special place as the first group of nations outside the Arab world to clinch preferential commercial deal with the Palestinians.
At least 128 -- 66 percent -- of the 193 member states of the United Nations have recognized a future state of Palestine. Many of the countries that don't recognize a state of Palestine recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization as the "representative of the Palestinian people."
Palestinian foreign affairs head Riyad al-Maliki signed the agreement on behalf of the Palestinians, and thanked Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay for having recognized the Palestinian territories as a sovereign and independent nation.
The signing took place during the organization's presidential summit in Montevideo.
Maliki said the accord would help the Palestinians.
"We hope that (the Mercosur countries) can help us end the suffering of the Palestinian people and reach a peace agreement between Palestine and Israel," he said. "We are glad to know we have so many friends in the region."
In the West Bank town of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat called the agreement very important to Palestinian institution-building but warned that Israeli controls are stifling his people's economy.
Talks on the free trade agreement began about a year ago. Aside from the growing political support for the Palestinian side in Latin America, Mercosur has also set sights on the Middle East as a major potential trade partner. The deal with the Palestinians gives Mercosur a much needed entry into an area of lucrative commercial possibilities.
Latin America's trade with the Arab Middle East is growing but Argentina remains the only significant partner. Argentina is also host to one of the largest Jewish communities in Latin America.
The Palestinians have free trade agreements with the European Union, Turkey and all Arab nations, while Mercosur has a free trade agreement with Israel that came into effect in March.
Israeli officials described the accord as unhelpful to the Middle East peace process but Mercosur has indicated its wants to get more closely involved with any search for an Arab-Israeli settlement.
Analysts said the Mercosur deal could be significant because it would give Latin American partners a first-hand experience of trade conditions in the Palestinian territories.
The deal could be symbolic unless Israel eased terms for Palestinian imports and exports involving the West Bank and Gaza Strip, analysts said.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/12/21/Mercosur-offers-Palestinians-free-trade-deal/UPI-34471324507400/#ixzz1hIm7EZvY
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