The effectiveness of Antitrust Enforcement in Argentina, Chile and Perú during the 90´

During the last years, there has been an increasing concern about the importance of competition policy as a mean to increase efficiency in the allocation of resources and the supply and variety of goods and services. Competition between firms provides powerful incentives for cost minimization and technological improvements and also contributes to create an environment where firms can develop, encouraging free enterprises in the best interests of users and consumers. Both competition policy and regulation are public instruments that aim at improving the functioning of the market. Competition defense tries to avoid that firms abuse of their dominant position, or collude, or deny mergers and concentration operations that facilitate such conducts. Competition policy and regulation are complementary policies, which require an effective coordination between them.