Want to work an economic miracle in Egypt? Hernando de Soto has some ideas.

INTERVIEW BY CHRISTIAN CARYL | JANUARY 12, 2012

In 2004, Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto and his think tank, the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, were asked to come up with ideas for revitalizing the Egyptian economy. In an interview with FP’s Christian Caryl, he argues that those ideas remain more topical than ever.

Foreign Policy: Not many economists have been targeted by terrorists. Why did the Peruvian insurgent group Shining Path put you and your colleagues on its hit list?

Hernando de Soto: What happened in Peru at that time was like what happens in other countries that suffer terrorism. The terrorist groups identify an underclass that considers itself oppressed. They target it and offer it services. In the case of Peru what they offered this underclass was protection of assets that weren't protected by the law. When we drew up plans for bringing these unrecognized assets into law, Shining Path saw this reform would take away their constituency. Today, for example, women own close to 56 percent of the real estate assets that were previously informal in Peru. Back then it was less than 30.

To read the complete article, please visit Foreign Policy