The cooperative nature of the competitive process. Critical reflections on hipster antitrust for the Latin American context
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26439/iusetpraxis2026.n061.8316Keywords:
competition, cooperation, market, welfare, regulationAbstract
Although the notion of competition spontaneously evokes the idea of struggle, the truth is that, in competition law, the concept has a transcendental cooperative content. Understanding the cooperative nature of the competitive process allows for an appreciation of antitrust law that is far removed from the hostilities frequently observed in political discourse. In this article, the author explores the cooperative essence of market competition, the understanding of which is essential to avoid regulations that reduce the social service offered by economic agents in the market. The so-called “hipster antitrust” movement places too much emphasis on ideal results, ignoring the role of competitive discovery. The study warns that the so-called “hipster antitrust” seeks to revive amorphous goals that ignore economies of scale and the dynamics of modern markets. Finally, it concludes that legislations in Latin America must resist populist temptations and focus on clear, modest rules that safeguard the cooperative process within the limits of available institutional resources. In short, it is argued that competition seen as rivalry somehow explains the misunderstandings that open the door to populist temptations so prevalent in the Latin American context.
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