The push for economic liberalization in countries like Mexico and Nigeria during the late 20th century was often strongly encouraged by
- the United Nations Security Council, which mandated free-market policies as a condition for membership.
- supranational organizations like the IMF and World Bank, which offered loans conditional on structural adjustment. (correct answer)
- regional military alliances, which viewed state-run economies as a significant security threat to their members.
- domestic civil society groups, which were the primary advocates for cutting social services and privatizing industry.
Explanation: The correct answer is B. During the debt crises of the 1980s, many developing countries turned to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank for assistance. These institutions promoted a set of neoliberal policies known as the "Washington Consensus," which they required countries to adopt in exchange for loans. These policies, packaged as Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), included privatization, deregulation, and trade liberalization. (A) and (C) misidentify the roles of those organizations. (D) is generally incorrect; domestic civil society groups and labor unions often opposed these policies due to their negative social impact.