Drugs Crime and Terrorism
La crisis financiera y económica de 2008 y su repercusión en el pensamiento económico
La crisis financiera y económica de 2008 tuvo múltiples consecuencias en los países de América Latina y el Caribe. Trastocó el desempeño de las economías y puso en duda paradigmas que habían orientado la política económica en la mayoría de los países. Asimismo exacerbó crecientes divergencias entre puntos de vista surgidos incluso antes de la crisis. Algunas de esas divergencias son de carácter ideológico pero otras obedecen a enfoques antagónicos sobre estrategias económicas. Entre los factores de diferenciación se encuentran primero el papel del Estado y su relación con el mercado y segundo la naturaleza y alcance de la inserción en la economía global. Aquí se abordan algunos de los rasgos de diferenciación las tensiones que generan y el futuro que deparan para la cooperación dentro de América Latina. También se señala que en este nuevo escenario marcado por cierta perplejidad se abren espacios inherentes al trabajo de la cepal.
La economía del cambio climático en América Latina y el Caribe: Algunos hechos estilizados
Latin America, from boom to crisis: Macroeconomic policy challenges
This article analyses the most recent phase of growth in Latin America lasting from 2003 to late 2008 and the way the different policies applied in this period lessened its countries’ vulnerability and gave them greater macroeconomic policy space to confront the international crisis than in other negative shocks of the past. In addition it briefly surveys the main countercyclical fiscal monetary financial and exchange-rate policy measures applied in the region’s economies to mitigate and reverse the effects of the crisis. It concludes by discussing post-crisis macro policy challenges in the region.
The economics of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean: Stylized facts
Trade unions in the “South” in the era of globalization
This article examines the effects of globalization on the trade union movement in developing countries (the “South”). It concludes first that globalization has been asymmetrical: much further-reaching for trade in goods than for capital flows weak for technology transfer and very limited in migratory flows. Second it examines the role and economic repercussions of labour unions. It finds that contrary to the orthodox view these have little negative impact on employment but do significantly reduce wage inequalities. In view of the shift in the South since the 1980s away from development strategies based on import substitution aimed at domestic markets and towards export-oriented strategies the final section proposes new tasks and priorities for unions that are more consistent with this strategic reorientation both at the national and international levels as well as within firms.
Sindicalismo en el “Sur” en la era de la globalización
Aquí se examina el efecto de la globalización en el sindicalismo en los países en desarrollo (el “Sur”). Se concluye primero que la globalización ha sido asimétrica: mucho más intensa en el comercio de bienes que en flujos de capital; débil en transferencia tecnológica y escasa en flujos migratorios. Segundo se examinan el papel y la repercusión económica de los sindicatos. Se constata que en contradicción con la ortodoxia estos tienen escasa incidencia negativa en el empleo pero reducen significativamente las desigualdades salariales. En vista del viraje registrado en el Sur a partir de los años ochenta —de estrategias de desarrollo basadas en la sustitución de importaciones para el mercado interno a estrategias orientadas a la exportación— en la última sección se proponen nuevos desempeños y énfasis para el sindicalismo más consistentes con esta reorientación estratégica tanto a nivel nacional e internacional como dentro de la propia empresa.
América Latina, del auge a la crisis: Desafíos de política macroeconómica
En este artículo se analiza la más reciente etapa de crecimiento registrada en América Latina entre 2003 y fines de 2008 y cómo las distintas políticas aplicadas en este período permitieron disminuir la vulnerabilidad y enfrentar la crisis internacional con un mayor espacio macroeconómico en relación con otros episodios de perturbaciones. A su vez se hace un breve recuento de las principales medidas de política contracíclicas en materia fiscal monetaria financiera y cambiaria que se aplicaron en las economías de la región para disminuir y revertir los efectos de la crisis. Finalmente se plantean los desafíos de la política macro en la región más allá de la coyuntura.
Restricciones estructurales del desarrollo en América Latina y el Caribe: Una reflexión postcrisis
El desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe sigue siendo una tarea inconclusa. Si bien en materia macroeconómica se lograron avances que contribuyeron a enfrentar de mejor manera la reciente crisis esta ha dejado al descubierto viejas y nuevas restricciones estructurales a los países de la región que se reflejan en la persistencia de importantes brechas sociales productivas fiscales y ambientales. Cerrar estas brechas constituye una exigencia para el bienestar de las generaciones futuras y una condición de viabilidad para un desarrollo en que se combinen crecimiento económico equidad y sostenibilidad. De allí surge una reflexión más allá de lo puramente económico sobre la necesidad de que el Estado vuelva a desempeñar un papel relevante en las estrategias del desarrollo de modo que las políticas públicas sean el principal protagonista en la construcción del futuro. El objetivo mayor de este artículo es precisamente el de plantear esa reflexión.
Agricultural and trade policy reforms in Latin America: impacts on markets and welfare
Farm earnings in Latin America have been depressed by pro-urban and anti–trade biases in national policies and by the agricultural support policies of richer countries. These policies have reduced economic welfare and hampered trade and growth and may well have added to income inequality. This paper synthesizes results from a World Bank project that provides: measures of the extent to which national policies have changed farmers’ price incentives; partial equilibrium indices of the impact of farm policies on trade and economic welfare; general equilibrium estimates of trade welfare and poverty effects of global reforms retrospectively and prospectively; comparisons with similar estimates for Asia Africa and high-income countries; and a discussion of prospects for agricultural policy reform.
The financial and economic crisis of 2008 and its repercussions on economic thought
The financial and economic crisis of 2008 had multiple consequences in Latin American and Caribbean countries. It disrupted economic performance and called into question the paradigms that had steered economic policy in most countries; and it also exacerbated the growing divergences in points of view that were emerging before the crisis some of which are ideological while others reflect different approaches to economic strategies. The differentiating factors include: the role of the State and its relation to the market; and the nature and scope of participation in the global economy. This article addresses some of these divergences the tensions they generate and what the future holds for cooperation within Latin America. It also points out that in this new scenario characterized by some perplexity issues inherent to the work of ECLAC are clearly emerging.
Paraguay’s Tekoporã programme for cash transfers: Debating targeting methods for beneficiaries
This article analyses alternative targeting methods for Paraguay’s conditional cash transfer programme Tekoporã. The major practical choice is currently between a multidimensional quality-of-life index which has been used since the programme started and a proxy means test. This note evaluates the relative performance of these two alternatives. The simulations conducted herein suggest that changing the targeting mechanism from the quality-of-life index to proxy means does not offer any gains in either the efficiency or the efficacy of the programme. If the intention of policymakers is to improve efficacy in reaching the poor then maintaining the current targeting mechanism with a higher cut-off point is the best option. If the intention is to alleviate extreme poverty the most efficient impact is also given by the quality-of-life index but with a lower cut-off point. However a higher threshold may provide a considerable gain in coverage without a substantial increase in leakage.
Structural constraints on development in Latin America and the Caribbean: A post-crisis reflection
The development of Latin America and the Caribbean is still a work in progress. Although there have been macroeconomic improvements allowing the region to confront the recent crisis on a better footing this crisis has exposed old and new structural constraints faced by the countries of the region which are reflected in the persistence of large social economic fiscal and environmental gaps. These gaps need to be closed for the sake of future generations and as a precondition for viable development that combines economic growth with equality and sustainability. This suggests that there are more than just economic reasons for the State to play once again a major role in development strategies so that public policies take the lead in building the future. The main purpose of the present article is to make this argument.
Technological dynamism and social inclusion in Latin America: A resource-based production development strategy
This paper sets out a strategy for invigorating development in Latin America by taking advantage of specific opportunities in the current context and the advantages offered by the region. It briefly analyses the characteristics of globalization and the techno-economic paradigm of the information and communications technology revolution in order to identify new opportunities in terms of markets positioning in global networks and technological options. From this perspective it argues that natural resource-based process industries can complement the specialization of Asia in assembly industries. Given the low rate of employment in the former it proposes a dual strategy that includes promoting “bottom-up” wealth creation by taking advantage of the new flexibility in technological diversity transport and trade. The idea is to stimulate policy debate and experimentation and signpost some avenues of research.
Regional integration and export diversification in MERCOSUR: The case of Argentina and Brazil
This article analyses the effects of Argentina’s trade with its MERCOSUR partners in two key periods: 1997/1998 and 2005/2006 —before and after the crises suffered by the economies of this trade zone. The impact of trade on the regionalization of exports and imports was measured by the Regional Orientation Index which was used by Yeats in his study of these countries for an earlier time period. Our conclusions show that the results obtained by Yeats are inconsistent with the later reality in Argentina and Brazil since MERCOSUR enabled them to develop learning processes and grow their trade with countries outside the bloc. This positive impact was mainly felt in Brazil however and less in the other partners particularly Uruguay and Paraguay —owing to the underlying asymmetries between these economies. As a result the largest MERCOSUR country has been the main beneficiary of integration thus far.
Development banks in the financial-liberalization era: The case of BNDES in Brazil
This article considers the potential repercussions of financial liberalization on the role played by development banks particularly the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) as the main source of funding for Brazil’s economic development process. Although liberalization can foster financial development the latter tends to respond incompletely to the needs of economic development in less developed countries such as Brazil. Analysis of the Brazilian case seems to confirm this thesis and shows that BNDES not only preserved but actually expanded its position on the domestic market in 1990-2006 despite the financial-liberalization policy that was implemented in that period.
India: Heritage theft remains a challenge
Faced with an increasing demand for its art objects in the global antiquities market India has introduced strict laws to curb the illicit export of its archaeological and cultural heritage. However the implementation of these laws remains a major challenge due to the poverty that fuels looting and the lack of adequate security to protect historical monuments.
Argentina: At the forefront of restitution
Since 2004 Argentina has returned nearly 5000 cultural objects seized on its territory to their countries of origin. A greater recognition of the art of pre-Columbian civilizations and the adoption of a law protecting archaeological and palaeontological heritage are at the origin of this new policy.
The 1970 convention: Cultural diversity before the letter of the law
Adopted in 1970 the UNESCO Convention is a prominent legal instrument in the fight against looting and illicit trafficking. By laying down the principles of shared responsibility and cultural equity it has also opened the way to the right of peoples to enjoy their own cultural heritage.
China: Bronzes from around the world reunite in a digital museum
A new kind of museum in Tongling China virtually displays ancient copper and bronze objects from the Han dynasty many of which have found their way to museums abroad. It foretells the future of digital museums institutions capable of sharing their resources and offering unprecedented access to their collections to global audiences.
Wide angle: 50 years of the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural goods
Half a century after its adoption the UNESCO 1970 Convention against the illicit trafficking of cultural property is still a major instrument to stem this scourge. Over the last fifty years the fight against this underground trade has intensified and awareness of the moral damage caused by the plunder has grown. But the craze for these objects the prices of which have skyrocketed; the leniency of sanctions and the vulnerability of sites in conflict zones are all challenges that need to be addressed to curb the trafficking of what some call blood antiquities.