WASHINGTON — Latin American and Caribbean economies are projected to grow by an average of 2.1% in 2026, broadly in line with its long-run average, according to the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) new macroeconomic report. The analysis underscores the resilience of the region's economies and finds that accelerating inclusive growth will demand sound macroeconomic frameworks and bold structural reforms, alongside efforts to harness opportunities in technology and commodities, amid growing global risks. The projection reflects a gradual slowdown compared to the region’s 2.2% growth in
WASHINGTON — The Executive Board of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a Specific Investment Loan of up to $20 million to finance the Program to Strengthen the Legal Defense of the State at the Territorial Level in Colombia. The program aims to improve the effectiveness of the State’s legal defense at both the national and subnational levels by strengthening institutional capacities and advancing the digital transformation of the National Agency for the Legal Defense of the State (ANDJE). These efforts are expected to reduce fiscal vulnerability arising from claims related to
WASHINGTON — The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $80 million Specific Investment Loan (ESP) to improve access to civil registration and identification services in Peru, a key pillar for inclusion and participation in the economy. The project aims to reduce the costs and processing times of procedures, strengthen the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC), and consolidate a more efficient, secure, and inclusive digital identity system, with a particular focus on rural and Amazonian territories. “Improving access to
WASHINGTON — The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $99.2 million loan to improve the coverage and quality of early-childhood education in Joinville, a municipality in Santa Catarina, Brazil. The loan is the eleventh operation of a program to modernize social spending in Brazil, which is financed by a conditional credit line for investment projects. The overall objective of the program, which was approved in 2020, is to strengthen the country's institutional capacity to plan and manage social spending to better serve citizens. The loan
Online registration for media is now open for gathering of financial and economic leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean. WASHINGTON — The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) will hold the 2026 Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors on March 11-14 in Asuncion, Paraguay. Registration for media is now open here. Economic and financial leaders from the Group’s 48 member countries and the private sector will address key challenges and opportunities in Latin America and Caribbean, including private-sector-led growth, regional integration, critical minerals, security, trade
WASHINGTON — The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $200 million loan to finance the construction of a vital section of the Bi-Oceanic Corridor in Paraguay. The operation will improve transportation, expand access to markets and services for people in western Paraguay, and stimulate international trade in the area served by the corridor. At over 2,300 miles long, the Bi-Oceanic Corridor integrates the region via a continuous land route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It crosses the strategically important and productive areas of
WASHINGTON — IDB Lab, the innovation and venture arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), announced an investment of $8 million in the AgVentures III Fund managed by SP Ventures in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other partners to support "agtech" and "foodtech" innovation across Latin America and the Caribbean. The AgVentures III Fund aims to raise $80 million to invest in up to 22 tech startups addressing key agriculture and food production challenges. These companies will develop innovative solutions that can be scaled up across
WASHINGTON — The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a new Unified Investment Lending Policy (UIP) that will allow investment financing to be deployed faster, more easily, and more clearly tied to outcomes. Under the UIP, the IDB is streamlining lending instruments — covering loans, grants, and guarantees — and introducing new modalities that: strengthen disaster-risk management and resilience; make it easier to scale up financing for successful development projects; and support long-term programs to tackle shared challenges in areas such as regional integration and cross-border