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WASHINGTON – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has appointed Laura Alfaro as Chief Economist and Economic Counselor following a competitive selection process. Ms. Alfaro brings to the Bank extensive economic research and public policy expertise in Latin America and the Caribbean. The appointment strengthens  the IDB’s Research Department as a leading voice on the region’s most pressing challenges – including productivity and competitiveness, private-sector-led growth, technology and AI, public-sector efficiency and fiscal sustainability, financial inclusion and innovations, resilience

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$350 million policy-based loan to Guyana, underpinning the country’s ongoing efforts to modernize and expand its social-protection systems. In approving this second and final operation in a programmatic series (the first of which was co-financed with Global Affairs Canada), the IDB recognizes Guyana’s strong macroeconomic performance and its commitment to inclusive social reform. The loan will support the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS) in enhancing the efficiency and reach of its

The initiative, presented at the Plenary Meeting of the Americas Business Dialogue in the Dominican Republic, seeks to foster collaboration between governments and businesses to spur economic growth and development across the region. SANTO DOMINGO - The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched a new Tourism Task Force. Announced during the Plenary Meeting of the Americas Business Dialogue (ABD), the initiative aims to position tourism as a key engine of economic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean by strengthening ties between the

SANTO DOMINGO – The Government of the Dominican Republic and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will co-host the 5th CEO Summit of the Americas on December 3-4 in Punta Cana. The event, taking place on the eve of the Summit of the Americas, will convene leading business executives and heads of state from across the region to advance a shared agenda for private-sector-led development. Discussions will center on key themes: importance of critical minerals, enabling conditions for investment – including security – and the future of financial systems in Latin America and the Caribbean

High-level event in Miami highlighted WTO investment agreement and the IDB’s strategic support for productive development and sustainable regional growth. Caribbean government officials, private sector leaders, and international development partners convened in Miami for a high-level dialogue to advance investment facilitation and boost foreign direct investment in the Caribbean. The “Strengthening Investment Facilitation in the Caribbean Region” event, co-organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean

Tax revenues in Latin America and the Caribbean decreased as a share of GDP in 2023 amid a slowdown in economic activity in the region and a decline in global commodity prices, according to a new report. The report Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean 2025, released today at the UN-ECLAC 37th Regional Fiscal Seminar in Santiago, Chile, shows that the average tax-to-GDP ratio in the region was 21.3% in 2023. This was 0.2 percentage points (p.p.) below the level in 2022 and slightly below the level prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (21.4% in 2019). Tax-to-GDP ratios in the region

Six initiatives submitted by subnational governments in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico won the Inter-American Development Bank’s 2025 Gobernarte Contest—Pablo Valenti Award. The contest “Gobernarte: the art of good government” identifies, documents, and honors the most innovative practices in different areas of subnational governments’ work in order to share those practices and promote cooperation between governments in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year’s theme is public innovations related to artificial intelligence and digital identification. A panel of experts selected the

Teams can submit entries until June 6, 2025 The Inter-American Development Bank Group has launched the eighth edition of Superheroes of Development to recognize clients and executing agencies that have overcome significant challenges while implementing development projects. The contest showcases transformative experiences that yield lessons that can improve people’s lives and realities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Superheroes of Development, a BIDAcademy initiative, highlights projects with relevant and replicable experiences. The winning teams will show how they turned lessons from

The program benefits 15 startup founders from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, and Peru. IDB Lab, the innovation and venture-capital laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Madrid City Council have launched the fifth edition of the Talent Bridges program, which connects young tech entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean with innovation ecosystems in Europe, using Madrid as a strategic bridge. The new edition of Talent Bridges was launched on May 13 in Madrid. The program includes an eight-week, in-person stage that immerses founders in the

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $248.3 million program to support the electrification of the public bus fleet of the Municipality of São Paulo, Brazil, contributing to the environmental sustainability of urban mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean’s largest city. São Paulo has been implementing an ambitious fleet-electrification program, with 527 electric vehicles already on board and a goal of incorporating 2,200 buses powered by clean energy. The financing approved by the IDB's Board of Directors under the Loan Based on Results modality supports these efforts. The