WASHINGTON — Caribbean economies have demonstrated notable resilience in the face of global economic headwinds, according to a new report from the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group). Strong performance in tourism and energy has anchored regional growth, although significant downside risks persist. The latest edition of the Caribbean Economics Quarterly, "How Are External Forces Impacting Trade, Growth, and Investment in the Caribbean?" offers a comprehensive analysis of the region's economic outlook. The study examines global trends and their implications on the economies of The
LA PAZ — The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) and Bolivian authorities agreed on a $4.5 billion package for 2026-2028 to support the new government’s ambitious reform agenda to stabilize the economy, restore growth, and expand job creation. It includes targeted financing for social protection, private investment, infrastructure, budget support, and capital mobilization. The package represents nearly six times the Bank’s previous allocation to Bolivia. President Ilan Goldfajn reaffirmed the IDB Group’s support for Bolivia’s economic stabilization and pro-growth reforms during a
WASHINGTON – The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $100 million loan to increase business productivity in Peru through investments in innovation. The plan aims to boost investment in innovation, finance the growth of new ventures, reduce technological gaps among micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), promote greater private financing, and expand these opportunities to all regions of the country. The goal is to raise the productivity of Peru’s SMEs, which is significantly lower than that of large companies in the country and
WASHINGTON – The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a loan of $307.8 million to finance a project aimed at improving and expanding access to urban wastewater treatment and stormwater drainage services in the city of Juliaca, Puno region, Peru. The project also seeks to enhance the operational and financial management of the Water and Sanitation Service Provider SEDAJuliaca, responsible for delivering water and sanitation services, and the Provincial Municipality of San Román, responsible for providing stormwater drainage services, in order to
WASHINGTON — Latin America and the Caribbean could raise GDP per capita by 11% and reduce inequality by 6% by making markets more competitive, according to a new report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The flagship report, “ Markets for Development: Improving Lives through Competition ,” shows that limited competition and high market concentration across the region’s economies weakens growth, suppresses wages, and keeps firms small and informal. Drawing on a new cross-country dataset of competition indicators, the study finds that stronger, fairer markets are critical to unlocking
WASHINGTON — The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved an investment guarantee of $250 million to support the program “Social Housing Financing in Ecuador II,” aimed at reducing the housing deficit and improving access to housing for middle-income households in the country. The operation will mobilize additional resources through a financial structure that combines sovereign debt with mortgage securitization mechanisms. The funds generated by issuing the sovereign instrument backed by the IDB guarantee will be channeled into mortgage loans through
WASHINGTON — The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved $203.2 million in financing for the Productive Investment Financing Program for SMEs in Ecuador, aimed at increasing investments and strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the second-tier operations of the Corporación Financiera Nacional B.P. (CFN). The program includes an IDB loan of $190 million and three different types of financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Amazon Bioeconomy Fund managed by the IDB: a $10 million loan; a non
WASHINGTON — IDB Lab, the innovation and venture capital arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), has approved an investment of up to $3 million in Amador Seed Fund II, LP (ASF II) to drive the growth of innovative, technology-based ventures in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an emphasis on Central America. This operation reaffirms IDB Lab's commitment to strengthening the region’s venture capital ecosystems by supporting fund managers whose thesis includes channeling investments into early-stage companies in emerging markets with the potential for regional scale