Blogs


An Unprecedented Migration Crisis: Characterizing and Analyzing its Depth

Manuel Orozco, Patrick Springer ˙ ˙ Voces

Photo of migrants in Panama Servicio Nacional de Migración de Panamá / Twitter
This piece offers a look at the current migration trends and points to large differences that characterize this situation as a crisis: the scale, composition, nature, and management of migration is outside conventional or historical patterns. Aspects of this unprecedented migration pattern are not within the control of government authorities and policy makers. The recent migration wave to the US border has been referred to as a crisis. Media references point to the drama of people arriving and passing through the Darien, Central America, and Mexico to characterize the problem. Others have pointed out the increasing arrivals into US cities in numbers that are hard to manage by local communities.Read more +

Sustained Remittance Growth in 2022

Manuel Orozco, Asha Richards ˙ ˙ Migration, Remittances & Development

A man counts Somali shilling notes having just exchanged US Dollars with a money changer on the streets of the Somali capital Mogadishu. Stuart Price/ Flickr / CC0 1.0
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, remittances have become a much more important source of income for many people in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is projected that the growth rate will reach 14 percent in 2022 to nearly US$150 billion, equivalent to 5 percent of the gross domestic product in Latin American and the Caribbean countries...Read more +

Five inconvenient truths on Latin America’s digital transformation: from words to action

Karim Lesina, Ángel Melguizo ˙ ˙ Latin America Advisor

photo of telecommunications
Covid-19 has accelerated digitalization all over the world. Things that chief technology officers had planned to be implemented in years had to be put in place in weeks, or even days. E-commerce, e-payments, remote work, video calls and streaming are now essential parts of our social and productive lives. Indeed, some in-person activities are gradually coming back, but a significant part of our day-to-day activities will likely become digital forever.Read more +

Entrepreneurs Thrive through Business Coaching

Emma Leonardo Solorzano ˙ ˙ Migration, Remittances & Development

Cities Alliance and UNOPS logo
This blog refers to the “Thriving in San Marcos” initiative carried out in partnership with Cities Alliance and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. “Thriving in San Marcos” promotes strong local economies in the MANCUERNA region of Guatemala through access to credit and business coaching for entrepreneurs in collaboration with financial institutions and civil society organizations.…Read more +

Thriving Through Financial Inclusion

Emma Leonardo Solorzano ˙ ˙ Migration, Remittances & Development

Cities Alliance and UNOPS logo
This blog refers to the “Thriving in San Marcos” initiative carried out in partnership with Cities Alliance and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. “Thriving in San Marcos” promotes financial access and inclusion in the MANCUERNA region of Guatemala through financial education in close collaboration with financial institutions. MANCUERNA encompasses municipalities across San Marcos and Quetzaltenango,…Read more +

Fostering Latin America’s Digital Industries Through Regulatory Sandboxes

Ángel Melguizo, Lina Enriquez ˙ ˙ Latin America Advisor

photo of multiple phones connecting
The Inter-American Development Bank recently released a study, which Netflix supported, that found that approximately $5.7 billion was invested in audiovisual production in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2019. But in order to fully take off in Latin America, the industry requires more investment, new skills and smart regulation. This article focuses on so-called regulatory “sandboxes,” which could be a step toward improving regulation of the audiovisual digital sector.Read more +

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