Economic Commission For Latin America And The Caribbean Research Articles

Dependency Theory and Marxism in Latin America: Between Convergences and Contradictions

The emergence of Marxist dependency theory (MDT) in Latin America during the 1960s questioned the developmentalist doctrines of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the class alliance strategies of communist parties. MDT gained traction during the Cold War in the 1970s and 1980s and saw a new cycle of ascension in the early 21st century with the rise of progressive governments during Latin America’s Pink Tide. While some MDT scholars identify with Marxism-Leninism, this article critically examines aspects of this claimed affinity. The hypothesis posits that MDT’s assertions diverge from fundamental Leninist concepts and the theoretical traditions of Marxist-Leninist parties, instead reviving in new forms the arguments of their opponents in classical Marxist debates. The analysis focuses on two key dimensions of MDT arguments: (1) political propositions concerning the two-stage theory and alliances with bourgeois sectors by proletarian parties and (2) theoretical propositions on superexploitation of labor and subimperialism.

Environmental Sustainability in South America

The purpose of this article is to determine the similarities in the context of environmental practices and sustainability of twelve South American countries and compares the environmental sustainability performance with six principal components. A multivariate analysis as a hierarchical method was carried out with 12 countries of South American with seventeen sustainable environmental indicators, secondary official data sources were consulted, namely the databases of ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), applying eigenvector and eigenvalues from the correlation matrix and Ward's method with squared Euclidean distances. The results suggest that the initial jumps in terms of distance are small. accordingly, the twelve countries analysed in study are grouped into five clusters. Deepening then in the perspective of characteristics of each cluster, CL1: Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname, Argentina and Bolivia; CL2: Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay and Peru; CL3: Brazil; CL4: Ecuador; CL5: Chile. The research highlights significant differences among these South American countries, clustering those presenting similar patterns of behaviour and identifying the best performers. We argue that biodiversity must be protected and encouraged, and awareness raised of the importance of environmental sustainability and support the impact of climate change. Argentina, Uruguay and Chile face severe scarcity water issues and temperatures have risen in every country, but especially in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela.

New agendas and old legacies? Comparing international organisations’ proposals on health and long-term care systems in Latin America

The way in which international actors formulate proposals for reforming or establishing public social policies not only varies between different organisations but is also dependent on the policy field in question. This article compares the positions of two international organisations (IOs), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), on the two related social policy fields of health and long-term care in Latin America. We apply qualitative document analysis to reports and strategy articles published by ECLAC and PAHO between 2000 and 2015. The analysis finds that despite some similar proposals by both organisations, there are also clear differences between their positions depending on the policy areas. While both organisations see the need to establish healthcare and long-term care as a human right, they have different ideas on targeted and universal approaches. Moreover, with long-term care as a new and emerging policy field, there is still much more variation in how the IOs address the topic, while proposals on healthcare are shaped by previous debates at international and regional levels.

Kaleckian insights on structural heterogeneity

This article aims to delve into the contributions of Michal Kalecki to economic development through his seminal Departmental model. Essentially it aims to answer the following question: How does Kalecki's theoretical perspective of economic development enhance our comprehension of structural heterogeneity as defined by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)? In addition, we argue that Kalecki´s contributions to economic development by improving in our understanding of such heterogeneity, identifies ways to overcome.

Why modification of the ECLAC methodology for Bangladesh is important? Observation from housing, commerce and transport sector in cyclone Mora in Teknaf Upazila, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh

An immediate and precise Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) is necessary after the occurrence of any disaster to bounce back to its previous stage perceiving the recovery needs. Since the ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) methodology has been identified as the most consistent and comprehensive one worldwide for DaLA, this research aims to apply and modify the ECLAC for the housing, commerce, and transportation sectors in the context of Bangladesh as it needs to incorporate both its formal and informal economies in DaLA. An immediate field visit was performed in Teknaf Upazila after the occurrence of cyclone Mora in 2017 following 12 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and 135 individual surveys for the above mentioned sectors. This study considers alternative sources for baseline data because of its unavailability and a constant Likert scale throughout the assessment. While applying the ECLAC, several adjustments have been obtained depending on the local characteristics that create differences in the estimation of modified DaLA from the conventional ECLAC. In the case of the housing sector, all three damage, loss, and additional cost estimations are modified. On the other hand, the damage and especially the loss have been revised for the commerce sector. Also the loss and additional cost estimation for the transportation sector have been separated and modifications have been adopted. This study may help to estimate avoiding the over and under-estimation of damage and loss and can be applied in future disasters in Bangladesh and other developing countries. The researchers can develop a complete ECLAC methodology examining the other sectors and the government can take initiatives to apply the revised ECLAC methodology for a proper reconstruction and recovery planning.

Integrating Latin America into the Global Economy: Strategies for Regional Economic Development

The 1990s marked a transformative era for Latin American economies, characterized by significant political and institutional reforms aimed at increasing trade and financial openness. The economic development model adopted during this period emphasized market-led growth through liberalization measures, significantly reducing the state's role in the economy. However, by the decade's end, the anticipated economic and social benefits had not materialized in many countries, prompting a reevaluation of development policies. This paper revisits the theoretical frameworks proposed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), grounded in Keynesian economics and a historical-structural methodology. ECLAC's analysis focused on the implications of deregulation and the liberalization of economic and financial policies, advocating for a regional development strategy that balances economic growth with equitable income distribution, employment opportunities, technological advancement, and social fairness. By analyzing Latin America's integration into the global economy in the 1990s, this study explores ECLAC's theoretical perspectives as viable alternatives to the reforms implemented during that period. Employing a bibliographic and reflective analytical approach, the paper underscores ECLAC's contributions to understanding the socioeconomic challenges and opportunities facing the region.

European Union transregional cooperation with Latin America: perspectives, opportunities, constraints

The article focuses on modern development of the transregional cooperation between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The study is based on official documents, on the European think tanks’ studies, as well as the conceptual vision of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The research provides the main directions of short-term and medium-term transregional interaction between the EU and LAC. The authors consider the energy transition as one of the promising areas of transatlantic cooperation for the near future which can stimulate economic growth and production transformations in the LAC region. The article addresses the issue of building the strategic autonomy of the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean. The authors describe three scenarios of LAC’s development in terms of transregional cooperation with the EU. It is concluded that the European Union in the context of a changing world order is trying to make Latin America and the Caribbean economically and technologically dependent through the implementation of investment programs as part of the green agenda on the way to an accelerated global energy transition.

Income poverty and sectoral income differentials in Chilean agricultural (1935–1968)

The main aim of this study is to analyse sectoral income differentials and income poverty in Chilean agricultural between 1935 and 1968. The food share method of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is used as a methodological approach. The conclusions are as follows: (1) contrary to what the existing literature suggests, the Chilean agricultural sector was not entirely an agrarian subsistence economy; (2) the cost of agricultural labour began to increase in the mid-1930s, but less than in the industrial and manufacturing sectors in urban areas; (3) maintaining tenants above the poverty line in rural areas from 1935 to 1955 was as expensive as paying the average wage of blue-collar workers; and (4) if days worked per year and household size are considered, agricultural wages rose but remained below the poverty line for rural areas.

Systemic vision of the technological educational context in Latin America

The research aimed to diagnose the reality of Latin America in the technological educational context, from the perspectives of different international organizations. A documentary and interpretive study was designed using discursive hermeneutics to detect the similarities and differences found in the pronouncements made by these organizations; about the use and appropriation of pedagogical solutions based on digital technologies that are fundamental in the countries of this region to guarantee a comprehensive education in accordance with these globalized and post-pandemic times. The international entities selected for analysis, and which served as a reference sample for this diagnosis, were: the World Bank (WB); the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The diagnosis was oriented towards the perception that these organizations have of the current reality and the solutions offered to solve the obstacles in the face of these realities. The results show discursive disparities regarding the existing technological-educational situation, as well as coincidences related to the aspects proposed to remedy these obstacles. It was concluded that the support received by these organizations around technology-based education in Latin American countries, should not be biased by the interests of the global economy that limit the autonomy of these people.

Artificial intelligence technologies and the rise of cyber threats in Latin America

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have been a real revolution and breakthrough in the world of virtual communication for modern society. Latin American countries are just beginning to adopt this type of technology to achieve the smart government paradigm and accelerate the pace of building a digital economy. A number of countries in the Latin American region are investing in strategies to develop AI technologies, focusing on improving economic development, with significant efforts to create a broader cooperation network at the regional level. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) also has been striving for several years to harness the huge potential of AI, including the digital transformation of the public sector. The global concept of cybersecurity becomes particularly relevant due to the increasing use of cyberspace as a virtual environment for political, economic, social and cultural interaction. To date, cybersecurity has become an important issue for national strategies of Latin American countries due to the increasing incidence of malicious use of AI in the political and economic life of the region. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate main dimensions of national strategies for the implementation of AI in the public sector in Latin America and to identify the main cyber tools aimed at undermining national security and putting political actors out of work.

Poverty mapping in Latin America: ECLAC experiences on small area estimation

Poverty mapping is a valuable tool for governments and international organizations to identify the geographical areas and population groups that are most deprived or vulnerable. This approach can lead to designing and monitoring development policies more effectively. This article presents the recent experience of the Statistics Division of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in using Small Area Estimation (SAE) methods to combine information from household surveys, censuses and satellite imagery to deliver poverty estimates at the provincial and municipal levels, which could not be attained using the household surveys alone.

PENYUSUNAN RENCANA PEMULIHAN SEBELUM TERJADI BENCANA (PRE DISASTER RECOVERY PLANNING) SEBAGAI UPAYA MEMITIGASI RISIKO KEMUNGKINAN KEJADIAN BENCANA TANAH LONGSOR DI KABUPATEN PURWOREJO

Landslides is a high-risk threat in the Kaligesing district area, Bener district and Bruno district in Purworejo Regency. This refers to RT/RW Regency documents, History of landslides and results of field searches conducted by the service team. This activity aims to compile a plan for recovery before the disaster (Pre Disaster Recovery Planning) will occur a possible landslide in Purworejo Regency. Method of using activities ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) which is used analyzes analyzes each sector of damage and losses and the method of assessment of damage and losses (Damage and Loss Assessment). This activity was carried out in 5 stages which were completed in a duration of 6 months. The results of the high impact area of ​​landslides occurred in 31 villages with 108 hamlets in the Kaligesing District, Bener District and Bruno District, as well as the potential threat of disaster for a total of 60,515 inhabitants living in the area. Evaluation of damage and loss of impact from the possibility of a landslide in Purworejo Regency worth Rp 417.617.458.000, with the total post-disaster recovery needs worth Rp 207.146.141.000. The Recovery Plan Document Before a Disaster can be legalized by the Purworejo Regency Government as a disaster planning document, action plan for rehabilitation and construction of landslides, and guidelines with legal force in the implementation of rehabilitation and construction of landslide disasters in Purworejo Regency.

Exorbitant privilege and compulsory duty: the two faces of the financialised IMS

Abstract Aiming at analysing the constraints to economic development, the article takes as reference the classic Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) approach to centre–periphery relations and seeks to update it from two points of view: adding the new historical context of the financialisation of capitalism and highlighting the new format and operation of the International Monetary System (IMS). The article’s objective is thus analysing the effects of financialisation on the IMS, emphasising the hierarchies of this system and its consequences for the economic dynamic of centre and peripheral countries. The main hypothesis is that financialisation has produced changes in cross-border capital flows, but also – and chiefly – in the ‘nature’ of the key-currency of the IMS. As a consequence, the exorbitant privilege of the reserve currency issuing country reaches a paroxysm, while peripheral countries are victims of a ‘compulsory duty’.

An analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America through the perspective of ecological economics

The American continents have become one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistically, it is the world region which has been impacted the most by the pandemic. By August 3, 2021, over two million people have been confirmed to have died from COVID-19, which represents roughly half of the total number of confirmed global deaths from the disease (Statista, 2021). Moreover, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimates that the economies of this region will contract by 5.3% in 2021, which will plunge almost 30 million inhabitants of this world region into poverty (ECLAC, 2021).

Gender Inequality in Latin America: A Multidimensional Analysis Based on ECLAC Indicators

This article analyzes the behavior of gender indicators on the economic, physical, and decision-making autonomy of Latin-American women, based on data compiled and published in 2020 by the Gender Equality Observatory of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), for 17 countries. Using the HJ-Biplot multivariate technique, it is concluded that the three evaluated areas interact with each other, in such a way that they cannot be interpreted in isolation because their relationships and interdependencies explain the differences in the participation of men and women in the socioeconomic and political environment of the nations in the region. Additionally, it is concluded that in countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Bolivia, and Ecuador, greater public policy actions are required to seek the economic empowerment of women; while in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, laws are necessary to regulate violence against women. It is necessary to continue promoting gender equality in the region as a determinant factor in methodological frameworks and transformational policies to enable moving towards the construction of sustainable societies and economies.

Relaciones económicas entre China y América Latina. Una historia de la globalización, siglos XVI-XXI

El propósito del artículo es analizar tres instancias que marcaron la relación económica entre China y América Latina durante el largo período comprendido entre el siglo XVI hasta la actualidad. Ellas son: el galeón de Manila (1565-1815), la migración de los culíes a las economías exportadoras de América Latina (1850-1890) y el reciente proceso de injerencia de capitales e inversión la RPCH en la realidad económica latinoamericana (1980-2019). La modalidad y características que asumieron cada una de estas vinculaciones se analizarán en la propia evolución de la globalización de la que formaron parte. Se utilizan fuentes del Nacional Histórico de Madrid y datos económicos publicados por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL). Se añade una extensa lista de trabajos bibliográficos de diferentes universos historiográficos que poco diálogo han tenido entre sí hasta el momento. El ensayo finaliza identificando los grandes ejes geohistóricos que hicieron posible la relación entre ambos espacios en el pasado y se interroga sobre si el nuevo proyecto chino proyectado desde 2015 One Belt One Road (OBOR) o también conocido como “la nueva ruta de la seda” representa el eje geo-histórico donde se asentará la relación en el siglo XXI.

ANÁLISIS DE LA EFICIENCIA TÉCNICA DE LOS PRINCIPALES PUERTOS DE AMÉRICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE USANDO BOOTSTRAP

ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to analyze the Technical Efficiency of a sample of 13 container ports of Latin America and the Caribbean, which generated movements of more than one million TEUs in the period 2012-2018, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). In the first stage, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been used to obtain the Technical Efficiency, with an output-oriented option: Variable Return Scale (BCC). In a second stage, the bootstrap method has been applied in order to determine efficiency rankings of Latin America and the Caribbean container ports. The main contribution of this article is the application of DEA and Bootstrap models in the study of operational efficiency of the main container terminals in Latin America and the Caribbean. The techniques presented manage to determine, with a high degree of precision, the role played by the main container traffic variables in the operational efficiency of their terminals. They represent a valuable tool for the analysis of the dimensioning of the infrastructures of the ports studied. The models developed in this work have been evaluated through a database obtained from the public entities that manage these ports in Latin America and the Caribbean, but they can be applied in other ports of different countries and/or commercial areas that share the same typology of traffic and characteristics. The corrected efficiency results obtained by the Bootstrap BCC Output-oriented methodology denote some homogeneity in two large groups of ports. The ports with corrected efficiency values above 85%, and low differences between the values obtained in the two methodologies, should develop an analysis of their infrastructures in the short and medium-term. A second group consisting of Cartagena, Freeport, Lazaro Cardenas, San Antonio and Buenos Aires ports, obtain low efficiency values of less than 65% and therefore, should develop a traffic strategy analysis to attract new traffic in order to be efficient. Keywords: Efficiency, Bootstrap, Data Envelopment Analysis, Terminal Containers

БЕДНОСТЬ И НЕРАВЕНСТВО В СТРАНАХ ЛАТИНСКОЙ АМЕРИКИ

The article examines poverty and inequality as serious long-term and widespread problems in society. Research on poverty has been mainly conducted from the perspective of economics, now the focus has shifted to psychological aspects with an emphasis on the causes and consequences of poverty. The overall economic disaster that COVID-19 will leave in Latin America and the Caribbean remains to be seen, but its impact on social well-being portends a bleak future. After seven years of slow growth, the region's GDP fell 5,3%, the largest drop in a century. According to a joint report submitted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the impact of the pandemic could plunge an additional 16 million people into extreme poverty in 2020, resulting in 83,4 million Hispanics will live in complete poverty. These organizations warn that hunger will be the biggest problem facing the region, where 53,7 million people are already surviving severely food insecure. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between poverty and inequality as economic categories in the context of their impact on the countries of Latin America. To do this, the authors examined the key factors affecting poverty and inequality, analyzed trends in poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Latin Basin. The article is based on research on poverty and inequality in macroeconomic theory. In particular, the works of Y. Amiel, F. Cowell, T. Buhard, P. Wizard, the study of socio-economic inequality and the fight against poverty – G. Babeuf, I. Bentham, J. M. Keynes, V. Paret, G. Spencer, L. Erhard, K. Arrow, D. Rocardo, A. Pigou and many others are devoted to the problem of inequality. Significant results of studies of poverty and welfare are given in the works of prominent foreign researchers: P. Townsend, A. Sen, D. Sachs, M. Orshan-sky, T. Marshall, F. Hayek, thanks to which the system of ideas about poverty was formed. The importance of poverty and its impact on government discourses, policies and programs has fueled much research on a Latin American scale. Publications on this topic have been rolled out over the past three decades and have created a veritable battlefield. Poverty reduction is a key development challenge facing Latin America and the Caribbean. Inequality is one of the historical problems in Latin America, one of the factors that most paralyzes the eco-nomic and social aspirations of most countries in the region. Poverty reduction can be understood in both a limited and a broad sense. The first involves a focus on programs and projects that target the poor – vocational training programs for low-income people, food stamps, productivity projects in the informal sector, and care for mothers and children in communities that do not have access to this service, etc. These programs are usually funded from so-called emergency funds and social investments, although they may also be specialized activities of the minis-tries or secretariats that make up the “social sector”. On the other hand, the broader definition of poverty reduction includes economic policies and traditional social policies (especially education and health). One of the main ways to solve this problem in the medium and long term obliges countries to move towards a universal basic income, giving priority to families with children and adolescents, and to maintain universal, comprehensive and sustainable social protection systems, increase their coverage as a central component of the new welfare state. A broad and lasting consensus and political commitment are required to make significant improvements in education, health and well-being. Unfortunately, some Latin American coun-tries have serious governance problems that hinder the effective functioning of democratic systems due to fragmentation and lack of policy consensus. For this reason, stability and continuity of economic and social policies are an indispensable element for the development of nations and the progress of peoples.

Um encontro entre Celso Furtado e Fernand Braudel

resumo Em 1978 o economista Celso Furtado participou de um colóquio internacional sobre história econômica na cidade italiana de Prato. Organizado pelo historiador francês Fernand Braudel, em torno do tema “Desenvolvimento e subdesenvolvimento na Europa e fora da Europa, do século XIII à Revolução Industrial”, o encontro reuniu historiadores de uma vintena de países. Na mesa de encerramento, Celso Furtado, então professor de economia da Universidade de Paris, e Fernand Braudel dialogaram sobre temas ligados ao desenvolvimento e ao subdesenvolvimento, às teorias da Cepal em torno dos conceitos de centro e periferia, à visão do economista face às observações dos historiadores.

Implementation of Post Disaster Needs Assessment in Indonesia: Literature Review

This paper shares key findings from past studies on Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) in Indonesia, to be used as inputs for future research. We used Google Scholar to identify the relevant articles for analysis. From the 297 results obtained, we selected 25 materials, which are reviewed in detail. We classified the findings in the selected literature into 4 topics. (1) Cases of PDNA implementation in Indonesia: many studies deal with the Indian Ocean Tsunami and the Central Java Earthquake. (2) Policy aspects: the previous literature demonstrated PDNA policies and regulations, on which not only the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) but also others (e.g., Ministry of Home Affairs) have primary jurisdiction. (3) Coordination of implementation: coordination by the local disaster management agencies (BPBD) when facing challenges. (4) Methodological issues: the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) methodology does not perfectly fit in practice. One of the most significant implications drawn from the review is that more research is needed to examine policy aspects. The existing studies tend to focus mainly on BNPB, and such BNPB-centric perspectives prevented a comprehensive identification of the relevant actors, leading to a narrow range of analysis on PDNA. Our review suggests that changing viewpoints, being mindful of the BNPB function, is beneficial for further understanding PDNA implementation in Indonesia.