Latin America And The Caribbean Research Articles

Challenges for climate change adaptation in Latin America and the Caribbean region

The limited success of international efforts to reduce global warming at levels established in the Paris Agreement, and the increasing frequency and strength of climate impacts, highlight the urgent need of adaptation, particularly in developing countries. Unfortunately, current levels of adaptation initiatives are not enough to counteract the observed impacts and projected risks from climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In this paper, we review and highlight relevant issues that have limited the capacity to transform climate knowledge and parties’ ambitions into action in the region. Current vulnerabilities and climatic impact-drivers in LAC are diverse, complex, and region-specific and their effects are expected to be exacerbated by climate change. However, the advancement of regional and domestic climate agendas has been hindered by scientific gaps, political support, institutional capacity, and financial, technical, human, and economic limitations that are common to many LAC countries. Transforming climate data into multidimensional metrics with useful thresholds for different sectors and understanding their contribution for feasible adaptation strategies are delayed by regional and local conundrums such as lack of inclusive governance, data availability, equity, justice, and transboundary issues. We discuss ways to move forward to develop local and regional climate resilient development actions and a more sustainable future in LAC. The climate science community in LAC needs to strengthen its local, national, and international connections and with decision/policymakers and society to establish a three-way engagement by proposing suitable adaptation actions and international negotiations to reduce the risks and vulnerability associated with climate extremes, climate variability and climate change in the region. The discussions and insights presented in this work could be extrapolated to other countries in the Global South.

Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for Infants in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Systematic Review.

Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are tools for promoting healthy eating habits. For the population of children under two years old in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), there is a lack of reviews analyzing the quality of these guidelines. The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate publicly available FBDGs for the population under two years old in LAC until mid-2023. Guidelines aimed at caregivers of children were included, sourced from government websites in LAC countries and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) portal. Documents targeted at healthcare professionals were excluded. For qualitative analysis, the Agree II guidelines assessment tool and the FAO guide principles for developing healthy and sustainable diets were used. The results showed that more recently released and revised FBDGs with a greater number of pages obtained better scores in both assessments. Additionally, out of the 32 LAC countries, only 13 had these FBDGs available on websites for public access. As a limitation, this study faced challenges in standardizing the searches on government websites. The authors emphasize the need to develop FBDGs for the population under two years old that align with current health and sustainability needs and promote health education.

Epilepsy Care in Latin America and the Caribbean: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Opportunities.

The burden of epilepsy in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region causes a profound regional impact on the health care system and significantly contributes to the global epilepsy burden. As in many other resource-limited settings worldwide, health care professionals and patients with epilepsy in LAC countries face profound challenges due to a combination of factors, including high disease prevalence, stigmatization of epilepsy, disparities in access to care, limited resources, substantial treatment gaps, insufficient training opportunities for health care providers, and a diverse patient population with varying needs. This article presents an overview of the epidemiology of epilepsy and discusses the principal obstacles to epilepsy care and key contributors to the epilepsy diagnosis and treatment gap in the LAC region. We conclude by highlighting various initiatives across different LAC countries to improve epilepsy care in marginalized communities, listing strategies to mitigate treatment gaps and facilitate better health care access for patients with epilepsy by enhancing the epilepsy workforce.

Sentinel-2 Reference Fire Perimeters for the Assessment of Burned Area Products over Latin America and the Caribbean for the Year 2019

The increasing availability of products generating burned area (BA) maps in recent years necessitates the creation of more accurate reference perimeters to validate these products and provide users with information about their accuracy. For this purpose, reference perimeters were created using Sentinel-2 images in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) for the year 2019. The sampling was adapted to the peculiarities of the Sentinel-2 tiling grid system, and statistically representative sample units were selected for biomes and fire activity through stratified random sampling. Fire perimeters were extracted using a Random Forest supervised classification and results were manually supervised and refined. Efforts were made to maximize the temporal length covered by the reference perimeters for each sample, aiming to minimize temporal errors when using the perimeters for validation. The dataset covers 569,214.2 km2 (3.5% burned, 88.7% unburned, and 7.8% unobserved). These perimeters were compared with higher spatial resolution PlanetScope-derived perimeters, resulting in 8.4% commission errors and 3.8% omission errors. As a validation exercise, MCD64A1 and FireCCI51 global burned area products were validated using the Sentinel-2 reference dataset created, confirming that the temporal extent of the reference perimeters significantly affects the validation of such products. The reference fire perimeters are publicly available in the Burned Area Reference Database (BARD).

Fiscal Consolidation and Income Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean

This paper estimates the effects of past fiscal consolidations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) on income inequality. For the 13 LAC countries with fiscal consolidation episodes identified by the narrative approach, one percent of GDP fiscal consolidation increases the disposable Gini coefficient by 0.12 percentage point on average in five years. The size of the effect tends to be larger for tax-based consolidations and for non-commodity exporters but broadly similar during booms and slumps.

China’s Digital Silk Road: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a Beijing-led format for international cooperation through the building of land and sea corridors connecting China with other countries and regions. One of its pillars is the Digital Silk Road (DSR), which aims to reduce the digital divide and improve the digital connectivity of the participating countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the DSR’s activation, which makes it urgent to study its practical implementation in different regions. The aim of this article is to analyze the conceptual foundations of the DSR and its implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The study relies on the technology leadership theory, which allows considering the DSR as an alternative format of cooperation used by China to reform digital international relations. Since it challenges the technological dominance of the West, especially the United States, the power transition theory is also of heuristic value. The methodological basis of the research covers a wide range of general scientific methods of political analysis. The primary sources of empirical analysis are government documents, papers of think tanks, international organizations and forums, statistical data, interactive maps, speeches by officials, etc. In the course of the study, the following objectives are achieved: to trace the evolution of the DSR concept in the official policy discourse; to systematize scientific works on the issue; to highlight key elements of the initiative; to identify opportunities and limitations for its implementation in the LAC region; to present the US response to the intensification of Sino-LAC digital cooperation. It is concluded that the DSR plays an important role in achieving the strategic objective of transforming China into a technological superpower. Therefore, it is highly likely to become a backbone of cooperation under the BRI.

The Resort to Emergency Policing to Control Gang Violence in Jamaica: Making the Exception the Rule

Abstract This article critically examines reasons for the persistent use of states of emergency (SOEs) as a tool of crime control in Jamaica and risks associated with normalising these measures in small, low-capacity, competitive democracies in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). We attend to the question of permanent SOEs as an issue of law and certain policing methods becoming normalised. This differs from scholars who think about the use of permanent SOEs as suspension of law or executive rule and make a clear distinction between law and violence and normalcy and emergency. Our findings show that persistent usage of SOEs in Jamaica reflects the incapacity of the state to control violent crime as well as its effort to strengthen its coercive capabilities and compensate for the ineffectiveness of the police. It is also a response to public demand for SOE policing. State strengthening is a necessary condition for a more peaceful and law-abiding society but is also a carrier of risks of democratic degeneration via rights-disregarding policing. Nonetheless, we have seen authoritarian management of crime without descent into authoritarianism, in general, and strong boundary-marking and patrolling by some state-oversight institutions that enjoy the support of civil society.

Export competition between China and Latin America and the Caribbean in the United States market

AbstractWe investigate export competition between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the United States market between 2002 and 2022. Using a sample of 33 exporters and 10‐digit Harmonised Tariff Schedule (HS) level trade data, we estimate a structural gravity model using an instrumental variable constructed from Chinese exports to eight other industrialised nations. We use a first‐order Taylor‐series expansion à la Baier and Bergstrand (Journal of International Economics, 2009a, 77, 77) to approximate the multilateral price terms pointed out by Anderson and Van Wincoop (American Economic Review, 2003, 93, Article 1). The results show that the impact of Chinese exports on United States imports from LAC is negative and statistically significant across several model specifications, levels of aggregation, and sectors. A percentage increase in imports from China decreased imports from LAC by ca. 0.75%. The displacement effect is ca. 0.32 for manufacturing products, 1.01 for resource‐based products, 1.33 when estimated only for South America, 0.25 for the Caribbean, and not significant for Central America.

Compliance with eye and foot preventive care in people with self-reported diabetes in Latin America and the Caribbean: Pooled, cross-sectional analysis of nine national surveys

AimsTo estimate the proportion of people with self-reported diabetes receiving eye and foot examinations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). MethodsCross-sectional analysis of national health surveys in nine countries. Adults aged 25–64 years with self-reported diabetes. We quantified the proportion who reported having an eye examination in the last two years or a foot examination in the last year. We fitted multilevel Poisson regressions to assess socio-demographic (age and sex) and clinical (oral hypoglycemic medication and insulin treatment) variables associated with having had examinations. ResultsThere were 7435 people with self-reported diabetes included in the analysis. In three countries (Chile [64%; 95% CI: 56%-71%], British Virgin Islands [58%; 95% CI: 51%-65%], and Brazil [54%; 95% CI: 50%-58%]), >50% of people with diabetes reported having had an eye examination in the last two years. Fewer participants (<50% across all countries) reported having had a foot examination in the last year, with Ecuador having the lowest proportion (12%; 95% CI: 8%-17%). Older people, and those taking oral medication or insulin, were more likely to have eye/foot examinations. ConclusionsThe proportion of eye and foot examinations in people with self-reported diabetes across nine countries in LAC is low.

The Regulatory Status of Functional Foods in the Economic Integration Organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean

The legal declarations on functional foods of the four main economic integration organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) – Pacific Alliance (PA), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and Central American Integration System (SICA) - are based on the Codex Alimentarius system and do not regulate functional foods. The use of Codex in food marketing is an insufficient condition for its application in functional foods. Regulation based on scientific and technology results are required to be used in the economic integration organizations of LAC. Objective. The objective is to analyze the theoretical framework of the legal foundations that could govern the commercialization processes of functional foods, whose research advances have currently only been manifested in nutritional health. This article also seeks to address this gap through a systematic analysis of international regulations. Materials and methods. For this, a review of the literature emanating from two databases from 2018-2023 is carried by applying the legal-economic research method of documentary content analysis, applied to three general food marketing regulations: food safety declarations, regulations for inspections, food manufacturing and food labeling. Results. The results reveal the absence of specific legislation for functional foods in LAC economic integration organizations. Conclusions. The legal principle of marketing based on peremptory norm (also called jus cogens) can be facilitated through side letters, included in the contents of international contracts. along with the registration requirements of industrial property rights of the member countries associations.

Зарубежные эксперты о процессах внутриполитической трансформации в странах Латинской Америки в третьем десятилетии XXI века

The article’s introduction includes the main prerequisites for internal political transformation’s process in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The study’s purpose is to identify new trends in the largest countries’ domestic policies in the region in the third decade of the 21st century. The study’s materials are used mainly by Spanish-speaking authors and Spanish-speaking news agencies who most closely and fully know the situations in LAC countries, the objective data from reports of the various UN structures, and independent Englishspeaking researchers invited to Latin American universities. The article’s methodological basis was the scientific principle of objectivity, which it made possible from the available array of information to identify the main directions of transformation taking place in LAC countries in the study period. The systematic approach’s application made it possible to identify the main events in LAC countries that characterize the multi-vector transformation trends. The article’s author identified further perspectives for LAC countries development with the help of special historicalcomparative and historical-genetic methods. The study’s results were the author’s conclusions that the domestic policy of big Latin American countries in the third decade of the 21st century is characterized by a tendency of “catching up” development. There is a noted instability of the domestic political course in the political system of these Latin American countries (from a liberal to a conservative course and vice versa), and the economic models’ frequent change does not give the desired result. The social problems are caused by the main population’s poverty, especially the indigenous one, and these problems cannot be resolved due to transnational migration of the population and transnational crime (from drug trafficking to human trafficking and weapons). All this explains the diversity of the internal political transformation in Latin American countries.

Reflections and perspectives on accessing informal finance and social capital

Learning outcomes After completion of the case study, students will be able to identify and discuss ways in which informal financing of the kind discussed in the case study can provide new or different opportunities for access to alternative financing schemes; assess the role of“social capital” in micro and small business development and to understand and apply the role of social capital for female entrepreneurs in the Global South; critically analyse and reflect on the new role of digital technologies in challenging traditional patriarchal social norms and exclusion and ultimately be able to evaluate the role of digital technologies in terms of its practical implications for female entrepreneurs; and understand the role played by socio-cultural and historical contexts in female-owned/managed businesses within informal sectors of the economy. Furthermore, the students should be able to discuss how these contexts provide opportunities or challenges for actionable/robust/relevant business plans for female entrepreneurs. Case overview/synopsis This case study aims to create a platform for classroom conversations around: context of entrepreneurship in informal economies, challenges of accessing finance, women entrepreneurship, opportunities of digital entrepreneurship and resource acquisition and social capital. Overall, this case study intends to inspire and cultivate additional voices to advance authentic understanding of informal business practices in the financial sector that go beyond traditional formal western settings. This case study is based on a true story relating to the “sou-sou” financing system – an informal financing scheme – originating from West Africa which has been transported to other parts of the world including Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and other parts of Africa. The characters involve Maria, the main protagonist; Eunice, from LAC; and Fidelia from West Africa. With first-hand information from Eunice and Fidelia, Maria learnt about the ideological principles and the offerings of flexibility, trust, mutual benefits and kinship of the sou-sou system and was inspired to integrate digital technologies as a sustainable game changer for accessing microfinance. This case study draws on the contextual understanding of the economy in the Global South as well as the gender-based aspects of entrepreneurship as key aspects of women entrepreneurship and digital entrepreneurship. The sou-sou system is presented as a practical solution to the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the Global South to access finances, and the integration of digital technologies is considered instrumental not only in reinforcing the traditional system but also in transforming the entrepreneurial prospects for these women. Complexity academic level This teaching activity is aimed at postgraduate students in Master of Management and Master of Business Administration programmes. It can also be used for short executive courses, specialised PhD seminars and advanced bachelor programmes. This case study could be taught in the field of entrepreneurship in areas related to technology, gender, women entrepreneurship and financing in the context of the Global South. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Incidence of childhood cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean: coverage, patterns, and time trends.

To provide a comprehensive overview of geographical patterns (2001-2010) and time trends (1993-2012) of cancer incidence in children aged 0-19 years in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and interpret the findings in the context of global patterns. Geographical variations in 2001-2010 and incidence trends over 1993-2012 in the population of LAC younger than 20 years were described using the database of the third volume of the International Incidence of Childhood Cancer study containing comparable data. Age-specific incidence per million person-years (ASR) was calculated for population subgroups and age-standardized (WSR) using the world standard population. Overall, 36 744 unique cases were included in this study. In 2001-2010 the overall WSR in age 0-14 years was 132.6. The most frequent were leukemia (WSR 48.7), central nervous system neoplasms (WSR 23.0), and lymphoma (WSR 16.6). The overall ASR in age group 15-19 years was 152.3 with lymphoma ranking first (ASR 30.2). Incidence was higher in males than in females, and higher in South America than in Central America and the Caribbean. Compared with global data LAC incidence was lower overall, except for leukemia and lymphoma at age 0-14 years and the other and unspecified tumors at any age. Overall incidence at age 0-19 years increased by 1.0% per year (95% CI [0.6, 1.3]) over 1993-2012. The included registries covered 16% of population aged 0-14 years and 10% of population aged 15-19 years. The observed patterns provide a baseline to assess the status and evolution of childhood cancer occurrence in the region. Extended and sustained support of cancer registration is required to improve representativeness and timeliness of data for childhood cancer control in LAC.

Darien Gap Forested Jungles and Waterways (APDDGFJW) of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in the Post-COVID 19 of the 21st Century

This paper deals with the identification of the Darien Gap as the main channel of continuous clandestine, illegal, undocumented and irregular migratory pathways of African Youths which caught our attention in the post-COVID 19 of the 21st Century with gross ambitions to get richer faster through the slogan of greener pastures with the majority giving off their lives ignorantly and embarrassingly to tilapias of the Mexican deep rivers in an attempt to cross to North American countries of United States and Canada. The end results was the untimely psychological tortures of their parents and sporadic internal crises of blaming even those who never contributed to such unwanted illegal movements but raising voices to educate on the dangers of un official migration both internally or externally. In fact the majority of the youths having such ambitions of illegal crossing of the Darien Gap are totally ignorant of the nature of the route which has been above the imagination of top ranking Engineers to open it to be more possible for vehicles to use. The hilly, mountainous, muddy, swampy, smugglers, kidnapping, ripping and all sorts of trafficking are characteristics of the Darien Gap which none of the agent involve in such illegal route can account to their victims. It is just certain that any of such irregular extra-continental travelling without passing through official diplomatic services which moderate bilateral relations can only be termed as above. It is also our findings that the clandestine pathway routes those using are passing is characterized with wild animals, dangerous human criminals of trafficking, bandits, muddy, dense forested, not motorable as even top engineers have not been able to successfully mapped out a good road that can be constructed with the Darien deadly jungle. Our inspirations were drawn from lecturing of Post-Graduate students on the question of International Migration and Black Diasporas around the World during which most of them were ......

Barriers to early diagnosis and management of oral cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This study aimed to explore perceived barriers to early diagnosis and management of oral cancer, as well as potential pathways for improvement in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This cross-sectional study used a self-administered online questionnaire created via the Research Electronic Data Capture platform. The survey was distributed to health professionals trained in Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Dentists with clinical and academic expertise in oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) and oral cancer. Data obtained were systematically organized and analyzed descriptively using Microsoft Excel. Twenty-three professionals from 21 LAC countries participated. Major barriers included the limited implementation of OPMD and oral cancer control plans (17.4%), low compulsory reporting for OPMD (8.7%) and oral cancer (34.8%), unclear referral pathways for OPMD (34.8%) and oral cancer (43.5%), and a shortage of trained professionals (8.7%). Participants endorsed the utility of online education (100%) and telemedicine (91.3%). The survey highlights major perceived barriers to early diagnosis and management of OPMD and oral cancer in LAC, as well as potential avenues for improvement.

[Concordance between essential medicines lists and diabetes guidelines in Latin America and the CaribbeanConcordância entre as listas de medicamentos essenciais e diretrizes para diabetes na América Latina e no Caribe].

Conduct an analysis to determine the existence and updating of national essential medicines lists (EMLs) and clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the treatment of diabetes in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); and compare the medicines included in each country's list and guidelines both with each other and with those of the World Health Organization (WHO). Cross-sectional study. EMLs and CPGs for diabetes were found on the websites of the Pan American Health Organization and national health authorities. Medicines were noted and analyzed according to pharmacological group, based on the fourth level of nomenclature of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system. F1 scoring was used to assess the proximity of EMLs to the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (MLEM). Of the total number of countries, 87.2% have EMLs, and 91% have CPGs (78% and 45% updated in the last five years, respectively). Compared to the six hypoglycemic groups of the MLEM, the EMLs had a median (range) of 6 (4-13) and an F1 score of 0.80; This indicates proper alignment. CPGs had a median (range) of 12 (1-12) hypoglycemic drugs compared to eight in the WHO guidelines. CPGs had a median of 15 more drugs than their respective EMLs. While most LAC countries have EMLs and CPGs for diabetes, the lack of concordance among them limits their effectiveness. It is necessary to align the processes and criteria for the development of these two tools for policymaking on medicines.

India and Latin America: Potential Partners in a Changing World

India’s relations with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have seen an effective change in the last few years. The change reflects the ‘energetic’ foreign policy of India and its increasing dynamism in global politics. The Latin American and the Caribbean region, so far overlooked by India, is increasingly becoming one of the focal points of its various foreign policy overtures. This article draws attention to the growing significance of the Latin American region for India both in terms of resources and a political-diplomatic partnership. Given the recent setbacks of the pandemic, followed by the Ukraine war and the rising tensions between the United States and China, Latin American countries are looking for strategic partners without aligning themselves with any power. While India has growing relations with some LAC countries and has signed several strategic partnerships, it needs to engage with the region much more. Several economic factors favour an increased engagement. Positive perceptions about India in the region also help.

Sensitivity Analysis of Start Point of Extreme Daily Rainfall Using CRHUDA and Stochastic Models

Forecasting extreme precipitation is one of the basic actions of warning systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). With thousands of economic losses and severe damage caused by floods in urban areas, hydrometeorological monitoring is a priority in most countries in the LAC region. The monitoring of convective precipitation, cold fronts, and hurricane tracks are the most demanded technological developments for early warning systems in the region. However, predicting and forecasting the onset time of extreme precipitation is a subject of life-saving scientific research. Developed in 2019, the CRHUDA (Crossing HUmidity, Dew point, and Atmospheric pressure) model provides insight into the onset of precipitation from the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship. With access to a historical database of more than 600 storms, the CRHUDA model provides a prediction with a precision of six to eight hours in advance of storm onset. However, the calibration is complex given the addition of ARMA(p,q)-type models for real-time forecasting. This paper presents the calibration of the joint CRHUDA+ARMA(p,q) model. It is concluded that CRHUDA is significantly more suitable and relevant for the forecast of precipitation and a possible future development for an early warning system (EWS).

Estrategias para la prevención primaria y secundaria del cáncer gástrico: consenso chileno de panel de expertos con técnica Delfi

IntroductionGastric cancer (GC) is the first cause of cancer-related death in Chile and 6th in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the main gastric carcinogen, and its treatment reduces GC incidence and mortality. Esophageal-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) allows for the detection of premalignant conditions and early-stage GC. Mass screening programs for H. pylori infection and screening for premalignant conditions and early-stage GC are not currently implemented in LAC. The aim of this study is to establish recommendations for primary and secondary prevention of GC in asymptomatic standard-risk populations in Chile. MethodsTwo on-line synchronous workshops and a seminar were conducted with Chilean experts. A Delphi panel consensus was conducted over 2 rounds to achieve>80% agreement on proposed primary and secondary prevention strategies for the population stratified by age groups. Results10, 12, and 12 experts participated in two workshops and a seminar, respectively. In the Delphi panel, 25 out of 37 experts (77.14%) and 28 out of 52 experts (53.85%) responded. For the population aged 16-34, there was no consensus on non-invasive testing and treatment for H. pylori, and the use of EGD was excluded. For the 35-44 age group, non-invasive testing and treatment for H. pylori is recommended, followed by subsequent test-of-cure using non-invasive tests (stool antigen test or urea breath test). In the ≥45 age group, a combined strategy is recommended, involving H. pylori testing and treatment plus non-invasive biomarkers (H. pylori IgG serology and serum pepsinogens I and II); subsequently, a selected group of subjects will undergo EGD with gastric biopsies (Sydney Protocol), which will be used to stratify surveillance according to the classification Operative Link for Gastritis Assessment (OLGA); every 3 years for OLGA III-IV and every 5 years for OLGA I-II. ConclusionA “test-and-treat” strategy for H. pylori infection based on non-invasive studies (primary prevention) is proposed in the 35-44 age group, and a combined strategy (serology and EGD) is recommended for the ≥45 age group (primary and secondary prevention). These strategies are potentially applicable to other countries in LAC.

Remote sensing biodiversity monitoring in Latin America: Emerging need for sustained local research and regional collaboration to achieve global goals

AbstractAimBiodiversity monitoring at global scales has been identified as one of the priorities to halt biodiversity loss. In this context, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), home to 60% of the global biodiversity, play an important role in the development of an integrative biodiversity monitoring platform. In this review, we explore to what extent LAC has advanced in the adoption of remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring and what are the gaps and opportunities to integrate local monitoring into global efforts to halt biodiversity loss.LocationLatin America and the Caribbean.Time period1995 to 2022.Taxa studiedTerrestrial organisms.MethodsWe reviewed the application of remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring in LAC aiming to identify gaps and opportunities across countries, ecosystem types and research networks.ResultsOur analysis illustrates how the use of remote sensing in LAC is disproportionately low in relation to the biodiversity it supports.Main conclusionsBuild upon this analysis, we present, discuss and offer perspectives regarding four gaps identified in the application of remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring in Latin America and the Caribbean, namely (1) alignment between remote sensing data resolution and ecosystem structure; (2) investment in research, institutions and capacity building within researchers and stakeholders; (3) decolonized practices that promote access to publishing outlets and pluralistic participation among countries that facilitate exchange of experiences and capacity building; and (4) development of networks within and across regions to advance in ground surveys, ensure access and to foster the use of remote sensing data.