The Inter-American Dialogue’s work in Central America and the Caribbean examines opportunities and challenges facing the 28 countries and islands in the region. Issues include security, migration, drug policy, remittances, education, integration, and trade.
The Inter-American Dialogue has been working jointly with Haiti’s Université Quisqueya to develop an independent, non-partisan initiative called Think Tank Haiti (TTH). In the last few recent months, the crisis in Haiti has reached new lows. Gangs have more power than ever, the prime minister has torpedoed his own dialogue with civil society, shortages in food, fuel, and even water are widespread, and cholera has reappeared after more than a three-year absence. The international community has renewed its interest in Haiti and is expected to decide soon if a new peacekeeping mission will be sent by the UN. These interconnected challenges, on top of repeated natural disasters, have neither quick nor clear solutions. The mission of TTH is to reinforce and build upon Haiti’s capacity to analyze, understand, and respond to the multiple, devastating challenges confronting the nation today.
Representatives from the Inter-American Dialogue and Deloitte welcomed participants and set the stage by emphasizing the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in advancing clean energy initiatives. The hosts highlighted the region’s vast renewable energy potential and the necessity of strategic partnerships to unlock these opportunities.
China’s attempted economic recalibration has already reverberated across the Latin American and Caribbean region, as many countries see new interest from Chinese companies in emerging industries. Asia & Latin America Program Director Margaret Myers considers the increasingly uncertain role of Central America in this new equation.
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Citizen insecurity and illicit economies are serious issues in Latin America and the Caribbean, prompting urgent demands from the public for solutions. In response, mano dura policies have been implemented, which have reduced violence but at a significant cost to the rule of law and human rights. It is necessary to develop and promote alternatives that are both effective and democratic.
In 2023, 890,000 passengers landed in Nicaragua. [This includes] 650,000 foreign tourists who landed by air. In the same year, 570,000 passengers left. The average stay of an international tourist [in Nicaragua] is seven days. Therefore, there’s a deficit of at least 80,000 people who don’t return [to their home country] by air.
El rol de las remesas es vital para [El Salvador], porque éstas son responsables del consumo nacional privado, y ante el bajo rendimiento económico del sector público y privado, fueron las remesas las que crecieron de 20 a 30 por ciento del consumo nacional privado entre 2017 y 2023. Es decir, si el gasto público creció y el consumo privado dentro de remesas también a 30 por ciento, la economía se desaceleró aún más.
