CEPAL Review no. 139

The COVID-19 pandemic and social policy narratives in Costa Rica: the story of a (fleeting) opportunity

Did the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic embolden ideas favourable to inclusive social policy in Latin America? This article addresses that question by examining the emergency cash transfer programme that was implemented in Costa Rica in 2020. Drawing on legislative debates and interviews with senior officials and analysts, the study reveals the fleeting emergence of ideas in favour of expanding non-contributory social protection. The new programme was quickly reined in by a discourse that assimilated fiscal responsibility to cutting social spending rather than expanding revenues. Avoid…

La pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19) y las narrativas de la política social en Costa Rica: historia de una (breve) oportunidad

La pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus (COVID-19), ¿potenció ideas favorables a la política social inclusiva en América Latina? Este artículo aborda esta pregunta a través de un análisis del programa de transferencias monetarias de emergencia implementado durante 2020 en Costa Rica. A partir de debates legislativos y entrevistas a jerarcas y analistas, mostramos la presencia, muy acotada en el tiempo, de ideas favorables a extender la protección social no contributiva. El nuevo programa se vio rápidamente limitado por un discurso que asimilaba la responsabilidad fiscal a la reducción del ga…

Iberoamérica: espacio de oportunidades para el crecimiento, la colaboración y el desarrollo sostenible

El presente documento es una contribución de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) a los debates de la XXVIII Cumbre Iberoamericana de Jefes y Jefas de Estado y de Gobierno, que se llevará a cabo los días 24 y 25 de marzo de 2023 en Santo Domingo (República Dominicana). En el primer capítulo de esta publicación se presenta un panorama estilizado de las economías de Iberoamérica a partir de indicadores de población, territorio, producción, tasas de crecimiento, inflación y macroeconómicos. En el segundo, se analiza la coyuntura económica internacional, caracterizada por …

The Hummingbird Vol. 10 No. 3

Emergency social protection against the impacts of the pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean: evidence and lessons learned for universal, comprehensive, sustainable and resilient social protection systems

This paper addresses the emergency non-contributory social protection measures announced in Latin American and Caribbean countries in 2020 and 2021 in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The rapid reaction of the region’s governments and the innovations implemented were key to reaching a large percentage of those affected and containing the adverse effects on poverty and inequality of the measures adopted to contain the pandemic. This process yielded fundamental lessons to advance in the development of mechanisms to provide efficient emergency social protection. The aim is…

The Hummingbird Vol. 10 No. 2

Caribbean Outlook 3: Economic recovery and repositioning in the era of COVID-19. Policy Brief

The economies of the subregion were hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those dependent on tourism. As a result, the Caribbean has seen a reversal of the hard-won gains achieved in growing their economies and reducing unemployment and inequality. The inflation stemming from pandemic supply chain disruption, which has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has made the sustained uptick in economic performance beyond pre-pandemic levels unlikely, notwithstanding strong growth estimates for 2021 and 2022. The last two years have taught the region that continued ‘business as usual’ is…

Improving broadband quality and affordability in the Caribbean: Policies to advance digital inclusion in the subregion. Policy Brief

In this digitally transforming world, digital inclusion is becoming increasingly important to social inclusion and sustainable development. Affordable access to broadband is an essential precondition to digital inclusion. Internet quality, as measured by speed and other indicators, is also important, as digital inclusion is ultimately about ensuring equal access to the benefits and opportunities offered by digital technologies and the Internet. This policy brief provides insight into Internet speed and affordability across the Caribbean, and offers some recommendations for policymakers working…