Latin American governments loosened the purse strings in response to the pandemic, adding to the region’s already hefty debt burdens. Few questioned the need for fiscal stimulus, but as the pandemic drags on, the region is seeing repeated credit rating downgrades and increased borrowing costs. Leaders who have tried to rein in spending or raise revenue have been with public anger. In this episode, Benjamin Gedan, deputy director of the Wilson Center’s Latin American Program, speaks with Ben Ramsey, head of Latin America economic research at J.P. Morgan, and Alejo Czerwonko, chief investment officer for emerging markets Americas at UBS, to discuss Latin America’s debt troubles.
Guests
Moderator
Latin America Program
The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more