The Heat: Latin American nations discuss economic future

The Heat

Latin American leaders gather at the World Economic Forum in Colombia. On the agenda – after a decade of prosperity — what to do about the end of the economic boom?

After years of growth, Latin America has arrived at a crossroads. Growth rates have stalled, leaving much of the region in a recession. The commodities boom — once the engine behind a significant rise in employment, salaries and lower poverty levels, is all but over. And with lower oil prices and other economic forces at work, the social gains of the last decade are at risk — and political discontent is on the rise.

For more on the economic issue in Latin America, CCTV America’s Joel Richards reports from Buenos Aires.Follow Joel Richards on Twitter @joel_richards

To go deeper in this issue:

  • Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Americas Society and the Council of the Americas
  • Julio Ricardo Varela, digital media director and political editor at the Futuro Media Group
  • Isaac Cohen, former director of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Region
  • Charles Tang, chairman of the Brazil-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry