By David Tinel, IFC’s Regional Manager for the Southern Cone Long considered an economic success story in Latin America and the Caribbean, Chile is experiencing unique times. From the October 2019 protests — which evinced the issue of inequality — to today, the Andean country faced a pandemic, voted in…

By Damien Shiels and Mayra Alfaro de Morán COVID-19 has made the digital revolution more important than ever and has dramatically increased e-commerce. According to an UNCTAD report, global e-commerce sales jumped to $26.7 trillion in 2019, compared to 2018, showing the rising importance of online sales. Due to restrictions…

By Leora Klapper, Maria Soledad Requejo, and Christine Svarer The world is moving to digital payments. They are faster, more secure, more transparent and more efficient than cash. Digital payments can support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and empower women and youth. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift toward…

By Elizabeth Martínez de Marcano Ecuador is living exceptional times. In a world that increasingly questions the growth models that have yet to eradicate exclusion and guarantee long-term prosperity, the Ecuadorans are building its own success story. After being a country with one of the world’s highest rates of infections…

Por Elizabeth Martínez de Marcano Ecuador vive tiempos excepcionales. En un mundo que cuestiona cada vez más los modelos de crecimiento que aún no consiguen erradicar la exclusión y garantizar la prosperidad a largo plazo, los ecuatorianos construyen su propia historia de éxito. Después de ser un país con una…

By David Tinel, IFC’s Regional Manager for the Southern Cone This article was originally published in AméricaEconomía in October 2021 In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chile has chosen not to neglect one of the most urgent challenges of our time: climate change. This has been demonstrated by the…

The IFC Senior Investment Officer, of the World Bank, announced that the entity approved a green loan of US$ 80 million for Latin American SMEs with renewable energy or water efficiency projects. …

By Alejandro Caballero, Principal Education Specialist, IFC, and Alonso Gómez, Investment Officer, IFC This article was originally published in Prensa Libre (Guatemala) in August 2021 Central America is embracing hope. In the region, many are already imagining a return to a time without restrictions. But we should not be blinded…

By Gary Seidman When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Mauritius-based medical device manufacturer Natec Medical saw an opportunity to supply the island nation with face masks while at the same time reduce its own dependence on imported personal protective equipment (PPE). Natec employs some 500 workers, half of whom use surgical…