Five keys for sustainable development

The positive experiences of the region in commercial exchange during the first decade of the XXI century ‒in a context of crisis affecting developed countries since 2008‒ allows analysts to state that this will be the "Latin American decade" to finally achieve sustainable development. 

The document "La Infraestructura en el Desarrollo Integral de América Latina. Fortalecer las capacidades logísticas y competir exitosamente en los mercados mundiales de servicios logísticos: imperativos y oportunidades para América Latina" ("Infrastructure in the Comprehensive Development of Latin America. Strengthen the logistic capacities and compete successfully in the logistic services world markets: imperatives and opportunities for Latin America") (CAF 2013) explains that this vision is based on five key assumptions: 

1. The world economy is inexorably going toward a world dominated by the BRICS and other emerging countries.  

2. Western developed countries will start losing their technological and entrepreneurial leadership in the presence of new leading companies in emerging countries.

3. The growth of China and other emerging countries such as India and other Asian countries will guarantee the high prices of raw materials for at least two decades.

4. Emerging and Latin American countries have found an innovative growth model, which combines the accelerated growth of its internal markets with manufacturing exports or services based on absolute advantages (and lasting) in costs (as the case of China and India), or the export of raw materials at high prices (as the case of Russia and Brazil).

5. This transition will be carried out without significant ruptures or conflicts. There will be no significant environmental crisis, fight for natural resources, or social reactions resulting from the impacts of this process on employment and the distribution of income that could challenge or slow down this process.