Venezuela: V Economic Editors Conference

The V Economic Editors Conference was opened today by CAF Executive President Enrique García in the Caracas headquarters of this multilateral financial institution. The Corporation is sponsoring the event with the objective of promoting closer relations among the journalists of the region, through dialogue and exchange of views on strengthening and stimulating regional integration. The meeting was attended by editors and social communicators from several Latin American countries and Spain, along with former Peruvian Ombudsman Jorge Santistevan de Noriega.

García gave a presentation on the Outlook for Latin America in which he emphasized the fundamental aspects of the Renewed Development Agenda that the CAF is promoting in the region. The Agenda’s objective is to achieve high, sustained, efficient and equitable economic growth that generates employment, which is inclusive and respectful of cultural diversity and the environment, and which will help institutions to provide solutions to social problems and ensure that these demands can be transformed into political decisions.

The CAF president gave an historical review of the economic performance of Latin America. Although progress was made in the 1990s, there was excessive concentration on macroeconomic issues which are important but not sufficient. Growth is based on the increased productivity generated at micro level, at the level of the firm, at the level of public and private actors.

García said that the Renewed Development Agenda had to focus more on micro than on macro issues, establishing a complementarity between three factors: Stability, which is fundamental for economic growth; Efficiency, vital for achieving good quality growth; and Equity, without an equitable distribution of the benefits of growth, it is not possible to have socially sustainable societies.

CAF Director of Secretariat and Corporate Communications José Luis Ramírez welcomed the participants to the V Economic Editors Conference.

The meeting also heard from CAF Vice President of Social and Environmental Development Claudia Martínez, and a representative of the Andrés Bello Catholic University of Caracas, Ricardo Villasmil, who spoke on The importance of social and environmental issues.