There is an urgent need to accelerate the post-pandemic economic recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean as a third of the people live below the poverty line, said a senior UN agency official.

According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, 32.1 percent of the region's population lives in poverty and 13.1 percent lives in extreme poverty.

"There are 82 million people in extreme poverty and 201 million people in poverty, that is a lot. It is like the entire population of Brazil being in a situation of poverty," said Salazar-Xirinachs, executive secretary of the UN agency, in an interview with Xinhua.

The combination of an economic slowdown, weak labor market and persistent inflation, amid geopolitical tensions and uncertainties about the future, has "converged in the deterioration of many social indicators," unleashing a "prolonged crisis" in Latin America, he said.

This week, the UN agency published its annual report "Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2022," in which it warned that an additional 15 million people will fall into poverty this year and 12 million more people will fall into extreme poverty, compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.

The figures represent a 25-year setback for the region, and a significantly negative impact on children and adolescents, as well as women, indigenous groups and people of African descent.

With that in mind, the agency calls for reversing the "cascade of crises" that have exacerbated inequalities and shortfalls in Latin American countries.

"On the issue of social policy, it is key to maintain the levels of social spending and even expand them, and improve the coverage of pensions and (cash) transfers," said Salazar-Xirinachs.

At this time of financial and economic crisis, the region must promote a social and fiscal pact that attends to growth and poverty to avoid the kind of social upheaval seen in 2019, when Latin America's streets were filled with mass protests against inequality and higher costs of living. The demonstrations were only stopped by the pandemic.

Today, he said, it is a "priority" to spur economic recovery and growth in a region that is expected to see a meager 1.4-percent economic expansion on average in 2023.

The agency's report also warns of the pandemic's "silent" impact on education as students lost significant classroom hours and many dropped out, undermining the future of new generations and widening the wealth gap in a region already known for its social inequality.

"There was an 'educational blackout,' a silent crisis, because it is not the same as other crises, such as food security or hunger, which are more visible and there are protests," Salazar-Xirinachs said, referring to "the consequences of learning loss" as "enormous."

Between 2020 and 2021, Latin America and the Caribbean suffered the longest school closures worldwide, which lasted almost 18 months on average compared to just over 10 months in other parts of the globe.

During that time, one of the main barriers to continuing to study remotely was the region's limited internet connectivity, as well as lack of computers and online skills. In eight of 12 countries, more than 60 percent of the poor population under 18 years of age have no internet connectivity at home.

Latin America, he said, must also address other issues through international cooperation, including climate change adaptation, loss of biodiversity, energy transition and digital transformation.

"I would start with international negotiations in terms of debt restructuring of the financial system, because most countries have large and significant levels of foreign debt, which means resources have to be devoted to servicing the debt," he said.

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

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