Post-Cepaline Reflections on Inflation and External Crisis

Vol. 23 No. 3 (2003)

Jul-Sep / 2003
Published July 1, 2003
PDF-Portuguese (Português (Brasil))
PDF-Portuguese (Português (Brasil))

How to Cite

Bacha, Edmar Lisboa. 2003. “Post-Cepaline Reflections on Inflation and External Crisis”. Brazilian Journal of Political Economy 23 (3):489-96. https://doi.org/10.1590/0101-31572004-0674.

Post-Cepaline Reflections on Inflation and External Crisis

Edmar Lisboa Bacha
Consultor Sênior do Banco Itaú BBA
Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 23 No. 3 (2003), Jul-Sep / 2003, Pages 489-496

Abstract

The UN/ECLA 1949 Manifesto centered on inflation and balance of payments as critical issues on Latin America’s development. Fifty years afterwards, Latin America succeeded both conceptually and in practice to overcome the high inflation syndrome. Not so the external strangulation, which is still very much present in the region. After reviewing recent conceptual advances in understanding the “dollar constraint” problem, the paper discusses Persio Arida’s proposal for a fully convertible floating currency as a means of building a domestic long-term financial market.

JEL Classification: F32; F41; F43; O11; O54.


Keywords: Latin America balance of payments Cepal, two gaps inertia inflation