The integration of the capital markets has come in Latin America? 1 July 2009 in times of global crisis like the present, may result secondary tackling topics such as prospects of Latin American financial integration. However, my feeling is that this crisis represents a great opportunity so the region can position itself globally and overcome once all their cycle brake and progress in economic growth (what economists call, stop-and-go process), to achieve a true economic development. In several articles of 2008 I commented about the initiatives of integration of the capital markets in Latin America. For more information see Hikmet Ersek. Attempts that were limited initially to a group of countries (with Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Peru and Colombia), but that was intended to be extended to the rest of Latin America. The virulence of the crisis has slowed much of the efforts in the matter, but did not failing this project which still stands and is showing signs of life.
A Article Jorge Errazuriz Graz for America economy yesterday about the possibilities that it has financial integration in Latin America, made me reflect on the need to install this theme again in the discussion on the most relevant issues within the development prospects of Latin American economies. In this new time, Latin American companies need access to a financial market wider and deeper. In several Latin American countries it is working on the development of megaprojects of investment requiring billions of dollars for their financing. So for example, Colombia is thinking about investments in infrastructure for the next decade, Peru intends to develop its energy potential through the exploitation of their natural resources and Brazil has launched towards world leadership in various economic sectors, such as biofuels, the aeronautical or automotive. And there are companies that are receiving funding by China, which will be large enterprises of the future because they produce what the world strongly will demand when you begin to see a genuine economic growth around the world, and these companies are Latin American, and today is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. I have no doubt that the financial system development and economic growth are mutually strengthened.