EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The economy is recovering and the outlook is favorable but still subject to significant risks. After slowing to below 2 1\2 percent in 2014, growth is expected to be close to 5 percent in 2015, boosted by a strong agricultural output and a gradual acceleration of activity in...

During the last two decades, many Latin American countries engaged in disinflation programs based on both exchange rate management and fiscal reforms. However, in most instances, part of the fiscal reform was delayed or not implemented completely, so the fiscal deficit increased and the program...

We lay out a tractable model for fiscal and monetary policy analysis in a currency union, and analyze its implications for the optimal design of such policies. Monetary policy is conducted by a common central bank, which sets the interest rate for the union as a whole. Fiscal policy is...