Central America and the Dominican Republic had stable economic growth in 2017. The performance of the United States economy and low commodity prices, mainly oil, meant that the key indicators for the region did not change abruptly. It is worth noting that safeguarding the stability of public finances remains the main challenge for the region. In the short run, we expect the fiscal deficit and public debt to maintain their upward trend, thus putting pressure on interest rates, which would have a negative impact on economic growth. This trend has implied in downward revisions to the region’s economic outlook. Growth in the region has been higher than the rest of Latin America, but its impact on reducing poverty and improve income distribution, has been limited. The report explores options to make growth more inclusive in Central America and the Dominican Republic. It highlights the need to bolster human capital accumulation, take advantage of integration with other trade partners, and generate buffers for political decision-making in a highly uncertain environment, in order ensure that growth can benefit the highest number of people in the region.

This report describes the current situation of the region of Central America and the Dominican Republic and its outlook for 2019. It also analyzes the recent reduction in the food price pattern and its relationship with the expected increase in international prices and the local production . Finally, it examines the channels through which the reduction of global liquidity could be transferred to the region, including the banking sector, the financial markets, and the foreign direct investment inflows. It is worth noting that to date there have been no substantial effects in the region. However, it is important to continue monitoring the performance of the various transmission channels while strengthening the foundations to be better prepared for global events that increase risk aversion.

El exitoso autor de Invicto y Saludable Mente, nos trae 100 deliciosas recetas con comida real, nutritiva y sostenible para tener una salud de hierro. Este nuevo libro de Marcos Vázquez junto con la chef Elizabeth Ochoa recorre las distintas «edades» de la alimentación -la etapa como cazadores-recolectores, la revolución agrícola, la revolución industrial y la era digital-. En cada uno de estos apartados nos proponen recetas deliciosas y sanas a partir de los alimentos y los hábitos más característicos de cada periodo pero haciendo una propuesta alimentaria adecuada a la época en que vivimos. 100 platos originales pero de preparación sencilla para el día a día y elaboraciones culinarias con un toque más gourmet. Porque la comida saludable no está reñida con el disfrute del paladar y porque cocinar nos hacer humanos.

En 2017 Centroamérica y República Dominicana tuvo un crecimiento económico estable. El desempeño de Estados Unidos y los bajos precios de las materias primas, principalmente de los hidrocarburos, permitieron que los indicadores claves para la región no tuvieran cambios bruscos. Aun así, la estabilidad de las finanzas públicas se mantiene como el principal reto de la región. El déficit fiscal y la deuda pública mantendrían su tendencia al alza, presionando así las tasas de interés, las cuales repercutirían negativamente sobre el crecimiento económico. Lo anterior se ha visto reflejado en los ajustes a la baja en las perspectivas de crecimiento regionales. El crecimiento ha sido moderado, pero preocupa el hecho de que se ha caracterizado por su baja inclusividad, dado su poco poder para disminuir la pobreza y mejorar la distribución del ingreso. Esta deficiencia del crecimiento económico es una de las motivaciones principales de este reporte, en el cual se busca resaltar la necesidad de fortalecer la acumulación de capital humano de la región, aprovechar la integración con otros socios comerciales y generar espacios para la toma de decisiones políticas ante un entorno altamente incierto.

Este reporte describe la coyuntura que está viviendo la región de Centroamérica y República Dominicana y su perspectiva para 2019. Además, analiza la reducción reciente en el patrón de precios de los alimentos y su relación con los mayores precios internacionales que se prevén y la producción local. Finalmente, examina los canales a través de los cuales la reducción de la liquidez global podría trasladarse a la región; en concreto, el canal bancario, la inversión extranjera directa y los mercados financieros. Vale la pena destacar que hasta la fecha no se han registrado efectos sustanciales en la región. No obstante, es importante seguir vigilando el desempeño de los diversos canales de transmisión al mismo tiempo que se fortalecen los fundamentos para estar mejor preparados ante eventos que aumenten la aversión al riesgo.

Temperament and psychopathology have been well studied in White populations. However, few studies have investigated expressions of temperament in non-White populations, including Hispanic children. One aspect of temperament, effortful control, has been linked to externalizing and internalizing problems in samples of White children. It is unclear whether associations between effortful control and psychopathology would be identified in children from other cultures. In Hispanic culture, which is considered collectivist, restraint and obedience are encouraged to maintain amiable relations within the group. These values may impact expressions of temperament in children. Given that Hispanics are one of the fastest growing populations in the US, yet remain understudied across many areas of research, it is important to investigate this population. This study aimed to compare temperament, including positive affect, negative affect, and effortful control, between White children and Hispanic children. In addition, a relationship between effortful control (temperament) and internalizing/externalizing problems (psychopathology) in Hispanic children was examined. Given cultural differences, it was predicted that Hispanic children would show similar levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect when compared to White children. Additionally, Hispanic children would show higher levels of effortful control than White children. It was also predicted that there would not be a relationship between effortful control and internalizing/externalizing problems in Hispanic children. Findings showed that Hispanic children showed less positive affect than White children. In addition, results did not show a significant difference in negative affect between Hispanic children and White children. Both of these results were unexpected given the theoretical basis for the predictions. These results may be explained by other cultural factors that were not included in the study, such as acculturation, that may have influenced the findings. As predicted, there was sufficient evidence to suggest that the relation between effortful control and internalizing and externalizing problems was not present in the Hispanic sample. This suggests that the well-established relationship between effortful control and externalizing and internalizing problems in White children is not generalizable to children of Hispanic descent. Future studies should examine protective factors that influence this relationship in Hispanic children. Identifying the role of culture in temperament and psychopathology can be complex. However, this study highlights the importance of incorporating culture into the research of temperament and psychopathology. Given the important role of temperament in children's development, it is important to have an understanding of the implications that temperament has for Hispanic children.