Latin America | Bank Information Center: Monitoring the projects and policies of the World Bank, IMF and other international financial institutions


bicusa.org/latinamerica Home RegionsLatin America Latin America Overview Key Issues Problem Projects Updates Resources Partners Contacts RSS Update \| 25 November 2008 Civil Society and IDB workshop: Strategic Environmental Assessments and sustainable development Civil society organizations (CSOs) from 10 South American countries have invited the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to engage in dialogue about the use and misuse of Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) in a two-day workshop to be held in Bogota, Colombia (Dec. 2 and 3, 2008). The workshop will feature presentations on the IDB's progress in developing a strategic decision making system that includes clearer rules for SEAs. CSOs will present lessons learned and recommendations for more effective use of SEAs drawn from a decade of experience with high risk infrastructure projects. Read more Update \| 21 November 2008 Directors of IIRSA reject petition for participation of civil society The President of the Directors of IIRSA and current Director of the Ministry of Planning of Colombia, Carolina Renteria, reported on Monday, November 10 the decision to reject a hearing on IIRSA requested by 20 civil society organizations from 8 countries. The CSOs submitted a proposal to create mechanisms to ensure the participation of civil society in the planning process of integration within the framework of IIRSA, in addition to other potential integration processes as well as for the implementation of Strategic Environmental Studies (SEA) for groups of IIRSA projects. Read more Press Release \| 18 November 2008 IMF and World Bank need to bolster transparency measures in the extractive industries A newly released joint report between Bank Information Center (BIC) and Global Witness critically assesses the World Bank Group's and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) success in increasing transparency in extractive industries in resource-rich countries. Read more Update \| 14 November 2008 BICECA Monthly Bulletin - November 2008 In this edition you will find the following articles: 1) Change and Continuity for the BICECA website; 2) Colombia: Pasto Mocoa Highway - IDB Commitment to Sustainability under Scrutiny; 3) Perú: The restoration of the rights of indigenous peoples has a long way to go; 4) Ecuador: Big Push for Manta-Manaos Corridor. Read more Press Release \| 29 October 2008 Nuevo y antidemocrático “Consenso de Washington” no resolverá la crisis global, declaran mas que 630 grupos de 104 países Una coalición de 630 organizaciones pertenecientes a 104 países ha emitido una declaración reclamando una respuesta que sea verdaderamente global a la crisis mundial, y formulan varios principios para conseguirlo. Read more Update \| 28 October 2008 The IMF is back in business In the wake of the global financial crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scurrying across both developed and developing countries signing new multi-billion dollar loan deals. Read more Update \| 27 October 2008 IFC payment disclosures revisited The International Finance Corporation's (IFC) website on extractive industries government payment disclosure has made progress, but certain gaps in data availability remain. Read more Update \| 24 October 2008 Urgent Action: Global sign-on statment on the proposed "Global Summit" to reform the international financial system Sign-on to the civil society letter, BY OCTOBER 28, supporting the fundamental and far-reaching transformation of the international financial and economic system. The letter supports the major international conference convened by the UN to review the international financial and monetary architecture, its institutions and its governance. Read more Update \| 21 October 2008 Debt for conservation agreement: US$25 million for conserving Peru’s rainforest The governments of the United States and Peru have reached an agreement to reduce Peru’s debt payments in exchange for protecting Peru’s tropical forests. Read more Update \| 20 October 2008 Peru launches committee on climate change dialogue and strategy Committee aims to address the negative impacts of climate change in the region of Tumbes. Read more Update \| 17 October 2008 The IDB together with CAF and FLAR announce a major injection of resources for the Latin American region The presidents of the IDB, CAF and FLAR met with the intention of giving signals to the region that there are significant resources to make them available to Latin American countries beyond the resources available regularly. The total amount of contingency resources put together by the three institutions accounts for $9.3 billion to provide greater liquidity to financial markets in the region. Read more Update \| 29 September 2008 BICECA Quarterly Bulletin - Sept. 2008 In this edition you will find the following article: IIRSA CCT Meeting on Infrastructure and the Amazon: IIRSA’s future in doubt (also in Spanish on our Spanish language page) Read more Update \| 22 September 2008 World Bank excludes indigenous peoples from climate change discussions Amazonian civil society organizations demand that the World Bank adhere to international standards by increasing the participation of indigenous peoples in meetings on forests and climate change. Read more Update \| 17 September 2008 Masacre de 30 campesinos a manos de civicos en Pando, Bolivia En un acto de lo mas violento en la historia de la democracia de Bolivia, una campaña realizada por los Prefectos de la oposición en el país intentaron desestabilizar el gobierno de Evo Morales, quitando la vida a 30 personas y dejando varias docenas más heridas en la provincia Amazónica de Pando. La mayoría de los gobiernos regionales expresan su condena, Estados Unidos está silencioso. Read more Update \| 15 September 2008 El BID rechaza el dialogo con sociedad civil El Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID) desestimó una propuesta de la sociedad civil para realizar un seminario conjunto sobre infraestructura y mecanismos de planificación sostenibles en el Amazonas. Dicho seminario se proponía para la próxima reunión que el Banco desarrollará con la sociedad civil en Montevideo, Uruguay, el 16 y 17 de Octubre. Por muchos motivos la relación del BID con la sociedad civil ha caído a su nivel más bajo. Read more Update \| 15 September 2008 Massacre of 30 campesinos by "civicos" in Pando, Bolivia In the worst violent act in the history of Bolivia's democracy, a campaign by opposition Prefects in Bolivia seeking to destabilize the MAS government, took the lives of as many as 30 people, and wounded dozens more, in the Amazonian province of Pando. Most regional governments expressed condemnation, while the United States remained silent. Read more Update \| 12 September 2008 Perú: La restitución de los derechos de los nativos tiene un largo camino por recorrer Si bien los pueblos originarios de Perú han logrado que el Congreso de la República derogue los decretos legislativos N° 1015 y N° 1073, todavía la protección de sus derechos y sus tierras no está completamente asegurada. Read more Update \| 5 September 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 2 September 2008 IDB rejects civil society dialogue The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) dismisses a proposal for a joint seminar on Amazon infrastructure and sustainability planning mechanisms at upcoming civil society meeting in Montevideo. Read more Update \| 29 August 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 22 August 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 15 August 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the News The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 8 August 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 1 August 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 4 August 2008 New Infrastructure Project Endangers the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve Flaws in the environmental review process combined with negative social implications fuel fears of the Chan 75 hydroelectric project. Read more Update \| 25 July 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 18 July 2008 Tragic accident in Brazil: Movement for Dam-Affected People among victims On July 11th a bus carrying activists from different social movements collided with a truck transporting gas. The explosion of both vehicles caused the death of fourteen people, four of them activists of the Movement for Dam-Affected People (MAB). Read more Update \| 21 July 2008 Civil society advises Bank of the South Over 50 civil society experts on International Financial Institution (IFI) issues and former IFI staff gathered in Ecuador in late June with the hope of playing a fundamental role in the configuration of the Bank of the South. Read more Update \| 18 July 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 11 July 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 23 July 2008 World Bank’s lending for fossil fuel skyrockets as it positions itself as the “climate bank” As the World Bank prepares to launch two new climate investment funds at the upcoming G8 summit, and positions itself as the "climate bank," new statistics developed by the Bank Information Center show that the World Bank's private sector arm, the International Financial Corporation (IFC), increased its lending for fossil fuel projects by a staggering 165% in FY2008. Taken as a whole, the World Bank Group increased its fossil-fuel lending by 60% in the same period. Read more Update \| 3 July 2008 Civil society groups propose change in annual IDB-civil society meeting A letter sent to President Moreno lays out a series of arguments suggesting greater control by civil society organizations in a change that would mark a dramatic shift in the Bank designed meetings of the past. Read more Update \| 1 July 2008 BIC's new handbook for advocacy on extractive industry revenues Bank Information Center has recently released it's new "Handbook for Advocacy on Extractive Industry Revenues: Good Practices and the IMF’s Guide on Resource Revenue Transparency." Read more Press Release \| 23 June 2008 “Aguas Turvas”: new book that explains the never ending socio-environmental problems of the Madeira Complex A major new book, jointly published by the Bank Information Center, International Rivers and other partners, aims to explain the contradictions of the Hydroelectric Complex and the hydroways of the Madeira River. "Aguas Turvas" will serve as a tool for those that seek to understand the history of the project and its implications for the Amazon region. Read more Update \| 27 June 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week. Read more Update \| 13 June 2008 Weekly roundup: IFIs in the news The "Weekly Roundup" is a compilation of select news articles, blogs or other media concerning the international financial institutions from the past week.