EVENT

Transportation and Communication Infrastructure in Latin America: Lessons from Asia

Mauricio Mesquita Moreira, Inter-American Development Bank
Ellen L. Frost, Peterson Institute
Barbara Kotschwar, Peterson Institute
Christopher Sabatini, Americas Quarterly and Americas Society/Council of the Americas
Alessandro Pio, Asian Development Bank

Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington, DC

March 8, 2012

Summary

The Americas Society and the Peterson Institute for International Economics held an event March 8, 2012 to discuss transportation and communication infrastructure in Latin America. The basis for the discussion was original Peterson Institute research published in the report, "Transportation and Communication Infrastructure in Latin America: Lessons from Asia," and in the Americas Quarterly Winter 2012 article, "Going Places?"

This research compares Latin America and Asia in hard and soft infrastructure and regional trade arrangements and their effect on economic growth and trade. Participants in this discussion explored the importance of infrastructure to economic development and trade, how to promote greater investment in the sector, and the barriers to developing infrastructure. They also looked at current best practices, including lessons that can be learned from Asia.