The IMF on Friday urged Latin American governments to use still-favorable
global financing conditions to reduce public debt and raise productivity, saying
fiscal adjustment has stalled in many countries and public debt continues to
rise. In its Regional Economic Outlook the IMF projects Western Hemisphere
growth of 2.2% in 2026 and 2.3% in 2027, versus 2.4% in 2025. Latin America and
the Caribbean are forecast to grow 2.3% in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027, downgrades of
0.1 and 0.2 percentage points from July. IMF Western Hemisphere director Nigel
Chalk warned current favorable financing conditions may not persist.
