The Political Economy of Natural Resource Management in Latin America

Latin America is one of the world’s most resource-rich regions, with major oil reserves in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela, abundant natural gas in Argentina and Bolivia, and significant mineral deposits in Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Peru. Yet, natural resource management in the region is often shaped by shifting political and economic factors, including ideological rifts and volatile commodity prices, hindering consistent policy and institutional development to manage rents and foster broader economic development.

Osmel Manzano will discuss the key challenges and opportunities for effective natural resource management in Latin America, and its implications for economic development and productive diversification.

Speaker: Osmel Manzano, Regional Economic Advisor for the Country Department for the Andean Group at the Inter-American Development Bank

Whether attending in person or virtually, please register in advance. Room attendance is permitted for the Harvard community. Refreshments will be served. The Zoom session is open to the public.

The Growth Lab's "Development Talks" is a series of conversations with policymakers and academics working on economic growth and development in countries, regions, states and cities in the US and around the world. The seminar provides a platform for practitioners and researchers to discuss both economic growth and development and analytical work centered on policy.

Speaker Bio: Osmel Manzano is Adjunct Professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service (Georgetown University) and the Elliot School of International Affairs (George Washington University). He is also Regional Economic Advisor for the Country Department for the Andean Group at the Inter-American Development Bank. He has taught courses on Macroeconomics, Public Finance, Energy Economics and Oil Economics. He is responsible for the economic work and macroeconomic monitoring of the IADB in the Andean Region. He has been working on the development challenges in Latin America, with emphasis on resource abundance, agriculture, energy, and growth and productivity. He is the authored different publications on these subjects.

Previously, he was Regional Economic Advisor for the Country Department for Belize, Central America, Mexico, Panama and Dominican Republic at the Inter-American Development Bank, and Assistant Director, and Coordinator of the Research Program at the Andean Development Corporation (CAF). He also has been Adjunct Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy (Georgetown University),IESA Business School and Universidad Catolica Andres Bello. He has also been a Visiting Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government of the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University) and Analyst at the Office of the Chief Economist of Petroleos de Venezuela. He holds a Ph.D. Degree in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.