77% of Latin Americans defend economic integration, says the IDB

77% of Latin Americans are in favor of economic integration, but only 12% consider the region a priority, according to an investigation by the Inter-American Development (BID) presented today in Mexico City.

Mexico, Nov 21 (EFE) .- 77% of Latin Americans are in favor of economic integration, but only 12% consider the region a priority, according to the Bank's research Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) presented today in Mexico City.

Integration continues as an "associative capital" in Latin America and 77% supports the economic and 66% the politics, revealed the study "The techno-integration of Latin America: Institutions, exponential trade and equity in the age of algorithms".

With 20,000 interviews conducted between July, 2017 to citizens of 18 countries, the IDB document reflects the opinion on economic and political integration, new technologies, social equity and environment.

On integration, he stressed that despite the favorable opinion of Latin Americans, when speaking of closer ties, neighboring countries are not among the first options, to the point that only 12% sees the region as a priority for it.

The preferred country to deepen trade and political relations is the USA, with 34% of favorable responses, according to the IDB study presented through the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean (Intal) in alliance with the Latinobarómetro.

La Unión European is in the second place of the preferences to deepen these relations, with 16%, followed by China (13%) and in the fourth position is Latin America (12%), detailed the institution.

78% believe that globalization is an opportunity for economic growth and 9 out of 10 Latin Americans agree that they can work freely in any country in the region.

In terms of innovation and new technologies, four out of every five Latin Americans consider that they threaten employment, while 24% believe that helps to create them.

The study highlights that "almost all Latin Americans have a mobile phone, although only 44% of them use" smartphone "and with marked differences between nations, since less than 27% have it in Nicaragua, Bolivia and Mexico, compared to 65% of the inhabitants of Paraguay and Chile.

88% of those interviewed say that to "move in the The current world "is indispensable" to know how to use the internet "and 77% put the issue of connectivity to the networks as a major priority to the development of basic infrastructure such as roads.

Among the issues that most concern Latin Americans are the environment and climate change, which was defined as an "urgent problem" by the 75 %.

83% believe that climate change has been caused by humans and 71% say that it must be tackled even at the expense of economic growth.

El Intal and Latinobarómetro established an alliance three years ago as part of the Regional Public Goods Program of the IDB.

With the publication of this research, the Intal makes a contribution for the construction of a regional agenda to seek consensus in favor of sustainable development with equity, added the financial institution.