About Us

LACEA: Advancing Economic Research in Latin America and the Caribbean

Through research networks, annual meetings, and an open-access journal, LACEA brings together economists focused on regional challenges and opportunities.

Purposes

Promoting Research

LACEA promotes research and teaching on Latin American and Caribbean economies, fostering dialogue among economists of diverse nationalities, perspectives, and theoretical orientations.

Promote Interaction

LACEA encourages interaction between scholars, educators, and policy-makers from Latin America and the Caribbean, and those working internationally.

Facilitate Exchange

LACEA sponsors programs, conferences, and events to facilitate scholarly exchange on the region’s economies, collaborating independently or with other professional associations.

LACEA Through the Years

Since its foundation, LACEA has been a key platform for advancing economic research and fostering collaboration among scholars, policymakers, and institutions, driving meaningful contributions to the understanding and development of Latin America and the Caribbean.

1992

Founding

LACEA was founded in July 1992 to encourage professional interaction and foster dialogue among researchers and practitioners focusing on Latin American and Caribbean economies.

1993

Early Development

LACEA became a member of the Allied Social Science Association and began hosting sessions at major conferences like the American Economics Association and Latin American Studies.

1996

First Annual Meeting

LACEA held its first international meeting in Mexico City, with over 200 participants and 157 papers presented.

1998

Networks and Journal

Under Nora Lustig’s presidency, LACEA created several research networks, including Inequality and Poverty, and launched the Economía journal, which began publishing in 2000.

2000

Expansion

LACEA held its first international meeting outside the region, in Madrid, and later expanded to Paris in 2005.

2006

LACEA-LAMES Partnership

LACEA partnered with the Latin American Chapter of the Econometric Society (LAMES), hosting the joint LACEA-LAMES conference, which became one of the most prestigious academic gatherings in the developing world.

2010

New Locations

LACEA’s meetings were hosted in non-capital cities like Medellín and Santa Cruz, expanding its regional reach.

2018 – 2022

New Networks and Women Economists Committee

LACEA established the WELAC committee to monitor and promote the careers of women economists in the region. New networks, such as BRAIN, Urban and Regional Economics, Health Economics and HUMANS, were created

2022

Economia Journal of LACEA

The journal is now published by LSE Press in an Open Access format

LACEA’s Bylaws

More information

LACEA Executive Committee and Leadership

Marcela Eslava

President

Laura Alfaro

Vice President

Nicolas Ajzenman

Executive Committee

Ana Balsa

Executive Committee

Inés Berniell

Executive Committee

Patricia Cortes

Executive Committee

Claudio Ferraz

Executive Committee

Veronica Frisancho

Executive Committee

Maria Lombardi

Executive Committee

Renata Narita

Executive Committee

Cristine Pinto

Executive Committee

Pablo Querubin

Executive Committee

Mauricio Romero

Executive Committee

Rodrigo Soares

Executive Committee

Arturo Galindo

Treasurer

Angela Fonseca

Executive Secretary

Building Strong Partnerships for Greater Impact