Finance ministers from the Americas and multilateral lenders on Friday sought to shore up responses to the global economic crisis on Friday and plan beyond a potential recovery for a post-crisis world. Though unemployment is still rising, Latin America is expected to return to growth sooner than other regions because it is rich in commodities exports. Chile, the world's No. 1 copper producer, has won praise for building up savings from high metals prices during boom times and using the cash for an economic stimulus package. Others have made similar moves, and Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Brazil have won high marks for having sound economic policies. “If the first challenge is recovering from the crisis, it's just as important to stick with our strategic bets on future development because the post-crisis world will be extremely competitive and we have to be prepared,” Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said. Officials from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the Inter-American Development Bank were also at the meeting amid calls for quick rollouts of infrastructure programs to create jobs and boost future growth.
