Latin America and the Caribbean need to invest $630 billion in transportation

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) must fill an investment gap in the transport sector estimated at 630 billion dollars and allocate 1.3% of regional GDP to reducing the deficit every year. This was stated by the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), the Brazilian economist Ilan Goldfajn, at the opening of the Lac Transport Forum 2026 in Miami.

Over 110 transportation projects worth more than $65 billion were presented at the forum, attended by 17 Latin American countries and private sector representatives, with the possibility of tenders over the next 18 months. The list includes roads, ports, airports, subways, suburban trains and passenger rail services.

Goldfajn highlighted the need to make investments more sustainable, efficient and competitive. The BID also presented the regional Transport Delivers platform, which aims to improve the quality, transparency and competitiveness of investment processes and, through the Procure+ initiative, to apply and expand reforms in infrastructure projects.