Dominican Republic to grow 4.1%, boosted by US figures: EFE

Bogotá.- Panama’seconomy will grow 5.8% in 2015; Bolivia will be second with 4.6%, while Dominican Republic will rank thirdat 4.1%, placing them at the forefront of the countries that will grow thisyear in Latin America, according to forecasts in the report released today bythe ´Business Center´ of Colombia´s Universidad del Rosario, EFE reports.

It said Haiti´s economywill grow 3.2%, Paraguay 3.2%, Costa Rica 3.1% and Honduras 2.9%.

Colombia meanwhile willreach 2.8%, Mexico 2.6%, Peru, Uruguay and 2.5%, Chile 2.3%, according to the Universidaddel Rosario.

The report also notesthe negative numbers emerging in Venezuela, where the economy is expected tofall -9.4%; Brazil, -2.4% and Ecuador, -0.4%.

"The Venezuelaneconomic scenario is characterized by increases in unemployment, rampantinflation, drastic devaluation of the currency and shortages of goodsnecessities," said Giovanni Reyes, Universidad el Rosario ManagementSciences Doctorate director and author of the analysis,

"In general thecountries of the Caribbean Basin are favored with 2015 growth rates," Reyessaid. "One of the explanatory factors can be associated to the fact thatthe United States tends to leave behind, even with upgradable figures, theconditions of economic stagnation."