| Resumen: |
Central America continues facing high poverty and indigence levels, while being the most unequal region in the world. This paper therefore proposes the eradication of extreme poverty in the region through the implementation of a universal, unconditional cash transfer to all citizens. Such a regional Basic Income would guarantee every citizen, independently of occupation, age, or family background, survival. Simultaneously, the proposal would further income redistribution, enhance education, future productivity and growth, promote macroeconomic stability, and alleviate emigrational pressures. Such a scheme would establish a paradigm change in development policy thinking by moving away from the uncertainty of palliative, short-term oriented programs featuring conditionality and means-testing, towards a rights-based, preventive approach of poverty eradication. Central America invites for such a proposal, considering its countries’ blatant inequality and poverty levels, on the one hand, while on the other its existing common market and relative degree of integration could facilitate such undertaking. The paper estimates the costs of covering the entire region’s population with a Basic Income, and shows that such a proposal would be feasible, and economically affordable and beneficial, while offering a novel and universally just stance on poverty eradication. |
