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Add to Preferred SourcesThe Inter-American Development Bank named three winners of its 2025 Young Economist Award for outstanding research on development challenges across Latin America and the Caribbean, according to an IDB announcement. Argentine researcher Pascuel Plotkin from the Center for Monetary and Financial Studies took first prize for his study on how delivery platforms affect restaurants and workers in Brazil. His work examines both costs and benefits of online delivery services, especially in economies with high informal employment rates.
Daniel Jaramillo Calderón from Ecuador won second place for analyzing how former prisoners influenced neighborhood crime rates after a mass amnesty program. The University of British Columbia economist’s research provides insights into criminal justice policy outcomes. Third place went to Brazilian economist Renata Motta Café from the Getulio Vargas Foundation, who studied how government-backed loans impact municipal public spending in Brazil.
Five researchers received honorable mentions: Francisco Eslava Sáenz from Colombia, Karla Hernández from Costa Rica, Isaac Martínez Centeno from Chile, Laura Pérez Cervera from Spain, and Víctor Zuluaga from Colombia.
“This award not only honors academic excellence but also highlights the transformative power of economic research to improve lives,” said IDB Chief Economist Laura Alfaro Maykall.
The bank’s selection committee reviewed 66 submissions from PhD graduates across the IDB’s 48 member countries, evaluating originality, methodology, and policy relevance. Winners will be honored during the 2nd IDB Research Conference on September 15-16 in Washington, featuring discussions on how digital technologies are reshaping economic development across the region.