Juan José Echavarría

Bio

Mr. Echavarria is a member of the Board of Directors of Banco de la República.  He was Executive Director of Fedesarrollo, the leading think tank in Colombia. He served as Plenipotentiary Minister of Colombia to the Organization of the American States (OAS) and Adviser to the Trade Division of the OAS. He studied Engineering at the School of Mines in Medellin (Colombia), and he did his Master in economics at Harvard and Boston University. He completed his Ph.D in economics at Oxford University.

He has been senior economist, Director and Sub-director of Fedesarrollo, the leading Colombian think tank, and the Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the National University of Colombia. He has been appointed by President Pastrana to the Board of Directors of the National University of Colombia. As Director of Economic Research at the National Federation of Coffee growers he directed the National Census of the Coffee Industry in 1989-92.

He served as Vice Minister of Trade during the Gaviria’s government (1990-94), being the head of the negotiation team in the trade agreements signed with Mexico (G3, and Venezuela), Chile, and CARICOM. He was member of the Editorial Committee of the journal Estrategia Económica.

Echavarría has written broadly about subjects related with the industrialization process of Colombia, economic integration, macroeconomics and international trade. He taught Macroeconomics, Econometrics and International Trade at Oxford University, University of los Andes, National University of Colombia, Externado de Colombia and Javeriana University.

Academic Background

  • 1994: PhD. in Economics, Oxford University

  • 1976: Master in Economics, Boston University; he studied one year in the PhD program of Business Economics at Harvard University

  • 1973: Industrial Engineering, School of Mines, National University of Colombia, Medellin

Areas of Expertise

  • International Economics

Present Position (s)

  • Member of the Board of Directors for the Central Bank (Banco de la República), Colombia

Previous Position (s)

  • Executive Director, Fedesarrollo, 1999-2003

  • Adviser, International Trade Division, Organization of American States (OAS)- Researcher, Fedesarrollo, 1998
    Adviser to the Trade Division, OAS,     1997

  • Colombian Plenipotentiary Minister to the OAS (advising the General Secretary, Doctor Cesar Gaviria), 1994-96

  • Vice Minister of International Trade, Colombia - Head of Negotiation team for the agreements signed with Chile, Central America, CARICOM, and Mexico (G3, with Venezuela), 1992-1994

  • Research Director Economic Department, National Federation of Coffee Growers, 1990-92

  • Vice-director and Director (in charge), Fedesarrollo, 1989-1990

  • Dean, Faculty of Economics, National University of Colombia; and Manager National University Press, 1984-1985

  • Researcher, Fedesarrollo, 1977- 1983

Other Activities and Memberships

  • Member of Latin American trade Network (LATN)

  • Board of Directors, National University of Colombia - Appointed by the President of Colombia

Teaching

  • 2000 - Colombian Economic Policy, University of Los Andes

  • 1989/93 - Advanced Macroeconomics and International Trade, National University of Colombia

  • 1984/85,Advanced Macroeconomics, National Universisty of Colombia

  • 1983 - Advanced Macroeconomics, Externado University and University of Los Andes

  • 1981/82 - Introduction to Economics. Economic Development, Oxford University

  • 1979/80 - International Trade, and Econometrics, University of Los Andes

  • 1978 - International Trade, International Finances and Econometrics, University of Los Andes, and Externado University

  • 1977 - International Trade and Econometrics, University of Los Andes and Javeriana University.

Publications

  • Alesina,A. A.Carrasquilla & J.J.Echavarría, (2000), "Fiscal Federalism in Colombia", Working Paper, Fedesarrollo

  • "Colombia en la década de los 90s: neoliberalismo y reformas estructurales en el trópico", Coyuntura Económica, septiembre

  • Echavarría,J.J. I.Fainboim & C.J.Rodríguez, (2000a), " Explicaciones de la Crisis de la Economía Vallecaucana y posibles elementos para su Recuperacion", (mimeo), Fedesarrollo

  • Echavarría,J.J. C.Renteria & R.Steiner, (2000b), "Bailout of Territorial Entities By The Central Government in Colombia", (mimeo), Fedesarrollo

1999:

  • Echavarría,J.J., (1999), "Crecimiento, Exportaciones y Política Macroeconómica en Colombia", (mimeo), Fedesarrollo

  • ----- (1999), "Hacia la devaluación real, adios bandas cambiarias", Coyuntura Económica, v.29, pp.87-105

  • Echavarría,J.J. R.Correa & C.Gamboa, (1999b), "Apertura, Exportaciones y Tasa de Cambio. La Experiencia Colombiana de los años 90", (mimeo), Fedesarrollo

  • Echavarría,J.J., L.A.Zuleta & S.Zuluaga. (1999a), "Los Beneficios Dinámicos de las Exportaciones", (mimeo)

  • Echavarría, J.J. (2000), Crísis e Industrialización. Las Lecciones de los Treintas, Tercer Mundo y Banco de la República

1997 - 1998:

  • El Pacto Andino, Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, Integración Económica Shocks Externos e Industrialización en Colombia, Banco de la República and Tercer Mundo).

  • Apertura y la Integración Regional en los Países Andinos, (in process), OEA-CAF

  • “Modelling the Effects of Apertura and Regional Integration in the Andean Countries” (mimeo). Paper presented at the 1st Seminar of General Equilibrium Modeling, University of Purdue, May, 1998. To be published in Coyuntura Económica

  • “Trade Flows in the Andean Countries. Unilateral Liberalization or Regional Preferences?, (document presented at the 3th Annual Conference of the World Bank abut Development in Latin America, Montevideo. June 27, 1997. To be published in a World Bank book of economic integration, edited by Professor Alan Winters. To be published in Spanish in Coyuntura Económica, September, 1998

  • “El G3. En el Camino de la Integración Continental”, Coyuntura Económica, vol.25, No.3, pp.111-137 (impreso originalmente in inglés in un texto published por MacMillan, edited by Patricio Meller and Richard Lipsey)

  • Compendio de los Acuerdos Hemisféricos de Integración, Organización de Estados Americanos (with Don Mackay)

1994:

  • Coordinador del libro El Nuevo Camino al Progreso. Un Mundo para Colombia (Memorias al Congreso 1993-94), Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Colombia

  • “Oportunidades y Riesgos de la Integración”, Coyuntura Económica No.31, pp.7-29, March

  • “Enfermedad Holandesa y Crecimiento Económico”, in M.Aparicio and W.Easterly, eds, (1994), Crecimiento Económico: Teoría, Instituciones y Experiencia Internacional, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank

1993:

  • “Inversión, Liquidez y Fuentes de Financiación en la Industria Colombiana”, Coyuntura Económica, vol23, No.2, pp.103-137, July (with Fernando Tenjo) 1992: A variety of Papers in the journal “Estrategia Económica y Financiera”

1991:

  • “Dominio Tecnológico en una Economía Abierta”, Coyuntura Económica, Vol.21, No.1, pp.139-59, April (with H.Jaramillo and C.E.Bernal)

1990:

  • "Reestructuración, Apertura y Política económica". Debates de Coyuntura Económica, March, 1990

  • "Multinacionales y Modernización Industrial en Colombia" with Pilar Esguerra, Fedesarrollo - CEPAL, May 1990

  • "Cambio técnico, inversión y reestructuración industrial en Colombia". Coyuntura Económica, June 1990

  • "Empresas Transnacionales y Reestructuración Industrial en Colombia", (mimeo), FEDESARROLLO, July 1990.

1989:

  • "Experiencias de Reestructuración Industrial en América Latina. Enseñanzas para Colombia". Coyuntura Económica, October 1989

  • "Inversión y Cambio Técnico en la Industria Colombiana", (mimeo), FEDESARROLLO

1988-89:

  • "External Shocks and Industrialization. Colombia, 1920-1950", Doctoral Thesis, Oxford University

1987:

  • "Colombia, 1970-85. Management and Consequences of Two Large External Shocks", Overseas Development Institute, Working Paper No. 20, Londres. Published in S.Page, Trade, finance and developing countries : strategies and constraints in the 1990s, Barnes and Noble, 1989

1984:

  • "Análisis Empírico de los Determinantes del Crecimiento Industrial entre 1920 y 1950". Coyuntura Económica, March de 1984; a partial and preliminary was published in Revista Antioqueña de Economía, No. 10, 1983

  • “Comercio de Colombia con el Caribe Insular. Evolución, Posibilidades y Obstáculos”, PROEXPO, Separata de Colombia Exporta, March

  • Comentarios al Plan de Desarrollo de Antioquia en sus Aspectos Industriales", Revista Antioqueña de Economía, No. 13

1983:

  • "Trade Prospects for Latin America. The Case of Colombia", Latin American Trade and Economic Growth, published by Wharton Econometrics and Florida Internacional University; also in Lecturas de Economía,.

  • "El Proceso Colombiano de Industrialización. Algunas Ideas sobre un Viejo Debate", Coyuntura Económica, October, 1983 (with Juan L.Londoño and C.Caballero)

1982:

  • "Colombia", en J.Grunwald J and K.Flamm, (1985), The Global Factory: Foreign Assembly in International Trade, Brookings. Institution, Washington

  • "La Deuda Externa Colombiana durante los 20's y 30's: Algunas Enseñanzas para el Presente", Coyuntura Económica, June, 1982

  • "Subsidios y Tasa de Cambio. Análisis de las Primeras Medidas del Nuevo Gobierno", Coyuntura Económica, October, 1982

  • Chapter of International Trade, Coyuntura Económica, April, June, October and December 1982

1981:

  • "Aranceles y Subsidios a las Exportaciones. Análisis de su Estructura Sectorial y de su Impacto sobre la Apertura de la Industria en Colombia", El Trimestre Económico, Special Number, 50th Anniversary, January-March, 1983, (with G. Perry); also in Coyuntura Económica, July 1981

  • Comments to R. M. Thorp and J. Bertram: Perú An Open Economy, in Coyuntura Económica, July, 1981

1980:

  • Comercio Internacional, Texto de Clase, Universidad Externado de Colombia

  • Relaciones Económicas de Colombia con los Países del Caribe Insular. Banco de la República, (with Alfredo Fuentes)

  • "Las Exportaciones en el Escenario Internacional. Una Estrategia Exportadora para Colombia", Coyuntura Económica, July

  • "La Evolución de las Exportaciones Colombianas y sus Determinantes. Un Análisis Empírico", Revista del Banco de la República, July

1979:

  • "Subsidio a las Exportaciones Industriales, Empleo y Ventajas Comparativas en Colombia" (with Guillermo Perry and Luis Jorge Garay), in América Latina y la Economía Mundial, Series Jornadas, Instituto Torcuato Di Tella, 1979

  • Chapter of International Trade, Coyuntura Económica, April, June, October and December

  • "Un Análisis Preliminar de la Actual Política de Liberación de Importaciones", Coyuntura Económica, October, (with Luis Jorge Garay)

1978:

  • El Sector Comercio en Colombia, FEDESARROLLO, (with Miguel Urrutia and Yesid Castro)

  • "El Efecto del Situado Fiscal y La Cesión del Impuesto a las Ventas sobre los Ingresos y la Estructura del Gasto Departamental y Municipal, (mimeo)

  • Chapter of International Trade, Coyuntura Económica, April, June, October and December

1977:

  • "Criterios para una Política de Promoción de Exportaciones", trabajo dirigido por Guillermo Perry. To see an abstract: G. Perry, "Políticas Selectivas de Promoción de Exportaciones", Coyuntura Económica, December 1978

  • Chapter of International Trade, Coyuntura Económica. April, June, October and December.

Current Research Projects

  • Labor Mobility in the Andean Region (Alejandro Gaviria and Marta Luz Henao)

  • The Andean CET (Mauricio Reina and Sandra Zuluaga)

  • Opening and Research and Development in the Colombian Industry (Juan José Echavarría and Mónica Parra)

  • Colombia and Venezuela in the OMC (Juan José Echavarría and Cristina Gamboa)

  • Dynamic Effects of the Andean Community on the Textile and Apparel Sector (Juan José Echavarría and Sandra Zuluaga)

  • Business Survey for the Andean Region (in process) (Juan José Echavarría and Sandra Zuluaga).

Recommended Links

Areas of Interest