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In the theoretical debate about the benefits of rigid exchange rate regimes, dollarization stands out as a strictly fixed scheme that is used to recover the confidence in the local monetary authority, allow the reduction of inflation, and achieve price stability in countries that adopt it. Venezuela, having monetary authorities with high inflationary bias and being in a phase of instability and volatility of its productive activity, is a good candidate for dollarizing its economy. Given this possibility, this paper identifies whether dollarization is the monetary-exchange regime that currently best suits the Venezuelan economy. We perform an empirical analysis of the costs and benefits of replacing the Bolívar with the U.S. dollar. The empirical evidence tells us that dollarization in Venezuela is undesirable because the benefits in terms of economic growth and low inflation might be limited due to the high costs derived from the low correlation between macroeconomic aggregates of both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus crisis (COVID-19) crisis highlighted a disadvantage of globalization: risks are more systemic. That is, crises are no longer local, but quickly spread to other countries in a region and around the world. In this context, the use of information and communication technologies was an automatic response of society. The financial technology (Fintech) sector is considered a safe option to preserve health at the time of making a transaction. This paper aims to analyze the effects that the coronavirus crisis had on the use of Fintech services in Latin America. To this end, the concept of Fintech is clarified. Next, the types of Fintech services used in Latin America are characterized. The data on the number of companies and the use of Fintech products before and during the COVID-19 crisis are then analyzed. Finally, policy options for driving financial inclusion and increasing the benefits of using Fintech services in the region are presented. The results allow us to conclude that the progress of the Fintech sector in Latin America was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]