The energy matrix of Latin American and the Caribbean countries has one of the largest renewable energy components when compared to other regions of the world. Nonetheless, by 2009 nearly three-quarters of its structure corresponded to fossil fuels, with most of the countries being net importers of these fuels. This situation marks the region´s dependence on the effects of changes in energy commodities. Therefore, the opportunity lies in higher use of renewable energy sources that contribute to the country´s energy security and represent significant environmental benefits. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of current energy scenarios of six Latin American countries (Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil, Ecuador and Chile) in order to evaluate the policies, programs and strategies implemented in the search for greater participation of renewable energy. Considering the importance of the water-energy nexus that could serve to promote renewables under conditions of water scarcity, a qualitative data comparison was accomplished, considering energy consumption, CO 2 emissions, GDP and water withdrawals per country. The authors conclude that, despite technological and financial constraints, all the involved countries are moving towards the substitution of a fossil fuel based matrix to a renewable one. This process could be seen as a result of clear policies and strategies that have been set, which include (but are not limited to) price regulations setting, preferential prices to electricity generated through renewable energy technologies and incentives formulated to encourage the production of biofuels.Keywords: water and energy nexus; renewable energy; public policy. RESUMOA matriz energética dos países da América Latina e Caribe tem um dos maiores índices de energias renováveis, quando comparada à de outras regiões do mundo. No entanto, até 2009, cerca de três quartos de sua estrutura correspondia a combustíveis fósseis, com a maioria dos países sendo importadores líquidos destes combustíveis. Esta situação marca a dependência da região dos efeitos das mudanças nas commodities energéticas. Sendo assim, a oportunidade está no maior uso de fontes renováveis de energia, que contribuem para a segurança energética do país e representam benefícios ambientais significativos. O objetivo deste trabalho é fornecer uma análise comparativa dos cenários energéticos atuais de seis países da América Latina (México, Honduras, Nicarágua, Brasil, Equador e Chile), a fim de avaliar as políticas, os programas e as estratégias implementadas na busca da maior participação das energias renováveis. Considerando a importância do nexo água-energia, realizou-se uma comparação de dados qualitativos, considerando o consumo de energia, emissões de CO 2 , PIB e retiradas de água por país. Os autores concluíram que, apesar das limitações tecnológicas e financeiras, todos os países envolvidos estão se movendo para a transformação de uma matriz baseada em combustíveis fósseis para uma matriz com bases renováveis. E...
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