Monetary Policy and the Exchange Rate in Colombia

Keep in mind

La serie Borradores de Economía es una publicación de la Subgerencia de Estudios Económicos del Banco de la República. Los trabajos son de carácter provisional, las opiniones y posibles errores son responsabilidad exclusiva del autor y sus contenidos no comprometen al Banco de la República ni a su Junta Directiva.

Autor o Editor
Hernando Vargas

The role of the exchange rate and the exchange rate regime in the monetary policy decision-making process in Colombia is described. The rationale for the intervention of the Central Bank in the FX market is explained and the experience in this regard is reviewed. Special attention is given to the seemingly varying effectiveness of different types of intervention and to the challenges posed by the sterilization of purchases of foreign currency. The exchange rate regime, FX regulation and FX policy determine the resilience of the economy in the face of external shocks and allow for the possibility of countercyclical monetary policy responses. A virtuous circle is created in which the volatility present in a flexible exchange rate regime improves the conditions for the functioning of a flexible exchange rate regime.
The series Borradores de Economía is published by the Economic Studies Department at the Banco de la República (Central Bank of Colombia). The works published are provisional, and their authors are fully responsible for the opinions expressed in them, as well as for possible mistakes. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Banco de la República or its Board of Directors.